28 Click-Worthy Subject Lines for Emails (You Can Steal)
Planning your emails for the month? Ace your open rate goals with formulas that work. Read on for tips to make your email subject lines instantly click-worthy. Then scroll down for fill-in-the-blanks subject lines you can use to spark more ideas the next time you write.
Email subject lines are like headlines
You want to hook your reader right then and there, and provide value so that they invest just a few more minutes to see what you have to say. No matter how busy you are, save some time for your subject lines.
Take the time — it’s well worth it
A good way to bucket your email copywriting time is to follow the 80-20 rule. For every 4 hours you spend writing a batch of emails, you should take 1 extra hour for writing email subject lines.
Write lots. Put them aside for a day. Then pick the best ones when your mind is fresh and you have some distance from the previous day’s work. Most importantly, don’t over-analyze your picks. Go with your gut. That’s how people read and that's how they click.
What makes a subject line click-worthy?
Keep in mind that people will scan your subject lines along many others in their inbox. To get a click, you need to capture your readers’ attention AND tickle their curiosity.
If you can make your email subject line sound good, even better. Write how you speak (minus likes and ums), pay attention to the repetition of sounds (alliteration and assonance) that can make writing more catchy, and most importantly, use words that your ideal customers would use.
The one thing to remember
Keep your subject lines to under 50 characters including spaces. And push for under 45 if you can. You want to optimize your email subject line length for full visibility on most mobile devices. Otherwise, they’ll get cut off. You wouldn’t want them to miss any of the meaty bits.
Now onto the good stuff.
The email subject line formulas you’ll want to save —
These formulas are written for you to fill in the blanks/replace the words in ALL CAPS. I invite you to tweak them and massage them, so they sound more like you. Just be sure to keep them within the optimal character count.
For tip-focused emails:
Take the UNDESIRABLE THING out of THING YOUR CUSTOMERS WANT
# common TYPE OF MISTAKES and how to fix them
Behind the scenes: How I did SOMETHING AWESOME
The ADJECTIVE way to DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT YOUR CUSTOMER NEEDS
“Is DESIRABLE THING possible for someone like me?”
Want to learn my THING YOU DO secrets?
Dealing with UNDESIRED FEELING? 3 tricks to fix that 🔽
More GOOD THING, less BAD THING
For emails that reframe a problem or address objections:
FIRST NAME, *this* matters more than THING COMMONLY BELIEVED AS IMPORTANT
I did OLD/UNDESIRABLE WAY until I learned about NEW WAY
Why do you want DESIRABLE THING?
How to know if THING YOU OFFER is right
Decisions are tough. This can help.
OTHER OPTION vs. OPTION YOU OFFER
What if there was a BETTER/DESIRABLE QUALITY way?
For announcement emails:
It’s finally happening
FIRST NAME, did you see this?
This SEASON, put THING HOLDING YOUR CUSTOMERS BACK behind you
So cool, I couldn’t fit in 50 characters or less
Love shortcuts? Here’s everything I learned about THING YOU DO
Meet your new favourite SOMETHING SURPRISING IN A GOOD WAY
Surprise! (The kind you’ll like.)
For offer ending soon emails:
Grab this guy before he goes
Bye! THE THING THAT’S ENDING SOON expires in 60 minutes
Last call 🔔 Get in on 》BENEFIT OF THE THING THAT’S ENDING SOON《
The end is nigh, but there’s still time
All good things come to an end
THING OFFERED, almost gone 💨💨💨
⏰ Time’s up – soon
If you found these useful, be sure to save this page or pin this post, so you can use it the next time you plan your monthly email sends.
Looking for subject line inspo of a different kind? Let me know in the comments. You never know… your dreams may come true.