Email Marketing: These Are Some of the Best Email Subject Lines

Email marketing is both an art and a science. After all, most subscribers open emails based on the subject line. If yours doesn’t hook your customers, you can say goodbye to a high click-through rate, and you can kiss sales goodbye. Of course, if you have a product or service or offer that doesn’t interest people, they can impact your CTR and sales. But that’s another blog post. Email subject lines take time to write, so I’ll write over 10 of them so that I have a wide variety to choose from. I save the ones I don’t use because I may be able to use them at a later date or tweak them to fit the email or newsletter theme.

So what does it take to get your emails or newsletters opened? Let’s find out with the following email subject lines.

Best Email Subject Lines

Frontier Airlines

I love Frontier Airlines’ emails because their writer(s) write subject lines that “play on words” using their animal-themed airplanes. For instance, “You caught us RED PANDA-d with great deals! Save 75% on flights!” How can you not like seeing a picture of a cute red panda sleeping on a tree limb (Headline on the picture: Don’t Sleep on These Deals!)? It made me open the email. But I digress.

One of my favorite and what I consider to be an outstanding email subject line from Frontier Airlines is “You’ve got 99 problems but high fares ain’t one! 99% off.” The email was a Black Friday 2018 promotion.

What I like about the email subject line is that it’s a play on Arianna Grande’s popular song (ft. Iggy Azalea), “Problem.” And the subject line was timely since Grande was in the news due to her breakup (very sad) with Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson (she called off their engagement). Of course, the offer of ‘99% Off fares’ was also an excellent incentive. Who doesn’t want that type of savings on airfare?

Five Below

Not only is Five Below one of my favorite stores to shop, but I also love their emails! The catchy email subject lines (headlines and images, too) get my attention. One of my favorite email subject lines from Five Below is “brrr it’s cooold! grab all cozy warm stuff!”

As a writer, I noticed that the email subject line was written in lowercase. Plus, the word “cold” is exaggerated. A copywriter will sometimes do this (I have) for an added effect. However, it shouldn’t be done all of the time because it will become stale.

Since the email was to persuade you to buy cold weather items such as hats, gloves, scarves, etc., you may not need these if you don’t live someplace where it gets cold. But if you’re going on a ski vacation or visiting family who lives in a colder part of the world, these items will come in handy. But regardless of where you live, the email subject line gets your attention and makes you want to click on it.

Shop Face Yoga Method

Health and wellness are important to me, so I subscribe to a variety of emails and newsletters. One of the things I’m into is facial yoga. When you first start doing the exercises 2-3 times per day, you feel silly. However, when you look in the mirror and see the results, you don’t care what you look like.

One of my favorite email subject lines is “My biggest sale of the year ends tomorrow!” from Fumiko Takatsu founder of FaceYogaMethod. What I like about the email subject line is that it creates a sense of urgency. If you don’t open the email, you will be missing out on a great deal.

Let’s face it. Some people need a fire lit underneath them to take action, no matter what it is. Fumiko’s email subject line makes you want to take action so that you too can improve the look of your face. The Before and After images on her website are proof that what she’s selling works.

Lifehack Newsletter

I enjoy reading the articles from Lifehack. However, I also like reading and studying their email subject lines. One that caught my eye is “This Driving Buddy Can Save Up 80% Accidents on the Road.”

At first glance, the email subject line doesn’t seem correct, like it’s missing a few words. However, the statistic of “80%” makes an impact because it catches your eye because it’s a high number. Therefore, you’ll most likely open the email to find out what the ‘driving buddy’ is and how it can help with accidents.

AWAI

Since I’m an SEO content writer, copywriter, content marketer, content strategist, etc., I sharpen my skills by taking courses. One of which was Accelerated Copywriting from the AWAI. And one of the best email subject lines I’ve read from them is “More writing clients than you can handle.” If this email subject line doesn’t make you want to open the email, especially if you’re a freelance writer, I don’t know what will.

The copywriters who work for AWAI know how to write email subject lines that get subscribers to open them. Furthermore, they may also cause some subscribers to forward the emails to others who may benefit from whatever’s being sold or even AWAI’s newsletter.

How Can You Improve Your Email Marketing with Better Subject Lines?

If subscribers don’t open your emails or newsletters, your email subject lines may be the problem. Remember, you want to hook people. Furthermore, you want them to purchase your product or service or give a donation if your business is a not-for-profit also known as a non-profit.

But how can you improve your email subject lines so that your subscribers will click on your emails? Here are some solutions.

• The Black Friday email from Frontier Airlines was an example of how to use current events in your email marketing. Why? Because your subscribers are most likely tuned in and tapped into what’s going on in the world. Remember, infotainment (information + entertainment) works in email marketing. Of course, you also have to give your subscribers an offer they can’t refuse.
• When you write an email subject line, consider the impact it makes. Would you open it? If not, would your subscribers? Unless you’ve delved into what makes your subscribers tick, your subject line may or may not make them take action. Remember, it’s not about you.
• Write more than one email subject line. You may think that you or your copywriter wrote the best subject line ever, but is it really a great one? The more subject lines you write, the better. You can pick and choose the top three and then narrow it down to the one you want to use. Or you could conduct an A/B split test to see which email subject line converts the best.
• Use a play on words in your subject lines. Again, the copywriters at Frontier Airlines does an excellent job with this. However, use this technique sparingly because it can become boring.
• Push the envelope. If you stay in your comfort zone, you won’t see results. Test email subject lines to see which ones perform the best. If you’re afraid that you may lose subscribers, don’t be. If they weren’t buying from you, you don’t want them on your list anyway. Sometimes you have to take a chance and write email subject lines that are worthy of an eyebrow raise. It’s not a bad thing because you get you more conversions than you thought possible.
• Subscribe to your competitors’ emails and create a Swipe file. Why? Because you can learn from them and let them inspire your subject lines. You can even share the emails with your graphic designers because they may see elements that could be used in their email designs.

Writing email subject lines is an art and a science. Therefore, you don’t want to rush the process. After all, the subject line is the first thing subscribers see. You have seconds to convince subscribers, especially new ones, to open your emails. Don’t blow it by using ho-hum subject lines. Use the above solutions to improve your subject lines today and tomorrow you may have more open rates and click-through rates than you expected.

Are You Ready to Use the Best Email Subject Lines in Your Email Marketing?

Before you begin writing your email subject lines, make sure you understand your audience by reviewing data. For instance, you can look at buying patterns. You can read the comments on blog posts, social media posts, and product pages. You could review the results of A/B, or A/B/C  split tests. Also, think about the email itself. What kind is it? A promotion? Informational? Consider all of this before your start writing email subject lines.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a file with potential email subject lines that can be used at a moment’s notice. It’s better to have an excess of subject lines that you can use instead of sweating about a last-minute email that has to go out in 15 minutes! Trust me; I’ve been there. You’ll be glad that you have a file with subject lines that can be tweaked quickly.

Finally, if your email subject lines are boring you and your subscribers, it’s time to take a real hard look at what can be done to improve them. Maybe your creative and digital marketing teams could have more brainstorming sessions about your emails. Perhaps you could use more split testing. Or maybe you have to change your email marketing plan and strategy. Whatever the case may be, make the necessary changes before you lose subscribers and customers.

Remember, there are plenty of options available. It’s your job to create a vision as to why people should open your emails and buy from you. If you don’t have this or even a mission and purpose, you’ll want to create these right now before you think about writing email subject lines. Otherwise, you (or your copywriter) will be wasting time.

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