45 great email subject line examples and why they work

Cold email, warm email, and, indeed, any kind of email is a tightrope balancing act. To begin with, everyone is totally drowning in email these days. Even email people want to receive can wind up ignored and buried in the pile.

So you need to use psychology to capture interest and stand out. But you want to avoid gimmicks that come across as spammy or greasy (think used car salesman). Let’s learn how to walk that tightrope.

TL;DR

If you just want to get started quickly, and you can't be bothered to learn the ins and outs of how to write a great subject line, there's a shortcut. There is a subject line that gets frequently opened, doesn't sound spammy, and checks several psychological boxes:

"Quick question".

That's it. No fuss, no muss. It invokes curiosity, promises not to waste their time, and works for many kinds of emails.

But there is no singular universal solution. So if that one didn't quite scratch the itch, don't worry, we've got lots of ground left to cover.

Tactics for a great email subject line

Before you can create, or even recognize, an amazing subject line, you have to understand what makes them great. It takes a combination of clever writing, solid short copy, and a basic understanding of what makes people tick.

These are a collection of psychological tactics you can rely on while crafting or picking your next subject line. They've all been used in sales and marketing for as long as there have been sales and marketing because they work.

Create a sense of urgency

This is the first item on the list for a good reason. It's been proven to be extremely effective and is used successfully again and again by pretty much every single business out there.

How many times have you heard the phrase "for a limited time only?" Every time a company puts a product on sale, they're using this tactic. “You better snap this product up while it's this cheap because it never will be again.”

Example subject lines:

• Best deals of the year; this weekend only!
• Close out blow out
• Last day for this BOGO deal

Show off the advantage

Sometimes, all you have to do is make the right promise. If your subject line offers something that they want, people are likely to open your email. After all, the core of all sales is desire.

Example subject lines:

1. Improve conversions by 23%
2. Here’s the answer you wanted, Linda
3. Money won’t buy happiness, but this might

Help people avoid negative outcomes

This is a tactic that can come across as a little greasy. But if used with a touch of finesse, it can also be highly effective. Nobody wants to miss out on a golden opportunity. It's kind of like urgency, but instead of being time-based, it promises to help the reader avoid failure.

Example subject lines:

1. Watch out for these startup pitfalls
2. 7 Mistakes every new woodworker makes
3. How cleaning my window broke it

Take a direct approach

Here’s a crazy idea. Just say exactly what you mean. Many people will appreciate your honesty.

Example subject lines:

1. Help us clean Arlo Square this weekend
2. Learn something new; Boost your career
3. 17 Tools that make you a better craftsman

Use the blog post title trick

There's an SEO technique that can be taken from blogging and content marketing. You can use the same techniques that work so well in blog post titles. The two most clicked-on and shared blog post title types are "how tos" and listicles.

For example, "How to keep the aliens from reading your mind in three easy steps." Or, for listicles, there's "12 dead simple recipes for when you're too dead tired to cook."

Example subject lines:

1. How to spot fake jewelry
2. 10 Best accessorizing hacks
3. How to start your car on the coldest days

Give them directions

Sometimes, you just have to tell people what to do. And sometimes, they just might do that. A simple command, like "read this first," could be just the thing.

Example subject lines:

1. Check this out
2. Open today for your discount
3. Hey Bob. Read this quick.

Leave them hanging

Sometimes, teasing your reader can create a sense of curiosity. Giving them a hint of what you're offering while promising more could hook them in.

An easy way to do that is to open a sentence without closing it, like "If you want to have a bigger impact you need to..." Then, in the email, the first line would be something like "attract a more dedicated audience.”

Example subject lines:

1. I really wish I could
2. Barbara. Have you seen where the…
3. And that’s why you never

Try social proof

Celebrity endorsements have always been an effective technique for drawing attention and providing authority. In the age of social media and influencers, that's probably more true than ever. If you can claim that something is popular, a lot of people will react positively to that.

Example subject lines:

1. Apparently, this is everyone’s new favorite spot
2. Jason Momoa’s preferred grooming supplies
3. We can’t keep these on the shelves

Create cognitive dissonance

The comedian, Lewis Black, has a famous bit about a conversation he overheard in IHOP. All he heard was "If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college."

The two things didn't connect. He couldn't wrap his brain around it. And it drove him up the wall. He was dying to make the connection between the two. You can use that technique to get people to open your email, if for no other reason than to complete the connection.

Example subject lines:

1. Peanut butter and rose bushes fix this
2. Moved from bucket list to grocery list
3. Godzilla can’t, but aunt Betsy can

Ask a question

Asking people the right question can often get them to stop and think. And if you can ask them a question that they want to answer, that's all the better. They may open the email just to answer that question.

Example subject lines:

1. Can you handle this?
2. Is this yours?
3. What do you sleep in at night?

Get them to laugh

This can be the most elusive technique of all. For most people, humor is best when it comes up spontaneously. It takes a certain kind of writer to be able to come up with something consistently funny to a large range of people. But if you can do it, it's a powerful technique.

Example subject lines:

1. Want a season? Try summer salt.
2. Spring fashions you’ll fall for.
3. There’s a party in my pants and they’re half off.

Bonus tips

Here are a few general pointers that you should also consider:

1. Sound human: Very few people actually enjoy reading copy. If you want to create a connection with people, try to get your writing as close to talking as possible.
2. Avoid jargon: Unless you are 100% positive that your target is going to understand the highly specialized term that you want to use, try simplifying it.
3. Keep it between 5-7 words if possible: When writing copy, you have to keep it short and sweet. Email subjects are what's known as short copy. That means you have to keep it even shorter and sweeter.
4. Know your audience and speak to their interests: Chances are, if you're in marketing, you know who your audience is. Use that knowledge to help you craft subject lines that speak to your readers.
5. Personalize it: Using a person's name is an old technique that used to work very well because it made it sound personal. Most people have seen that tactic enough that it's not as effective anymore. Try gathering other information from people to be used to personalize the emails that you send them. Things like hometown, general age range, and personal interests can be effective.

Remember, while these tactics have been successful, overuse or blatant use can come across as spammy. It's all about tact and subtlety.

A few more parting pointers

As we wrap up, here are a few important pointers for writing compelling email subject lines.

• Trust but verify: It's great if a subject line works for you, but could it do better? Test variations of your subject lines by sending them to different groups and monitor the one that performs the best. Repeat this process until you've crafted the perfect email subject line. Remember, don't exhaust your entire mailing list in one go!
• Find your voice: Think about the tone you use in your copy and blog posts. Is it friendly and warm or professional and authoritative? Whatever it is, it's uniquely yours. Keep this tone consistent in your subject lines, too. Before you launch your campaign, read your subject line out loud and listen—would you open the email if you received it?
• Avoid the spam folder: What does spam look like? You can spot it a mile away, right? Use this knowledge to your advantage. Skim through your spam folder for examples of what not to do. Common red flags include excessive use of emojis, scare tactics, all capital letters, or any other desperate attempts to catch attention.
• The Spam Words List: It's worth doing a quick search for common words and phrases that are frequently flagged as spam. While you don't need to avoid these completely, being aware of them can help you steer clear of sounding suspicious.
• Staying creative: Writing good copy is a constant balance of creativity and strategy. The goal is to create an emotional response without resorting to cheap tricks like shock or intimidation. Patience is key—keep crafting until you find that witty, clever, and compelling subject line that feels right.

Remember, you're aiming to engage your readers, not scare them into opening your email. A well-crafted subject line reflects the quality and value of the content inside, helping you build strong, trust-based relationships with your audience. Keep refining, testing, and improving—you've got this!