97 Best Email Subject Lines To Boost Open Rates

June 7, 2023
Business Development

Cold emailing is part of any successful sales strategy, but crafting an effective email subject line can often be challenging. Your subject line is the first thing your audience will see in their inbox, and it can make or break the success of your email campaign. With so many emails flooding our inboxes daily, it's important to ensure your subject line stands out and entices your audience to open your email. In this blog, we’ll provide you with the top 97 subject lines, tips, and best practices for creating subject lines that improve your campaign performance.

What is the email subject line?

The subject line of an email is the text line that the recipient sees in their message from you. The purpose of subject lines is to notify the receiver about the content of the email they are about to receive.

Why is your email subject line is so important?

Your email subject line is the first impression you make on your audience, and it can determine whether your email gets opened or sent straight to the trash. In fact, research shows that 47% of people open emails based on the subject line alone. Your subject line needs to be attention-grabbing, relevant and personalized to your audience.

It should clearly indicate what the email is about and provide value to your readers. The subject line is an opportunity to create urgency and encourage your audience to take action. A well-crafted subject line can increase your open rates, improve your click-through rates, and ultimately drive conversions. Therefore, giving your email subject lines the time and attention they deserve is important.

best email subject lines

Five Ways to Craft A Good Email Subject Line

Here are five quick tips to get the most out of your email subject lines.

1. Shorten your subject lines

How long should an email subject line be? Typically you want to keep subject lines to at least 40 characters. Short subject lines are quick and easy to read. In some cases, subject lines that contain two to three words can grab your recipient’s attention.

2. Avoid spam words

A subject line that sells too aggressively is often considered spam. You should avoid using multiple exclamations and overtly promotional language such as “Buy Now.” This will certainly send your email directly into the spam folder. Instead, focus only on promotion and offer a little knowledge that the audience might find helpful.

3. Personalize your subject lines

If you’re looking to write If you want to write a subject line that jumps out to the recipient, you should consider researching about them before you start writing your emails. Linkedin is a great starting place to learn about who you are sending emails. Sometimes, you and the recipient could have common connections, similar hobbies, or even attend the same school. It can also help to check any work they’ve put on their profile to which they can refer back. This increases the likelihood that they'll open your email.

4. A/B test your subject lines

A/B testing subject lines is an important aspect of cold emails as it allows businesses to optimize their email campaigns for better engagement rates and higher conversions. You can determine which subject line resonates better with your audience by testing two different subject lines on a small subset of your email list.

A/B testing can also help identify which types of subject lines work best for different segments of your audience, which can be used to tailor future campaigns for even greater success.

5. Address your prospect's pain points  

To address a pain point in your subject line, you can use phrases such as "solve your [pain point]," "struggling with [pain point]?," or "get relief from [pain point]." For example, if you sell a software product that helps small businesses manage their finances, you could use a subject line such as "Seamless financial management.”

Addressing pain points is effective just make sure what you’re highlighting is something that you provide a solution for. If your product or service cannot solve the pain point that you are addressing, it will only lead to disappointment and mistrust from your potential customers.

Catchy email subject line examples

Sometimes we scratch our heads and ask for ideas when we write subject lines. Below, we have provided 97 email subject lines we've used for real companies and helped book over 400 meetings monthly for our clients.

Drive FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

One psychological concept almost impossible to resist is the fear of missing out. You could use that fear as a subject line with a little scarcity (limited availability) or urgency (limited duration). Using time-sensitive words–such as urgency, “breaking,” “important,” or “alert”– has been found to improve email response rates. Here are 25 examples of FOMO subject lines.

  1. Drive revenue with our [your solution]
  2. Streamline your workflow with [your solution]
  3. Cut costs on operations with our [your solution]
  4. Lower acquisition costs with [your solution]
  5. Drive awareness for your brand with our [your solution]
  6. Improve team efficiency with our [your solution]
  7. Achieve your revenue goals with our [your solution]
  8. Save time and money with [your solution]
  9. Reach your target audience with our [your solution]
  10. Improve customer experience with our [your solution]
  11. Drive website traffic with our [your solution]
  12. Increase conversion rates with [your solution]
  13. Streamline your operations with [your solution]
  14. Boost engagement with our [your solution]
  15. Improve lead generation with [your solution]
  16. Expand your reach with [your solution]
  17. Enhance customer relationships with [your solution]
  18. Efficiently optimize your marketing campaigns with [your solution]
  19. Streamline your financials with our [your solution]
  20. Improve productivity with our [your solution]
  21. Retain customer loyalty with our [your solution]
  22. Expand your market share with our [your solution]
  23. Save time and resources with [your solution]
  24. Improve your online presence with [your solution]
  25. Streamline your communication with [your solution]

Subject lines that inspire curiosity (and increase your open rate)

Inspiring curiosity in your subject lines provides a sustainable and reliable method of engaging a target audience. It prompts your audience to ask questions and seek answers, making them more invested in your content. By sparking curiosity, you create a desire to learn more, increasing the chances of your message being shared with others. By consistently using subject lines that pique your audience's interest, you can build a loyal following of engaged readers who look forward to hearing from you. Here are 25 subject lines that can inspire curiosity.

  1. Unlock the secret to driving revenue
  2. Discover the time-saving solution
  3. Explore the money-saving platform
  4. Unveil the key to reaching new customers
  5. Find out how to drive brand awareness
  6. Reveal the secret to team efficiency
  7. Uncover the path to scaling your business
  8. Discover the missing piece
  9. Find out how to outpace your competition
  10. Discover the key to unlocking growth
  11. Reveal the secret to driving website traffic
  12. Discover the secret to optimizing your landing pages
  13. Find out how to streamline your operations
  14. Discover the secret to boosting engagement
  15. Unveil the key to lead generation success
  16. Explore the way to expand your reach
  17. Uncover the secret to enhancing your customer relationships
  18. The secret to optimizing your marketing campaigns
  19. Discover the key to streamlining your financials
  20. Find out how to improve productivity
  21. Unveil the secret to driving customer loyalty
  22. Discover the way to expand your market share
  23. Uncover the path to streamlining your recruitment process
  24. Find out how to improve your online presence
  25. Unveil the key to improving communication

Subject lines focusing on sharing valuable information

Subject lines that focus on sharing valuable information can effectively engage and retain a target audience. By offering a glimpse of what readers can expect to learn from your content, you can establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information and incentivize them to open and engage with your messages.

  1. Revenue-driving tips for success
  2. Save time with our expert advice
  3. Money-saving insights you need
  4. Reach new customers with our guide
  5. Drive brand awareness with our help
  6. Improve team efficiency now
  7. Scale your business for growth
  8. Stay ahead of the competition
  9. Maximize revenue with our tips
  10. Time-saving solutions for you
  11. Money-saving hacks you can use
  12. Reach new audiences today
  13. Drive awareness like a pro
  14. Boost team productivity now
  15. Scale your business smarter
  16. Stay ahead in your industry
  17. Revenue growth strategies revealed
  18. Time-saving tools to try
  19. Cost-saving measures that work
  20. Reach new markets with ease
  21. Awareness-raising tactics shared
  22. Efficiency-boosting advice here
  23. Scale your business effectively
  24. Competitive edge insights given
  25. Revenue-boosting tactics shared

Subject lines for in-person meetings

When it comes to setting up in-person meetings with prospects, subject lines are just as important as the actual invitation. A good subject line can capture attention and increase the likelihood of getting a positive response. Here are 25 examples of subject lines that can help you secure that coveted meeting over coffee or lunch.

  1. Lunch to talk [industry/interests]?
  2. Coffee on me, [Prospect's Name]?
  3. Free for lunch next [day]?
  4. Coffee and chat?
  5. Connect over lunch?
  6. Coffee meet, [industry/interests]?
  7. Lunch in [city]?
  8. Coffee break together?
  9. Meet for lunch?
  10. Talk shop over lunch?
  11. Coffee and catch up?
  12. Lunch at [restaurant]?
  13. Chat over coffee?
  14. Meet in person, lunch?
  15. Fancy coffee meeting?
  16. Lunch [industry/interests]?
  17. Free for lunch on [day]?
  18. Lunch & [business/interests]?
  19. Coffee in [city]?
  20. Meet in person for lunch?
  21. Free lunch on me
  22. [Restaurant] & [task you are solving]

By using the examples and tips provided, you can create subject lines that are concise, clear, and compelling, which can increase the chances of your emails being opened, read, and acted upon. Don’t underestimate the power of a good subject line - it can make all the difference in your sales email campaign!

Crafting effective subject lines is essential for capturing the attention of your target audience and driving engagement with your content. However, it's essential to remember that subject lines are just one part of a successful cold emailing strategy, and they should be complemented by high-quality content, personalized messaging, and a strong call to action. By incorporating these elements into your email campaigns, you can build strong relationships with your subscribers and achieve your sales goals.

Email marketing is all about getting people to open the email. A great email subject line will increase your email open rate and help ensure the email recipient gets a follow-up email. Before you send an email in your marketing email campaign, ensure that your email subject line is hooking the recipient to open it!

If you want to streamline your email marketing, consider outsourcing your appointment setting needs to Key Outreach. Out sales development representatives (SDRs) will get you the leads you need (email, phone, etc.) to increase your business immediately. Click here to learn more.


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