Email Subject Lines

Submitted by Syv Ritch on 7. November 2008 - 0:00

Everyday I get between 1,200 and 2,000 emails. Yes, you read it correctly between one thousand two hundreds and two thousands emails per day. You can buy CDs with 100 million email addresses for spamming, half of these addresses are mine. I am so well organized that it takes me only 20 minutes to half an hour per day to go through it. In another entry, I will explain my system.

What makes people open and read an email? The subject line. Here is a list of the best email subject lines used for marketing from Mail Chimp

The "best" subject lines are straightforward. They're not "pushy" at all. The "worst" subject lines read like headlines in the newspaper. People think that you have to grab people attention to get read. If you grab people's attention, we think that you are spamming...

Stephanie Rausser mentioned in PDN magazine that:

By having my name and a complete sentence in the subject line, messages don't tend to go into the spam filters.

She also noticed an increase in the number of people clicking through her emails after she stopped using "New Work from Stephanie Rausser".

Best Subject Lines: 60%-87% open rate

  1. [COMPANYNAME] Sales & Marketing Newsletter
  2. Eye on the [COMPANYNAME] Update (Oct 31 - Nov 4)
  3. [COMPANYNAME] Staff Shirts & Photos
  4. [COMPANYNAME] May 2005 News Bulletin!
  5. [COMPANYNAME] Newsletter - February 2008
  6. [COMPANYNAME] Newsletter - January 2008 [ *|FNAME|* *|LNAME|* ]
  7. [COMPANYNAME] and [other COMPANYNAME] Invites You!
  8. Happy Holidays from [COMPANYNAME]
  9. ATTENTION [COMPANYNAME] Staff!
  10. ATTENTION [COMPANYNAME] West Staff!!
  11. Invitation from [COMPANYNAME]
  12. [COMPANYNAME] Jan/Feb 2008 Newsletter
  13. Website news - Issue 3
  14. Upcoming Events at [COMPANYNAME]
  15. [COMPANYNAME] Councils: Letter of Interest
  16. We're Throwing a Party
  17. October 2007 Newsletter
  18. [COMPANYNAME]: 02.10.08
  19. [COMPANYNAME] Racing Newsletter

Bad Subject Lines: 1%-14% open rate

  1. Last Minute Gift - We Have The Answer
  2. Valentines - Shop Early & Save 10%
  3. Give a Gift Certificate this Holiday
  4. Valentine's Day Salon and Spa Specials!
  5. Gift Certificates - Easy & Elegant Giving - Let Them Choose
  6. Need More Advertising Value From Your Marketing Partner?
  7. [COMPANYNAME] Pioneers in Banana Technology
  8. [COMPANYNAME] Moves You Home for the Holidays
  9. Renewal
  10. Technology Company Works with [COMPANYNAME] on Bananas Efforts
  11. [COMPANYNAME] Update - A Summary of Security and Emergency Preparedness News
  12. Now Offering Banana Services!
  13. It's still summer in Tahoe!
  14. [COMPANYNAME] endorses [COMPANYNAME] as successor
  15. [COMPANYNAME] Holiday Sales Event
  16. The Future of International Trade
  17. [COMPANYNAME] for your next dream home.
  18. True automation of your Banana Research
  19. [COMPANYNAME] Resort - Spring into May Savings
  20. You Asked For More...
  • The subject line should describe the subject of your email.
  • Don't confuse emails with advertising.
  • If the email is a special promotion, tell them what's inside.
  • Don't write your subject lines like advertisements.
  • The best subject lines tell what's inside.
  • The worst subject lines sell what's inside.