Have you ever wondered, what makes you open emails you didn’t expect? Especially when you receive a message out of the blue. When it comes to grabbing your prospect's attention, the key to success is a good subject line! But what does a good subject line mean? Let's try to break it down.

The perception of a subject line, that seems like it was meant for me is much better than the one that could be sent to anyone. Including the name of the prospect or his company, as well as a subtle hint about their job are great ways to improve the first impression.

What do #{{company_name}} clients say?

The cleaner, the better! Short subject lines work the best. Long ones are missing in a mess and those written briefly can steal the spotlight. Also, most of the mailboxes show the opening line in the email preview if the subject line is short enough, and that's another part that is meant to grab the prospect's attention!

#{{first_name}}, checking in

Misleading information may boost your open rates, though it might cause a feeling of being tricked - that results in:

#{{first_name}} - news you might like

The world is full of offers, just like your prospects inboxes. To stand out of them, you need to use different language. Using terms like "buy" or "offer" may trigger spam filters, and they may cause your email to look uninteresting. Also, refrain from using marketing slogans like: ‘lower your costs by 60%’ or ‘Sell three times more!’.

Check out the lists of phrases worth avoiding:

List 1

List 2

List 3

Try to make your tone friendly and understandable, nonetheless - get creative! To make your subject line unique try writing it completely in lowercase.

#{{first_name}} - got a minute?

It matters! Bear in mind that a good fit target-wise can be extremely helpful. People working in different positions, as well as different branches, may have various preferences when it comes to focusing their interest. It's good to have your target divided into specific sub-groups (reached out in different campaigns) and tailor the subject line for each of them specifically!

#{{first_name}} - new tool to acquire talent
​(for a recruiting software developer)

If you have no creative and adjusted idea for your subject line, we recommend to use one of these:

#{{first_name}} x #{{sender_first_name}}

#{{first_name}} <> #{{sender_first_name}}

#{{company_name}} x #{{sender_company_name}}

This may not look very creative at first, but basing on our research, this type of subject lines works really good! With these tips in the back of your mind, you’re good to go!