Globally, experts estimate that nearly 4 billion active email accounts exist out there.
Nearly 300 billion emails from businesses enter inboxes every single day. Do the math.
People get around 75 business emails per day. And it’s only increasing.
Are you take the time to read 75 emails a day? Are you opening that many?
How many messages just sit there day after day, getting marked as read when you never even opened it?
This kind of skimming the inbox is what you’re up against. It’s why only the best email subject lines get opened.
Let’s look at 50 of the highest-performing and best email subject line examples we’ve seen and why they work so well.
12 Tips on How to Write the Best Email Subject Lines
1. Appeal to People’s Need for Instant Gratification
Whether the topic is weight loss, saving for retirement, or getting to page one in searches – people know there are no magic pills.
But still, the idea that you can have things now that you really didn’t have to work for appeals to a lot of people.
University of Illinois Professor, Shahram Heshmat Ph.D., studies the science behind how people make choices.
He says “There is psychological discomfort associated with self-denial.
From an evolutionary perspective, our instinct is to seize the reward at hand, and resisting this instinct is hard.”
A great email subject line offers this opportunity for instant gratification.
As you’re exploring the examples of best email subject lines in this article, consider this point.
69% of email recipients will mark an email as spam just because of the subject line.
There are no “magic bullet” subject lines that work every time for every audience.
There’s often a fine line between a good email subject line that has a higher email open rate and one that appears spammy.
Understanding your audience and what the spam rates are telling you will help you adapt in order to navigate this fine line.
Now, let’s look at some of the best email subject lines that promise instant gratification.
Great Examples of Instant Gratification Subject Lines
1. “How to email a busy person (including a word-for-word script)” – Ramit Sethi
A word-for-word script means they’ve done all the work for you.
2. “Steal these email templates…” – Digital Marketer
3. “We Need Your Help! Get $5 in Free Gas For Completing Our Survey” – Pacific54
They had a 46% open rate with this subject line.
4. “Grow your email list 10X faster with these 30 content upgrade ideas” – Optinmonster
5. “Your beauty issues, solved” – Sephora
6. “Key Takeaways from SaaS Connect 2018” – Kiwi Creative
Busy people love when they can get the “Cliffs Notes” from an important webinar, seminar, or meeting.
This one earned Kiwi Creative a 60% open rate.
2. Generate a Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Response
FOMO is a relatively unresearched psychological phenomenon that compels a person to do something for fear of missing out on…
…information, an experience, or something else that others have.
It’s this urge that keeps many tied to their social media feed, just waiting for the next post to appear when they’re not working.
And sometimes when they are. Researchers are just beginning to conduct case studies and learn what drives this overwhelming urge.
But from an email marketer’s perspective, FOMO has been long-established and confirmed through analytics, A/B testing, and professional experience.
The average person can’t help but click if they feel they might be missing out.
Examples of FOMO Subject Lines
Using FOMO requires a delicate balance.
Because marketers have been using it perhaps since the invention of the printing press, it can feel “played out.”
Explore new and different ways to generate a FOMO.
7. “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring” – Warby Parker
Warby Parker is an online prescription eyeglasses company. Whether they know if your prescription is expiring or not, this is a very FOMO line.
8. “Happy Birthday Lindsay – Surprise Inside!” – Rent the Runway
The fact that it’s Lindsay’s birthday makes this not only feel exclusive. It also feels like whatever the offer is, it’s only good today.
9. “Hey” – Barack Obama
This one probably only works if you’re the President of the United States or a high-profile celebrity. But it’s definitely a FOMO subject line in that context.
10. “You’re missing out on points.” – Jet Blue
For people who are trying to build up travel miles, this is the worst thing they can hear.
They want to know how to fix it ASAP. They do that by opening the email when they see the best email subject lines like this one.
11. “The timer’s going off on your cart!” – King Arthur Flour
3. Evoke Curiosity
People are very curious creatures. Curiosity and FOMO often overlap.
But not always. The psychology behind them is very different.
Respected Professor of Psychology and Economics, George Loewenstein explains curiosity this way.
It’s a feeling of mental deprivation caused by the perception that there’s a gap in understanding.
Deprivation is a strong word. But it’s very well-placed. When something piques a person’s curiosity, they feel like there’s a void that they must fill.
It’s like they haven’t eaten in a week. And you just offered them a hamburger.
It’s the continual pursuit of knowledge that drives people to click the best email subject lines while leaving the rest of their inbox unattended.
Great examples of Curiosity Subject Lines
Curiosity is a very personal thing. What makes one person overwhelmingly curious will leave another scrolling by.
Know your audience. Know what makes them curious and you’ll create the most amazing, catchy email subject lines.
Here are some companies who do curiosity very well.
12. “Not Cool, Guys” – Buzzfeed
We want to know what the “guys” did. Don’t you?
13. “DO NOT Commit These Instagram Atrocities” – Thrillest
Be careful with all caps. This was just enough to get attention without feeling like screaming or spam.
14. “Buffer has been hacked – here is what’s going on” – Buffer
Yes, they really sent this email when they got hacked. It allowed them to be the first to inform people about the event.
They could control the conversation around it because they were proactive. And they used this exceptional curiosity-evoking subject line.
15. “Last Day To See What This Mystery Email Is All About” – Grubhub
16. “A faster donkey” The Hustle
Who wouldn’t want to know what The Hustle is talking about?
4. Craft Humorous Subject Lines
The world-renowned Psychologist, author, and inventor of psychoanalysis.
Sigmund Freud believed that humor was one of the few ways that you could connect straight to a person’s subconscious mind.
It melts the mental blocks, defense mechanisms and logical thinking that may prevent a person from connecting with another.
If you can just make a person laugh, you’ve just earned a moment of their time.
Over the years, people have built up barriers to marketing strategies, email marketing campaigns included.
Some people see FOMO subject lines and promotional emails coming a mile away.
They don’t click these email newsletters or messages. They know what you’re trying to do.
People with these strong anti-marketing barriers don’t react the same way to humor.
Great examples of Humorous Subject Lines
Of course, the issue here is that what one person finds to be “ha ha” funny someone else might find to be in poor taste or even offensive.
You’ve got to consider your audience and find what works with them.
Through it, you develop the best email subject lines.
Some of the best funny email subject lines we’ve seen include:
17. “Abra-cord-abra! Yeah, we said it.” – Quirky
Quirky is a website that connects inventors with companies that may want to buy their ideas.
This corny play on words is followed by a conversational statement that people commonly make after saying something silly.
It earned a lot of clicks.
18. “Yes, I’m Pregnant. You Can Stop Staring At My Belly Now.” – Baby Bump
19. “NEW! Vacation on Mars” -Gozengo
20. “Pairs nicely with spreadsheets” – Warby Parker
21. “Where to Drink Beer Right Now” – Eater Boston
The pub sent this one at 6:45 a.m. on a weekday, making the timing part of the joke. You’re probably on your way to work at that time.
And we’ve got a bonus and possibly the winner.
22. “*Don’t Open This Email*” from Manicube.
If you found none of those remotely funny, it speaks to how hard it can be to pull off the perfect zinger.
But don’t be afraid to explore humor as a means to overcome objections and barriers that stand in the way of a person opening an email.
5. Create Outrageous Subject Lines
Boring, everyday subject lines don’t earn clicks.
Even if you’re a buttoned-up professional brand, few audiences will respond to a simple description of the email.
You need to be bold. It helps to be a bit audacious.
You can find ways to be a little outrageous without straying from your brand.
Being outrageous doesn’t mean stoking controversy or getting under people’s skin unless you really know your audience will appreciate it.
It’s more about causing and “I can’t believe they said that” or “what is this all about?” feeling.
Great Examples of Subject Lines That Got A Little Outrageous
23. “Let’s get fat, Boston” – Thrillist
It was an email exploring some of the best restaurants in Boston. It’s a bit off-beat. But it makes you look.
24. “How to organize your VHS collection” – HubSpot
25. “Is Twilight the best movie ever made?” – HubSpot
26. “Our Blades are F***ing Great.” – Dollar Shave Club
Know your audience. Some audiences will find cursing funny or non-conformist.
Others find it offensive. Dollar Shave Club gambled on this one and won big with their target audience.
6. Make Them Feel Like an Insider
Why do we like inside jokes? People want to feel like they’re a part of something.
And see something that they know only a handful of people will understand, they feel special.
This is true whether your audience is in MENSA (the club for geniuses) or in a certain field of work that uses a certain language.
Using insider subjects further connects your audience to you because it shows that you’re an insider too.
Great Examples of Insider Subject Lines
Don’t worry. We’ll give you the explanation in case you’re an outsider among these groups.
27. “!” – DiningIn
People who use messaging apps will recognize an exclamation point as a stand-in for words.
By using it the sender is expressing that they have something very exciting to show you when you open the email.
The target audience will understand this and have to click.
28. “As You Wish” – Uncommon Goods
It’s a reference to the cult fantasy classic “Princess Bride”. Choose movies that are very likely to be viewed by your audience.
29. “Coffee’s for closers” – Glengarry Glen Ross
Not a known email subject line. But it should be. Anyone in sales or marketing would likely get the reference.
30. “11 is a crowd. We’ll wait.” – ThinkGeek
You may want to brush up on your binary code for this one. 11 in the binary representation for 3.
7. Stroke Their Ego
We all have one. An ego. When someone else says something that makes you feel good about yourself, you probably just made a friend.
A momentary feeling of vanity is what a person gets out of a subject line like these.
You may not think of vanity as an emotion.
But it certainly is. The best email subject lines tap into emotions. You don’t have to be a narcissist to feel it.
People with all levels of pride and self-importance can be positively triggered when you stroke their ego.
Great Examples of Ego-Stroking Subject Lines
31. “Your Butt Will Look Great in These Workout Pants” – Fabletics
Who doesn’t want to hear that?
32. “Wow! Fantastic credit score.” – NerdWallet
For someone who’s financially savvy, that’s a great compliment.
33. “So What Did You Think? Write a Review.” – REI
Demonstrating that you value a person’s opinion is a great way to stroke their ego.
34. “? Want a Custom Emoji of Tullamore & 6 Months FREE Walks?” – Wag
This is a personalized subject line. “Tullamore” is the dog of the person receiving this email.
For pet lovers, the pet is an extension of the person’s sense of self.
Complimenting the pet or offering them something special can be just as powerful as targeting the person’s ego.
35. “Hey [First Name]! Which one of these would be your favorite read?” – EmailMonks
8. Feel Their Pain
When you can speak to a target audience’s pain points, you show that you understand how people use your product and why.
It demonstrates that you think from the side of the consumer rather than from your own business from time to time.
Great Examples of Pain Point Subject Lines
36. “Since we can’t all win the lottery…” -Uber
This subject line speaks to a very specific audience. 70% of lottery players are in their 20’s and 30’s.
Around 90% of players have jobs but say they’re having trouble paying their bills.
These individuals are also the most likely to become Uber drivers.
37. “How to Survive Your Next Overnight Flight” – Thrillest
38. “Stop wasting time on mindless work” – Evernote
39. “[Pain Point] | [Company Name].” -Demanddrive
DemandDrive uses this template again and again to generate high open rates.
40. “[First Name], here’s how you can [Benefit from our Solution]” -Growthhackers
Similarly, Growthhackers has found a template that works well with their audience. They use it repeatedly to increase clicks.
As you’re exploring how to create the best email subject lines, think systematically.
Explore by using a handful of templates that you can quickly fill in to generate a compelling headline.
9. Create a Sense of Urgency
You’ve probably stumbled upon some classic TV commercials that say “Act now!”. And this is what you can try with your subject lines too.
Although not necessarily these exact words.
You can convey scarcity and urgency in your subject lines to urge subscribers to act immediately, as if this is their last chance.
However, be sure to use this “limited time” subject line only when the campaign calls for it.
This is the oldest trick in the marketing book. But it still works in digital marketing.
The analytics prove it. It’s definitely among email subject line best practices.
When someone feels that they have time to do something later, they put it off.
They think at the time that they’ll come back. But they rarely do.
When people feel like they must open something now or miss out, they at least take a peek.
A study reported in the New York Times found that 20% of people are chronic procrastinators. If they don’t feel like they have to do it now, they won’t.
The Journal of Consumer Research found “being busy” was one of the top social media “humblebrag” statements.
People like to stay busy. They like to be perceived as busy. They often don’t feel that they have time to open your email.
To get the highest email open rates, make people feel like they must open this now — not later.
MailChimp found the following benefits of using time-sensitive words:
- Urgent – Increased email open rate by 79%
- Breaking – Increased email open rate by 68%
- Important – Increased open rate by 55%
- Alert – Increased open rate by 31%
This is definitely a tip that you’ll want to follow up with analytics to make sure “time sensitive” words aren’t getting emails sent to spam folder.
That 79% increase will be worth it for some when compared to spam rate.
Subject lines like these can land some businesses in the spam folder.
So they should always undergo an a/b test first on a small segment of the email list.
Note there are many more ways to express urgency. Try these.
Great Examples of Time-Sensitive Subject Lines
41. “Your 7-figure plan goes bye-bye at midnight…” – Digital Marketer
42. “[New Product] just arrived. Only 15 left.”
43. “Before you write another blog post, read this” – Sumo
44. “Extended for a day! Get Free shipping through Friday.” – VerticalResponse
10. Avoid Spam Language
You don’t always intend for the subject to sound spammy.
But over the years, certain languages have been flagged as spammy language by spam filters. because of the rampant misuse of that headline.
Experts estimate that each charity loses around $15K a year of would-be donations because they accidentally said something “spammy” either…
…on their email subject lines or on the email copy.
You don’t spend time and money building a quality subscriber list just to be sent to spam.
Act-On has created a great list of phrases an innocent business might use that sends them straight to spam.
Those words include but aren’t limited to:
- Opportunity
- Satisfaction Guaranteed
- No Purchase Necessary
- Eliminate Debt
- FREE {In all CAPS}
- Success
- Hot
- Bad Credit
- Increase
- Make Money Fast
This list may elicit feelings of nostalgia for the days before we had spam filters to filter this stuff out.
But some of these are completely innocent words that are often used in spammy ways.
You might not choose to avoid these words altogether, especially if for instance you’re giving away a freebie or a Black Friday groupon.
So if that’s the case, you should definitely see how they are received by your audience.
Avoiding spam filters will help improve email deliverability.
11. Segment Your Best Email Subject Lines
Segmentation is a form of personalization. You divide email recipients into groups based on a major trait that they share. This could be:
- Age range
- Industry
- Geography
- Job Role
- Behaviors
Then customize the subject line based on this trait to make it more relevant.
The open rate for a segmented email is about 14% higher than non-segmented.
When something feels customized and relevant, people are more likely to see it.
On average, a business can increase email-generated revenues by 58% by segmenting.
12. Personalize it
Personalizing is a step up from segmentation. It’s when you send a particular email to a specific person at a specific time.
You might include their name in the subject line. But email personalization goes far beyond this.
Personalized emails may:
- Welcome a new subscriber
- Thank a person for their purchase
- Suggest other items based on their purchase or viewing history
- Remind them to finish a video
It’s both the timing and message that make these types of email subject lines so effective.
This kind of timing is only possible through email automation.
This Email Monday chart shows how businesses are benefiting from email automation.
Examples of Personalized, Automated Email Subject Lines
45. “Hi, { Customer Name}, I’m deleting your Envira account” – Envira
This is a bold move that could backfire.
Obviously, if you say you’re unsubscribing someone or deleting their account, you have to do it if they don’t respond.
But a message like this can renew interest with a person who never opens emails.
46. “{Customer Name}, Did you miss out on some of these new features?” – Animoto
47. “Email subscriber exclusive: [Product name] sale is here.” – VerticalResponse
That product would be something this individual recently viewed. Automation can pull it into the email to make that missed sale.
This kind of email is one of the top tricks for improving eCommerce ROI.
48. “Were we boring you, {Customer Name}?” – Unbounce
49. “Hey, forget something? Here’s 20% off.” – Bonobos
50. “Steve, where’d you go?” – Unbounce
The Best Email Subject Lines
The best email subject lines are built around your target audience and brand.
But you can definitely get some ideas by looking at what’s working for other companies.
These 50 examples will have you well on your way to creating high-performing subject lines of your own.
Are you getting the most out of your email marketing investment? We can help you achieve a higher open rate and ROI. Contact us today.
