I would venture to guess that you receive tons of emails in your inbox every day. From coupons to daily deal sites to family invites, there’s a lot to sift through—and you’re likely to click on them only if an email has one of the best subject lines to grab your attention.
According to HubSpot Research, 65% of marketers surveyed say subject lines have the biggest impact on open rates. After all, the subject line is your very first impression of the email.
A good email subject line conveys urgency, curiosity, personalization, and more.
If you need help creating the best email subject line, I’ve put together over 60 email subject line examples for inspiration, 100 of which you can download, plus one Out of office email generator to make your email address even more appealing to your contacts.
Table of contents
Best email subject lines
- We saw you checking us out 😏
- Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring
- The timer is running out in your shopping cart!
- What did you think? Write a review.
- A little foretaste just for VIPs.
- 👗 Free (cool!) Clothes Alert 👖
- 🐶 Would you like a custom emoji from Tullamore and 6 months of FREE walks? Book a walk today and get your chance to win!
- The Best of Groupon: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew Steve)
- Rock the color of the year
- How to live at home 24/7
- Take $20 off your order of $25 or more
- Where you can drink beer right now
- 1,750 points for you. Valentine’s Day flowers and more for her.
- Free oversized V-neck.
- Here is the discount you wanted
- 3 Ways to Improve Your Pins
- (Customer) sent you a payment – it arrives (date)
- Signing of screening criteria completed
- Your TSA PreCheck eligibility notice
- (Action required) Confirm your email address
- Parking receipt – Parking Kitty
- Your free PDF is attached: Great Conversations Most People Have Never Heard
- Oops – we didn’t have coffee this morning
- *Do not open this email*
- Important weather information
- What can you afford?
- As you wish
- Not cool, guys
- DO NOT commit these Instagram atrocities
- Everything you wanted to know about email copying but were afraid to ask
Retargeting email subject line examples
A retargeting email subject line encourages recipients who have already interacted with a website to take action.
Let’s say I’m shopping online at my favorite store and I add a bunch of items to my virtual shopping cart before leaving the website without purchasing anything.
I may receive an email from this site inviting me to complete my purchase. The subject line could be something simple like “You still have items in your cart!”
Here are some examples of retargeting email subject lines.
1. “We saw you checking us out 😏”
Sender: DollsKill
A clothing brand like DollsKill uses cookies to monitor what its customers have seen. Sending an email subject line that reminds them of items they’ve admired can directly encourage customers to make their next purchase.
What I like: The statement itself has a playful, conversational tone that appears flirty and reflects the company’s branding.
The emoji also adds more fun and enticement to the message by reiterating the “you know you want it” sentiment regarding items they have already clicked on before.
2. “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring.”
Sender: Warby Parker
Not long ago, a HubSpot grad received this email two weeks before he needed to renew his prescription — talk about great timing.
And when your prescription expires, it’s a good time to upgrade your glasses. By sending an email at the right time, Warby Parker increased the likelihood of that email being opened.
But timing isn’t the only reason I included this example. This subject line is brilliant because it appeared at the right time and in the right tone.
What I like: Using colloquial words like “uh-oh,” keeping the subject line case-sensitive, and leaving out the period at the end will make the subject line seem helpful and friendly—not like a company trying to sell you something.
3. “The timer is running out in your shopping cart!”
Sender: King Arthur Flour
Similar to Warby Parker, this subject line uses urgency. If I don’t do something about my King Arthur Flour shopping cart – like actually purchasing the items – it will be deleted and I’ll have to start all over again.
Okay, maybe this is a low-risk scenario. But when it comes to my baked goods, I personally don’t like taking the risk of forgetting what I wanted to buy.
This is where the personalization aspect of this subject line comes into play:
King Arthur Flour – especially its online store – tends to attract both professional and amateur bakers who take all things culinary a little more seriously than, say, someone who only occasionally buys flour at the supermarket.
And wouldn’t you know? These are the same bakers who probably don’t want to waste time building their carts from scratch.
Pro tip: Know your audience when writing email subject lines. Is there something you take more seriously than others? If so, incorporate this into your copy.
4. “What were you thinking?” Write a review.”
Sender: REI
About a week after purchasing a portable stove from REI, I received an email with this subject line. I had also just returned from a camping trip. It was the perfect time for her to ask me what I thought.
Companies ask happy customers to write reviews all the time. However, if you send these inquiries specifically to the people who have just purchased something from you, you are using your mailing list wisely and reaching recipients whose interest is still high.
What I like: A good rating is not expected. REI is seriously asking me what I think of the oven I purchased. Maybe I hated it (even though I didn’t). The company just wanted me to speak up.
5. “A sneak peek just for VIPs.”
Sender: Serena & Lily
Loyal subscribers can preview clothing collections via email, like here at Serena & Lily.
By offering a “sneak peek,” customers know they have more exclusive access and want to open the email to see what they want before the general public can see it.
This concept ensures that the customer relationship stays alive and, if email marketing is implemented correctly, leads to more interest.
Pro tip: Incentivize your customers with exclusive offers available via email. This encourages them to click and never miss an opportunity to save.
6. “Foxing VIP Upgrades – Brooklyn Bowl Philly”
This email subject line is from a music venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was found in a colleague’s inbox.
“Foxing is a band that I really enjoy,” said honoree and HubSpot staff writer Erica Santiago. “I bought a ticket to see them at the Brooklyn Bowl and a week before the show the venue sent an email about upgrading to VIP.”
What I like: The subject line is simple and contains the most important information: the band name, the VIP opportunity and the venue.
Simple email subject line examples
Sometimes it’s best to just keep things straight, but straightforwardness doesn’t have to be boring. Simple email subject lines allow room for emojis, puns, and other simple ways to engage your audience.
7. “👗 Free (cool!) Clothes Alert 👖”
Sender: Klee
First, I have a not-so-secret love of emojis in email subject lines. Personally, I have a preference for turquoise. So when I see an email suggesting that I might be able to somehow get free teal clothing, I’m likely to click.
That’s one of the reasons this subject line works. It attracts the recipient’s attention through visual content (emojis) and indicates a free offer. This hint is an incentive to open the email because there is something to be won.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to use an emoji or two to add a little something extra to your subject lines. Just don’t overdo it. No more than two will be enough.
8. “🐶 Would you like a custom emoji from Tullamore and 6 months of FREE walks? Book a walk today and get your chance to win!”
Sender: Shake!
For reference: Tullamore is my colleague’s name Amanda Zantal Wiener ‘s dog. And the subject line she received, written above, is another compelling example of perfect emoji placement — especially when it involves a cute dog.
Here’s a great example of how personalization goes beyond the email recipient’s name. Wag!, an on-demand dog walking app, includes the names of its customers’ pets in part of the email subject lines.
But this type of personalization is about more than just a first-name basis. If there’s one thing my colleague Amanda loves more than free stuff and baked goods, it’s her pup.
Wag! knows this, and by mentioning Tullamore by name in the subject line – coupled with an offer, no less – it caught her attention and piqued her interest.
Pro tip: Give your subject lines a personal touch that your recipients will appreciate. Just make sure not to be creepy and only use information that was given to you with consent and that is relevant to the email.
9. “The Best of Groupon: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew Steve)”
Sender: Groupon
It’s hard to be funny in your marketing, but Groupon is one of those brands that always seems to nail it. Who can forget that classic sign-off video?
This subject line is no exception. The joke “(Unlike our nephew Steve)” actually made us laugh. Why? It’s completely unexpected.
What I like: The first part of the subject line looks like a typical subject line you get from Groupon and highlights a new offer. The contents of the brackets? Not so much – that makes this a delightful gem to find in your inbox.
10. “Rock the color of the year.”
Sender: Etsy
In six words, Etsy was able to promote a product based on its color alone and inform you that there appears to be a “color of the year.” The email is really too intriguing not to open.
Etsy is an e-commerce website for user-created marketplaces. I was impressed with the subject line because it uses secrets to increase the value of a product line. This email is not an invitation to purchase clothing or jewelry; It’s an invitation to find out what color the year is.
Pro tip: Take advantage of the fact that simple email subject lines leave room for mystery. Try not to reveal too much and pay more attention to recipients so that they read the entire email.
11. “How to Live at Home 24/7”
Sender: Feder
If you’re anything like me, the COVID-19 pandemic has left you wearing pajamas during the day and evening, changing only when you have Zoom meetings at work.
As a social distancing precaution, you’ve probably been using delivery services instead of getting food yourself – meaning you’ve been living at home virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This email from Feather, a furniture rental company, perfectly encapsulates the frustration many of us have faced: How to live at home 24/7 without feeling like you’re going crazy? With this subject line, Feather promises to help you find a solution by using furniture that makes it easier to stay at home for long periods of time.
Pro tip: Use a “How To” subject line to tell recipients what they can achieve with your products. Then, include links in your email to the products that will help them achieve those goals.
12. “Take $20 off your order of $25 or more.”
Sender: UberEats
You don’t always have to make the subject line of your email eye-catching. In this case, with UberEats, the offer alone is enough to get any hungry customer to click.
Pro tip: If your product offering is appealing, it can speak for itself in your subject line. Customers already know in the body of the email that they can take advantage of the opportunity, like I will do at dinner tonight.
13. “Where you can drink beer right now”
From: Eater Boston
Okay, you caught me: I’m a beer lover. But that’s not what captivated me here. The subject line arrived in my inbox exactly when I needed it: 6:45 p.m. on a Wednesday evening. Absolutely. Genius.
Think about it: you’ve just gotten off your peak and want to relax with a few colleagues after work. Just as you’re about to head out, you get a notification on your phone saying, “Where to drink beer right now.” Perfect timing makes this subject line something you have to click on.
Pro tip: When it comes to your own emails, think about how timing affects how people perceive your emails. Even if you send an email during off-peak hours, you can get higher engagement – if you have the right subject line.
14. “1,750 points for you. Valentine’s flowers and more for her.”
Sender: JetBlue
It’s such a specific number – 1,750 – of course you’re going to open that.
Coming from an airline, offering “points” to someone who loves to travel might as well be worth their weight in gold. And if that recipient also has a significant other, sending this email in the run-up to Valentine’s Day is a no-brainer.
What I like: The best thing about the subject line above is how accurate JetBlue was about the number of points available.
For example, instead of “20% off your next return flight with 1,000 miles or more,” this subject line tells you straight away: 1,750 points and all you have to do is buy flowers for your loved ones.
I wonder how far you can fly with 1,750 points.
15. “Free Oversized V-Neck”
Sender: Los Angeles Apparel
I don’t know about you, but free is my favorite price when it comes to clothing. This brand takes a simple and straightforward approach in the subject line by telling customers what they can get on their next order.
And by keeping it short, the subject line becomes even more effective because the only other context the customer can see is when they click open.
16. “Here’s the discount you wanted.”
Sender: LAMODA
This subject line almost feels like it’s reading my mind. When I scroll through my endless emails and think about the companies I want to buy from, I wait for a discount or sale to be announced.
It’s straightforward and knows exactly what its customers want – the key to clicks.
Pro tip: Nothing is more exciting for customers than the opportunity to save money. Make sure Spo is always the focus of your subject line when a deal is on the table.
17. “3 Ways to Improve Your Pins”
Sender: Pinterest
For those who love curating their social feed, Pinterest is one of the best places to do it. Those looking to grow their following are probably looking for all the advice they can find on the site itself.
Providing a numerical list of strategies to use in the ever-changing algorithm can prove useful in getting regular clicks on Pinterest’s emails.
This straightforward, single subject line messaging presents users with exactly what they’re looking for, right in their inbox.
Pro tip: Never spell the number! Use the numeric symbol. It saves space and is an eye-catcher.
18. BOGO $1 Deals: Men’s Denim and Cargos👖
Sender: Rue21
Rue21 kept the subject line simple and concise. You know at first glance what you’re getting yourself into.
Examples of professional email subject lines
Professional email subject lines must strike a careful balance between authority and creativity.
These emails are often concise and to the point. These emails are full of transactional or time-sensitive content, but there isn’t much room for fun in these emails. The biggest creative focus is on creating a meaningful email subject line.
The following examples can show you how to direct, tease, and entice any subscriber to click on your work emails.
18. “(Customer) sent you a payment – it arrives (date)”
Sender: Bill.com
Bill.com is a popular tool for accounts payable, expense management, and more for small businesses. One of the secrets of their popularity is their useful automations. These workflows include emails that are direct, useful, and easy to scan.
For example, this email subject line is exactly what every freelancer or vendor wants to see in their inbox. In one short sentence they find out that they are being paid, who is paying them and when the money will arrive in their account.
What I like: This is another valuable example of why you want to personalize your emails. This subject line saves time while providing a great user experience.
19. “Screening Criteria Signing Completed”
Sender: Urban Development + Partners
Looking for a new place to live can be stressful. The application process alone can involve many steps and usually includes the sharing of private information such as rental history or current pay stubs.
Sometimes it feels like one small mistake means losing the home of your dreams.
This professional email series solves this problem with a unique email and subject line for each step in the process. The topic quickly shows which step is completed and why.
So when the next email, such as “Your Rental Application,” appears in your inbox, it’s clear that this is the next step in the process.
What I like: It shows how the right subject line can simplify the entire buying process for your audience.
20. “Your TSA PreCheck Eligibility Notice”
Sender: Universal Enroll
Some professional processes take longer than others. In fact, some processes can take months to finalize. And no matter how patient you are, you may end up refreshing your inbox hundreds of times while waiting for that important update.
TSA PreCheck can be one of those processes, especially if you have an exciting trip coming up.
What I like: This effective subject line gets to the point. Every reader knows that as soon as they open this email, they will receive the answer they have been waiting for.
21. “(Action required) Confirm your email address”
Sender: Amazon Chime
One of the most valuable things a professional email can do is motivate someone to take action. A vague copy of the email subject may cause someone to open and read the email, but may not do so.
By using parentheses in this subject line, Amazon emphasizes that the most important thing about this email is to take action. Then we quickly outline what needs to happen.
While clips are a great way to attract attention, use them sparingly. If every email contains parentheses, your readers can easily skip them.
And the copy you put in parentheses is important.
Pro tip: Adding quirky or creative text in parentheses can be a fun creative choice, but it hinders your ability to add urgency to parenthesized emails when you need it later.
22. “Parking ticket – Parking Kitty”
Sender: Parking Kitty
For example, email receipts. If you’re willing to find these emails in your inbox, they should be easy to find. But how many times have you checked your inbox for a receipt only to find that every email subject line is the same?
This means you have to open and scan every email and waste a lot of time.
Parking Kitty is the clever name of a mobile payment app for parking in the Pacific Northwest. If you’re looking for expense report receipts from a recent trip, you can easily find this email in your inbox.
It is also useful for brand awareness as it strengthens the memorable company name.
Pro tip: Craft a message that is consistent with your branding, or craft a message that is consistent with most of your messaging. In any case, cohesion is key.
23. “Your Free PDF is Attached: Great Lectures Most People Have Never Heard”
Sender: James Clear
Lifelong learning is essential in the business world, and this professional email subject line is perfect for busy thought leaders. It starts with a quick reminder that there is a free PDF here. Then it shares the title of the PDF.
This may seem like an obvious subject line, but that’s exactly what it does. First, the recipient is reminded that they have a gift in their inbox. Next, it reminds them what this gift is. All details can be found in the subject.
Since it is a tempting offer, there is a good chance that it will be opened immediately. But it’s also clear and concise, so you can easily find and download it later.
Pro tip: Remember that people receive tons of emails every day. So make sure you include the most important information in the subject line of your work email so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
24. “Oops – we didn’t drink coffee this morning.”
Sender: Catchafire
Accidents happen to everyone. But professional emails often go to thousands, if not hundreds, of thousands of people. This can make a small accident feel like a very big deal.
This subject line is gentle, funny, and honest. It uses a popular topic to confirm that the Catchafire team accidentally sent an email.
It sets the stage for a quick apology and tells the person on the other end that they can ignore this email.
Although it can be difficult to admit a mistake, it is often a good way to build trust in your email list. This can also save the time it would take to write additional customized responses to the email sent in error.
Pro tip: Be careful in such cases. Minor errors can be addressed with fun, personable subject lines, but more serious issues should be handled with caution. So read the room.
25. “Your Wednesday night trip with Uber”
Sender: Uber
Uber sends emails almost immediately afterwards with detailed information about the last trips so that they are still fresh in your mind. I like this subject line because it is simple, elegant and includes the who, what and when of the trip.
Examples of attention-grabbing email subject lines
The subject lines of attention-grabbing emails can contain one or more of the following elements:
- Sense of urgency
- humor
- Emojis
- Interesting questions
- Captivating language
Here are some examples.
26. “*Don’t open this email*”
Sender: Manicube
Have you ever been told not to do something? Asking you not to do something can actually have the opposite effect – making you want to do it even more.
This is the strategy behind Manicube’s subject line. This is a simple but effective way to get people curious enough to open your email.
Pro tip: Just make sure the content of your email contains something worthy of that subject line.
27. “Important Weather Notice”
Sender: RCN
Every time we see a weather-related warning, our ears perk up. In RCN’s case, it’s not just a way to trick recipients into opening an email.
With the subject line above, RCN informs its customers about possible power outages and draws attention to the brand that provides them with cable and WiFi – even in bad weather.
Pro tip: If you can attach yourself If you send an email marketing campaign to an event that you know people will pay attention to and have something helpful to offer in response, you will find that your email open rate will skyrocket.
28. “What can you afford?”
From: Zillow
Imagine receiving this subject line in your inbox from a website that displays apartments for rent. It’s both exciting and encouraging (“There are a lot of apartments here that fit your budget. Yay!”), but also kind of competitive – you have to put your money where your mouth is against what the market is offering.
Would you click on it? I would definitely do that.
Personalizing emails to appeal to your audience’s emotions – there’s a wide range in real estate – is key to getting people to open your emails.
You don’t have to be a psychologist to know how to take advantage of them either. In addition to principles like urgency, creating an email subject line that suggests scarcity is another great way to increase your conversion rates.
What I like: This email addresses the concerns of its recipients.
29. “As You Wish”
Sender: UncommonGoods
When writing emails, think about the recognizable names and references that inspire people.
Take this subject line from UncommonGoods, for example, forwarded to us by HubSpot’s Content Director Corey Wainwright, who happens to be a die-hard fan of The Princess Bride.
Apparently “As You Wish” is a pretty big reference to that movie, and when she saw that subject line in her inbox she just HAD to click on it.
Even though she knew the email was part of a larger email, it almost seemed as if it was tailored to her personally – why else would it include a reference to the Prince’s Bride in the title?
UncommonGoods knows it Buyer persona like the back of his metaphorical hand.
What I like: While the company may not send emails to individual subscribers with references to their favorite movies in the title, it does have a general understanding of its subscribers and their interests.
30. “Not cool, guys”
Sender: BuzzFeed
I love BuzzFeed. Last but not least, the employees know how to write great copy – and that feeling also includes an exceptional email marketing team.
Many of my colleagues have signed up for BuzzFeed’s daily emails, and almost every day of the week BuzzFeed wins for the best subject line in their inboxes.
While there are a few BuzzFeed subject lines here and there that aren’t anything special, the combination of subject lines and preview text is the gold. They are friendly, talkative and, above all, snappy.
Here is the text that followed the subject line above: “Okay, WHO left the passive-aggressive sticky note on my fridge? Honestly, who acts like that?”
This conversational tone and the biting remark always captivate us – and it is the preview text that rounds off the experience for me.
We’re not all prepared to be snappy writers, but on most email platforms, preview text is easily available for editing. How can you use this little extra space to delight your customers (and probably improve your email metrics too)?
Maybe you could use the subject line as a question and the preview text area as an answer. Or maybe it’s a dialogue: the subject line is one person and the preview text is another.
You have the idea. Using this space gives you more opportunities to attract new subscribers.
What I like: The subject line reads like an email from a friend who has a problem that needs solving. And who wouldn’t read an email from a concert friend?
31. “DON’T commit these Instagram atrocities”
From: Thrillist
No matter how humble people are, most people don’t like doing things wrong. So why not take advantage of this natural human tendency in an email subject line, especially if your goal is to help customers (or potential customers) succeed?
Thrillist definitely nails it in the subject line above, and it makes the language even livelier by using “Don’t” – a great tip for B2B marketers.
Instead of using the typical abbreviation “not,” Thrillist spells it out and adds capital letters for effect. This way, the subject line will catch your eye in your inbox and then make it harder for you to resist the temptation to click on it.
Pro tip: Think about it, being negative in your marketing emails could be a good thing. For example, many of us are afraid of looking silly. So figure out how to convey these emotions in subject lines.
Of course, it’s important to back up that subject line with encouraging, helpful content so you don’t find yourself ranting at people all day.
Negative behavior can get your subscribers’ attention – this subject line definitely spoke to me.
32. “Everything you wanted to know about email copying but were afraid to ask”
Sender: Copy Hacker
Here’s another great example of how to harness the potential of your audience for your email marketing advantage. Who hasn’t stopped asking a question for fear of appearing stupid or out of touch? Excuse me while I raise my hand in embarrassment.
“…but we were too afraid to ask” is one of those phrases that probably won’t go out of style for us for a long time.
People seek insights from Copy Hackers — an organization dedicated, as the name suggests, to helping marketers and other professionals write better copy — because they have questions.
You want to improve. And if that audience is too afraid to ask these questions, then here are Copy Hackers ready to come to the rescue with answers.
Pro tip: What does your audience want to know but may be embarrassed to ask? Use this information to craft your content – including your email subject lines.
33. “Abra-cord-abra! Yes, we said it.”
Sender: Quirky
This funny email subject line from Quirky is just plain fun. We’re a fan of puns in the right situation.
What I like best is the second part: “Yeah, we said it.”
The pun at the beginning is great—it refers to a new invention featured on Quirky’s website that aims to help everyday consumers untangle their numerous plugs and cords—but the second sentence is chatty and self-referential.
That’s exactly what many of us would say after making a really cheesy joke in real life.
Many brands could do with being more chatty and silly in their emails. While it may not be appropriate to go all the way to Quirky’s subject line, you might just delight your email recipients with silliness.
Pro tip: Remember to have fun with your emails. A little personality and quirkiness never hurt anyone.
34. “🔥 Hot Free Alert! 15 free gifts, you choose 5.”
Sender: Shutterfly
Shutterfly, a company that allows you to print your photos on interesting products or other frames, makes its subject lines visible by occasionally using an emoji.
Due to the nature of the company and creative audience, the fire emoji in this subject line grabs attention without inducing a feeling of desperation.
The subject line of the email also stands out because it contains many keywords, including “hot,” “free,” “gifts,” and “alert.” In just one line, it can give the potential reader a good reason to open it, especially if they enjoy using Shutterfly.
What I like: The content of the email matches the subject line perfectly and announces a free promotion. This strong alignment between subject line and message prevents people from skimming the email.
35. “From chaos to calm ✨🏡”
Sender: Open Spaces
If you’ve ever had a cluttered home, you know how chaotic it can feel. Open Spaces takes advantage of this and suggests how you will feel after using the company’s products.
The emoji selection also represents how your home will look and feel: Sparkling clean. I’m not a big fan of cleaning, but Open Spaces promises to make it easier through the simplicity of the subject line.
The brand also proves that it knows its target customers very well – if you want to create “open spaces”, you probably won’t tolerate chaos in your home.
In the same way, try to allude to the feelings your target customers want to feel, as well as their goals and inner desires.
Pro tip: You can also let emojis do the talking. For example, if Open Spaces had used the subject line “From Chaos to Calm: Get a Sparkling Clean Home,” the focus wouldn’t be on the “From Chaos to Calm” article that readers care about most.
36. “Welcome gift! Offer inside 👀…”
Sender: EyeBuyDirect
When you subscribe to a company you’re new to, you’re hoping to get a benefit before your first purchase. EyeBuyDirect makes its statement in a subject line that makes the prospect feel like subscribing was a good choice and piques curiosity.
What I like: Without specifying the offer, the customer has no choice but to click and see what they can claim.
37. “Colorful things for colorful houses”
Sender: Baggu
I can’t speak for you, but I’m a fan of all things brightly colored. And what makes this an attention-grabbing email subject line is the fact that this brand is known for making reusable bags (hence the name).
What I like: This email encourages customers to imagine a new type of product they could reveal, and when I clicked on it, I was surprised to see all the new items like towels, bedding, and more.
Now that we’ve covered the best subject lines in general, let’s take a look at the best subject lines for newsletters.
Subject lines for newsletters
Newsletter subject lines have to work harder to grab the recipient’s attention because they only point to information. In contrast, a subject line offering a discount automatically triggers the recipient’s desire to click on it.
The subject lines of a newsletter must captivate the reader and make them click. The following examples do this brilliantly.
38. “China Falls, sleepy unicorns and the deals aren’t bigger in Texas.”
Sender: Crunchbase
The Crunchbase Insights email offers an interesting way to summarize details about all the stories it presents to you in one subject line.
This is an eye-catcher because it seems like a strange mix of words, but at the same time it gets to the heart of three complicated stories.
When it comes to email, Crunchbase is known for its longer, text-based emails. They all read like a rather conversational letter to the email recipient, casually discussing and linking to Crunchbase’s top stories.
While the subject lines seem interesting and eye-catching, the emails often contain deeper business news that gets to the point.
What I like: This subject line shows how you can be powerful but also entertaining and creative when trying to attract your audience.
39. “Watch out for this Amazon phishing scam.”
Sender: WIRED
In this subject line, WIRED includes Amazon, a big company name.
Including the name of a major brand can be a good way to increase open rates, as people who like or use major brand products may click on a subject line discussing them.
Additionally, when a brand name is combined with negative words like “phishing” or “scam,” people may open the email with much more urgency so they can learn how to avoid encountering the problem being discussed.
WIRED also recently listed the story in its newsletter. This is an interesting way to get your readers to scroll through the entire email and see the other stories before getting to the story that made them click.
Pro tip: Experiment with having the topic highlight the most meaningful part of your newsletter, but the content it relates to is further down. This may not work in every scenario, but there is a big chance it can improve your click-through rate.
40. “Buffer Has Been Hacked – Here’s What’s Going On”
Sender: Buffer
Next is a subject line from Buffer. A few years ago, Buffer has been hacked – every tech company’s worst nightmare. But Buffer has handled it exceptionally well, especially in the email space.
What I admire about the subject line is that it is concise and direct. In a crisis, it’s better to avoid puns, snappy comments and emojis. People want to see that you are taking the situation seriously and have the reassurance that the world isn’t ending.
What I like: Because of the way the subject line is worded and formatted, you get the feeling that Buffer is addressing the issue calmly and calmly, with your personal safety in mind. It’s pretty hard to describe in a few words.
41. “Google sees smartphone heroics in Oreo. It’s The Daily Crunch.”
Sender: TechCrunch
If you’re subscribed to the newsletter of a publication like TechCrunch, there’s a good chance you’re interested in technology or want to learn more about it.
To reflect this, the media company designs its daily email digests (“The Daily Crunch”) with a subject line that reflects one of the industry’s most recent and compelling news stories.
Here’s the thing: It’s hard to stay current, especially with something that’s evolving as quickly as technology.
By writing email subject lines that reflect something current and relevant, TechCrunch signals to email recipients that opening the message will help them stay informed and up to date on the latest industry news.
Pro tip: Think about the things your audience has trouble keeping up with – then create an email summary and appropriate subject line that reflects the latest news in that category.
42. “Black Friday shoppers are the worst customers”
Sender: LinkedIn
This subject line is probably the most eye-catching of the Black Friday emails you would see in your inbox in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
Yes, this is a little biased, but it actually came in a LinkedIn Pulse newsletter promoting an article one of its users wrote on the topic of holiday marketing.
And there’s no doubt that the title captures the feeling some people feel during the busiest holiday shopping day of the year.
Pro tip: LinkedIn has nothing to sell on Black Friday, so the subject line above is unlikely to hurt its business. Nonetheless, commenting on a popular cultural observation can show your confidence and help you build a relationship with your community.
43. “New Recipe Alert 🚨”
Sender: Hello Fresh
While Hello Fresh is a food service provider that delivers meal kits to its customers, it also provides customers with tips and tricks for cooking at home through email newsletters.
These additional resources encourage home cooks to try new things, and offering new recipe ideas is an exciting opportunity.
What I like: Using an emoji here is easy and grabs the customer’s attention, while the offer itself can only be fully displayed when clicked on – an easy way to attract more aspiring home chefs.
44. “Tips to Improve Remote Collaboration”
Sender: Asana
This simple subject line from Asana, a project management platform, gets to the point: When you open the email, you’ll find remote work tips and more.
The subject line also effectively taps into an increasingly common trend that increased during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Its simplicity and trendiness will make you want to open the email.
And if you use Asana, there’s a good chance you’ll use it to collaborate with colleagues you might not see every day, even if you’re not working fully remotely.
What I like: With this subject line, Asana effectively appeals to a wide range of potential users and buyers.
45. “I got Botox – and THIS is what it looked like”
Sender: Refinery29
Okay, maybe your business isn’t Botox. But still – are you curious? I do, and despite my better judgment, I clicked.
That’s the power of prefacing your emails with a story: it sparks curiosity, and that works in two ways. There are times when our natural curiosity can pique our interest without context, like in the example above.
But in this case, the subject line suggests that there is an interesting story ahead. Why the hell did this person get Botox? And what did it look like? As the saying goes, “knowing minds want to know.”
Pro tip: Think about the stories behind your industry and then find ways to incorporate them into email newsletters and include them in the subject line in a way that piques your recipients’ collective curiosity.
46. “Improve your website from concept to code 💻”
Sender: Namecheap
Do you want people to open your newsletter? Tell them right away how it will benefit them, like in this newsletter subject line from Namecheap.
This subject line was used for Inspire, its monthly newsletter, and like the WIRED example, it left the subject line last so users could scroll through the entire email.
What I like: As with many examples on this list, an emoji is used to draw attention and make the tone of the conversation more casual and fun. In contrast, the subject line “Improve your website from concept to code” seems much more wooden and unfriendly.
47. “Best Food Delivery Options”
Sender: Wirecutter
Quite simple, right? But effective. The subject line of this Wirecutter newsletter gets right to the point and solves one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced during the pandemic: how to grocery shop while maintaining social distance.
If you had never used grocery delivery services up to this point, you probably wouldn’t know which services to use.
Wirecutter recognizes this and immediately invites you to open the email with a simple and actionable subject line.
What I like: Think of a challenge your customers are likely facing and present your subject line as an introduction to your solution.
48. “Mark these important dates on your calendar!”
Sender: Omaze
Omaze is known for raising money for charities around the world by giving away unique opportunities with every donation. Contributors enjoy learning more about each charity and the great prizes they can win each month.
What I like: By announcing the opportunities ahead, it can help people choose which causes they want to donate to and feel excited about contributing when the time comes.
49. “‘I didn’t know architecture was so dangerous'”
Sender: Dezeen
Dezeen is an architecture and design publication whose newsletter subject lines always include a comment from a user. Only one comment will be selected each week.
This approach is brilliant for several reasons:
- You wonder why the user made that comment and you click through.
- It makes you want to comment on the publication’s contributions in order to possibly be featured.
- It takes the work out of writing a subject line for you. In fact, Dezeen doesn’t need to write a subject line at all because its readers do it for them.
Here are some comments that have been posted recently:
- “Absolute garbage”
- “The cardboard aesthetic”
- “Meet the Flintstones”
- “Is it equipped with a fog machine?”
Pro tip: If you have a post that gets a lot of comments, consider using one of the comments as the subject line.
HubSpot’s email marketers’ favorite subject lines
Above are some of them The best subject lines we’ve collected, but I asked both former and current marketers on our team to share a few more favorites and explain what makes them so good:
50. “Hmm…no writing activity last week?”
Sender: Grammarly
“Whether or when you turn off their plugin, Grammarly’s retention strategy is great. They get in touch with subject lines like these that immediately make me want to click through and re-activate their plugin. Very well done.”
51. “Drooling over email designs 🤤”
Sender: Really good emails
“Of the 100+ emails I receive every day, emojis always catch my eye. As an email geek myself, this subject line matched my interests and piqued my curiosity.”
52. “Can you help me name this dance, (first name)?”
Sender: Marie Forleo
“It’s personalized and piques my interest because A) I’m asked for input and B) I want to stay updated on this mysterious dance (#fomo).”
—Christina Perricone
53. “Who are you going to call?”
“If you can make a pun, throw in a social reference or even just a familiar phrase, it will grab people’s attention.”
– Clint Fontanella
54. “Shoes you can wear all day”
Sender: Everlane
“Swearing is controversial in email marketing, but I think it worked really well in this email from Everlane. Not only was it a clever and succinct way to introduce their new shoe collection called ‘The Day Collection,’ but it also fit with the brand voice they use in other emails and on their website.”
–Anna Fitzgerald
55. “You nailed it last week 🎯”
Sender: Grammarly
“Grammar is so good at rewarding you and making you feel good about your writing.”
—Jordan Pritikin
56. “Show them what you’re made of”
Sender: Canva
“Using empowering, positive and challenging language to leverage Canva tools – I love it.”
–Lucy Reddan
57. “‘Not intended for swimming'”
Sender: Dezeen
“I’m a fan of architecture and Dezeen’s weekly newsletter keeps me up to date with the best new projects coming up and their readers’ reactions to them. My question is: What is not meant for swimming? And if it’s not intended for swimming, why did the architect build it? Boom, you have my interest and my click.
58. “Our most frequently asked question…”
Sender: Supergoop
“What an easy way to get me to click – by stopping and leaving the rest of the content in the email. Well done, Supergoop.”
— Ivelisse Rodriguez
59. “(First name)! You are one of HubSpot’s top blog readers 🎉”
Sender: HubSpot
“Nobody really likes taking feedback surveys. Unless you make money, and not many of them offer that. When I received the above email from our own HubSpot blog, I clicked straight through and voila! There it was: feedback.” It turns out that flattery works.
— Ivelisse Rodriguez
60. “(Artist name) made you special.”
Sender: Spotify
“Sometimes bands and artists release exclusive merchandise or vinyl that is only available to Spotify listeners. In this case, Spotify notifies fans that the artist “made you special.” It works because I only get an email if it’s an artist I listen to frequently, and I am stupid enough to think the artist knows who I am.
The best email subject lines are simple and on-brand.
Keep your email subject lines engaging, simple, and on-brand.
Don’t forget to appeal to your audience’s emotions and needs, and most importantly, have fun – include emojis, puns, or pop culture references. Your emails are guaranteed to be opened.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2013 and has been updated for completeness.