We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and analyse how our site is being used. For more information please see our cookie policy.
First impressions count. Stand out from the crowd and avoid being ignored or binned. Get your email subject line right, and your open rates will rocket.
41.6% of emails are opened on mobile devices, so keep your subject line to five or six words max (no more than 50 characters). Be clear, concise. Let recipients know immediately how your email will benefit them. Drop unnecessary words or information — keep the detail for the actual email.
According to research, emails that include the first name of the recipient in their subject line have higher clickthrough rates than emails that do not. Avoid using a generic email address (noreply@…) and send the email from a real person.
Make an offer that’s just for your recipients. Maybe give them a preview of your product before everyone else. Or send them location-specific news; people love to know what’s happening in their area. But make sure you can deliver what you have promised in your subject line – tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but…
Use action-oriented verbs like ‘Subscribe…’ ‘Join us…’ Start/stop…’ to get people moving.
Give it a deadline. Grab their attention so they open it now before it’s too late. Hurry up! Today only!
Make it relevant to your audience; offer them insight into a shared problem. ‘What’s the best way to handle an annoying colleague?’
Targeted at the right audience, this is a surefire way to get an email opened.
We all love a list; it’s quick and easy to read. And it gives us the info we want. Putting numbers in an email subject works well. ‘5 ways to…’
We all love a stat, and if it’s interesting, it will make us curious enough to read on
Emails on the latest trends or news help readers to feel they are ‘in the know.’ ‘The Best Apps of 2026.’
If you’re going to joke, make sure it’s catchy, not confusing and, well, funny. Controversy always grabs our attention, but make sure it doesn’t offend. Best to try out either of these options on colleagues first.
Segment your email lists so people only receive relevant emails. The key to this is knowing your audience. And think about when to send it, too late or too early, and you’ve wasted your time.
NOBODY WANTS TO BE SHOUTED AT…and it looks like spam. In fact, 65% to 72% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.