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This is (by far) the most effective way to write subject lines
Devin Reed
September 16, 2023
Yo! Welcome to the next episode of The Content Strategy Reeder where over 9,800 marketers, sellers, and creators get better at content strategy and creation in less than 5 minutes.
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Look, there are lots of opinions out there on how to write killer subject lines.
All lower case works best!
Always include their name!
Just use emojis!
These might be true, but there’s a bigger issue with these tips that most people miss:
They’re all gimmicks.
Gimmicks come and go, fading to irrelevance not long after you hear about them.
And while you’re welcome to use those on your audience, I prefer a different approach.
I have done extensive testing — both one-to-one while in sales, then one-to-many when running email marketing at Gong, Clari, and The Reeder — and as a result discovered the best way to motivate anyone to open an email.
Yes, anyone.
Doesn’t matter age, seniority, industry, nationality, gender, or any other characteristic.
That’s because it’s not a gimmick or “trick.” Instead it plays on a fundamental physiological trigger that every human has embedded in their DNA.
So what is this timeless principle?
Incite curiosity.
Inciting curiosity means you pique your Reader’s interest, instill a desire to explore further, and motivate them to click so they “relieve” the intrigue that you created.
It captivates the sense of wonder we all crave.
Put simply, humans cannot resist unsolved mysteries, big or small. And you can use this to your advantage.
And sure using the 🤬 emoji might grab attention, but the words paired with it determine if your Reader races to click and read what’s behind it or smash Delete.
So whether you’re prospecting or making an offer (webinar, PDF, event, etc) via email, focus on inciting curiosity. Give the gift of intrigue.
Here are 15 examples you can use right now
I’m going to share examples that follow this principle that you can apply to your sales and marketing.
But before you get the list, there’s something you HAVE to know.
Because if you ignore it, you’ll misuse these subject lines and they’ll actually backfire. Meaning you’ll get more opens, but you’ll accidentally turn off and repel your Reader. Then your email won’t convert.
OK, here it is…
These “mystery” subject lines will get your Reader to open, BUT how you connect the body of your email to the subject line is the most important part.
If your email content is disconnected from your subject line, then it’ll feel like a bait and switch (because it is).
And ideally, you “relieve” the mystery you created as early and quickly as possible because that’s what your Reader is anticipating.
Alrighty, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here your list of ready-for-action subject lines:
Found it!
This can’t be right
You have two choices
Missing something?
Yesterday’s dashboard
I missed out
Minor error
It happened again
Figured it out
Enough of this?
Do you see it?
This is odd
This should never happen
This’ll never work
One more thing
That’s it for today, y’all. Use ‘em wisely.
Give me a shout if you decide to use one of these, or create one of your own.
Holler at you next Saturday,
Devin
PS: If you want the full list of subject lines (there are 25), plus dozens of tips and examples for writing wildly effective emails, check out Content That Converts. There’s an entire section dedicated to email titled, 10 Email writing tips that get you more opens, clicks, and conversions than Amazon’s Black Friday deals.
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