Writing email subject lines is not just about crafting a few words at the top of an email.
This is the first step towards generating conversions.
If your email subject line is enticing enough to get the recipient to open the email, you increase the chances of conversion.
However, if you approach it frivolously, your e-mail campaign or sales generation will never succeed. Don’t let it happen.
These 11 expert tips on how to write clickable email subject lines will teach you how to:
- Write more enticing emails.
- Increase the open rate of each email.
- Boost conversions—regardless of the established KPIs.
Let’s kick it off.
1/ Personalize Your Emails
Everyone loves a personalized message.
It gives your reader a sense of importance, showing that they matter to you, while also demonstrating that you’ve done your research.
Key elements to include are:
- Name
- Job title
- Surname
- Company Name
- Company Annual Revenue
You can incorporate all these elements into your e-mail title to sound like a knowledgeable expert.
However, don’t force it. Do it with class and tact.
Examples:
- [Name], Important Question for You
- New [Job Title] Onboard // New SDR Onboard
- How [Company Name] Can Achieve More This Year!
Regardless of the content, always personalize your email title.
2/ Match the Tone of the Email Title with the Email Body
Titles are often added at the end, as a mere thoughtless addition.
This is a common mistake.
Always write the e-mail title at the beginning of the email. Then, tailor the email body to match the email title.
For instance, if you write: [URGENT] Email to Sandra, this e-mail body must contain something urgent.
It could be a discount, an upcoming promotion deadline, or an invitation to a webinar.
If you write [URGENT] but there’s nothing genuinely urgent, the reader might feel misled and think you’re incompetent.
Avoid this mistake.
Write the title at the beginning of your email and create a consistent tone and content—you’ll soon notice a higher open and response rate.
3/ Create Urgency or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
When we feel that we’re loosing something—we’re taking the right actions.
This is the essence of effective copywriting—utilizing the fear of missing out to spur action.
A prime example? Booking.com & Answear.com do a really good job in their realms.
Leverage the power of FOMO in your content.
Emphasize the experiences others are having.
Someone bought a certain product; show it to the reader.
Is your product chosen by every third one on the market? Write about it in your email.
Mention that the product is tailored for your reader — yes, not everyone can have it!
This is why FOMO effectively prompts swift action and conversions.
Implement urgency to make your proposition overwhelmingly attractive. I’m not exaggerating.
Ensure a balance of FOMO strategies with genuine examples—the more verifiable, the better.
4/ Write Benefit-Driven Email Titles
People love receiving gifts, especially the enticing ones. You gotta admit it.
And this is one of the best strategies to increase open rates.
Implement this skillfully in your strategy.
Examples:
- Sandra, I’ve Got Something for You
- Thomas, Your Gift Awaits 👇
- Joe, Don’t Miss This Gift 💸
What’s your take on it? You’d be tempted to click, wouldn’t you?
This is the essence of benefit-driven email titles; make them want to click, waiting for something more.
5/ Avoid Clickbaits
Avoid words that seem suspicious.
As research shows, using clickbait words results in a much lower open rate compared to not using such words at all.
Here is a list of 11 words you must avoid in your email titles at all costs:
- Free
- Trial
- Offer
- Winner
- Act now
- Buy now
- Risk-free
- Subscribe
- Guarantee
- Limited time
- Exclusive deal
Using these words in email titles can increase the likelihood of your e-mail being flagged as spam by filters.
The above list contains words that have a bad reputation and have often been misused. Therefore, every e-mail platform provider, especially Gmail, is highly attuned to them.
It’s always a good practice to use language that is direct, clear, and relevant to the content of your e-mail to avoid this issue.
6/ Use Call-To-Action Language
Call-to-Action (CTA) language isn’t just a fancy add-on; it’s the driving force of your email.
This element is crucial to prompting your reader to take further actions: click, share, or convert, all of which are the end goals of well-utilized CTA language.
Make sure that every part of the email aligns with this call. For example, if your CTA is “Register Now for Early Access,” the entire message must make cohesive sense and strive towards registration.
Your CTA needs to be specific and direct. Vague language leads to vague results.
A CTA like “Join Our Webinar” is good, but “Click Here to Join Our Webinar Tomorrow at 5 PM” is better.
Don’t be overbearing, but also don’t hold back. Calibrate the tone & message of your email.
Your CTA is your email’s heartbeat. Make it strong, clear, and impossible to ignore.
7/ Ask Provocative Questions
Imagine you’ve been creating SEO campaigns for a while, and you receive an email:
“Do You Make These SEO Mistakes?”
Would you click? Most likely, out of sheer curiosity to find out what you could get.
This is the idea behind provocative questions.
Ask questions that are relevant to your target audience.
However, don’t forcibly ask questions that lead to deep introspection; the user will delete the email before even opening it.
8/ Use Controversial Email Titles
Controversy is another element that users often find engaging.
Like a well-crafted call-to-action, controversy prompts action. In the case of a controversial email, it stimulates the opening of the e-mail.
Examples:
1. Still Failing with Sales? Try This One
2. Your SEO is Useless—Here’s Why
3. Your Blog Sucks, Here’s How to Fix It
Remember, don’t confuse controversy with rudeness. There’s a fine line between the two, and crossing it can make the reader piss off.
Use controversy as often as your industry allows, and regularly check the results in your CRM. If the open rate doesn’t increase or starts to drop—change your strategy.
9/ The Less Words, The Better
Writing short & concise messages always wins.
Your prospects don’t have the time to delve into literary titles, especially in outbound email marketing campaigns.
A few years ago, the ideal length for an e-mail’s title words was considered to be 8–12.
Much has changed since then.
MailChimp recommends writing:
- Less than 9 words
- Less than 60 characters
Honestly, in the world of email marketing, it’s hard to find a better player than MailChimp, but I challenge this notion.
From my experience, the most effective is:
>> Number of words: 1-6
>> Number of characters: less than 50
Simple and effective e-mail titles. Legible (and not being truncated), both on desktop and mobile.
Make your titles:
- Action-driven (CTA)
- Easy to read
- Easy to understand
Then watch as your open rate grows wildly.
10/ Use Data-Driven Insights
Simple data is so effective because it gives shape and becomes tangible.
“This newsletter has 451,000 users—join now!”
Versus
“This newsletter is subscribed to by many users—join now!”
The above example shows how data influences our decision-making process. This is why you must use numbers in your email titles.
However, using numbers will not always be justified. After all, not every email relates to numbers.
A/B test your readers’ preferences and adjust your communication form accordingly to suit them.
11/ A/B Testing
A/B testing is one of the most powerful weapons in email marketing.
A/B testing helps you verify which form of communication, word length, and linking or not linking works best.
Test your variables as often as you can.
If you want to determine which element is most effective, analyze it with a selected group of recipients. This is especially easier if you already have a built-in reader base, like in a newsletter.
Remember one rule; Always test only one variable at a time.
Why?
If you test several variables simultaneously, how will you know which variable caused the change?
Good luck!
It’s my list of 11 expert tips on how to write clickable email titles—what would you add or change?
If you have any ideas, feel free to share them in the comments. You’ll help me and other marketing geeks!
P.S. Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and X.
Thank you for reading & contributing,
Simon
Author Profile
- Simon Gorlak is a Digital Marketing Expert with over 8 years of experience. He specializes in 3 areas: SEO, Lead Generation on LinkedIn, and Email Marketing. Simon's blog gathers knowledge that helps Marketers & C-level to increase profits from their online businesses. Also, his content helps to reach the most difficult customers, make others' content to be read & purchased. Besides digital marketing, Simon speaks 4 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish & works as a Head of Business at an Indian Start-up.
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