142 Top Email Marketing Subject Lines to Improve Your Open Rate

According to HubSpot, only about 38.49% of emails get opened in the marketing world. This means the remaining 61.7% languish in unread message folders or end up in the trash.

The secret to boosting that open rate, getting more clicks and making people take action lies in your email's subject line.

The reason is simple: it's the first and only thing your recipients see before opening your email.

With so much at stake in terms of time, money, and effort, the last thing you want is for your carefully crafted email to be ignored or, worse yet, flagged as spam. We’re here to show you how to avoid these undesirable outcomes and get your messages the attention they deserve.

We've compiled a list of 142 email marketing subject lines to ensure your emails get noticed and make a positive impact.

Let's dive into the world of compelling subject lines that will make your emails stand out in crowded inboxes.

Before we get right into it, here’s a short selection of 8 customizable email form templates you can easily edit and publish with Visme. View more templates below:

Table of Contents

• Benefits of Good Email Subject Lines
• How to Write Good Email Subject Lines
• Email Subject Line Best Practices
• Email Marketing Subject Lines to Use
• Email Marketing Subject Line Mistakes to Avoid

Benefits of Good Email Subject Lines

The benefits of investing time and thought into crafting impactful subject lines are numerous and significant–from skyrocketing your open rates to boosting customer engagement and improving your brand image.

Let's discuss the benefits of good email subject lines in detail.

1. Higher Open Rates

According to a recent survey, 64% of email recipients open an email based on the quality of the subject line.

The subject line is the first thing your recipients see in your email before opening it. If it is exciting and catches their eye, they will want to open the email to read more. This is like the headline of a news story or the title of a book - if it's intriguing, people want to know the rest of the story.

2. Improved Reader Engagement

If your email subject line aligns with the recipient's interests, they’ll engage with your content.

Here’s how it works. A compelling subject line does a great job of sparking curiosity and interest. Once the subject line nudges your recipients to open the email, they are more likely to read, respond and act on the content.

3. Better Email Deliverability

A study says that 69% of recipients mark an email as spam based on the subject line. Smartly designed subject lines decrease the risk of your email being flagged as spam and not delivered to the recipient’s inbox. This improves email deliverability, ensuring your email marketing efforts are noticed.

4. Enhances Brand Image

An engaging and relevant subject line conveys your message powerfully and shapes how recipients perceive your brand. Consistently delivering subject lines that capture attention and resonate with readers can build trust and boost your brand's reputation over time.

How to Write Good Email Subject Lines

Follow these steps to write compelling subject lines for your email marketing campaigns:

1. Understand Your Audience

Before you write a word, you need to understand the people reading the subject line. What are their interests, needs and preferences? Your subject lines should touch on these points to resonate with your readers.

For instance, if you send an email from a real estate company to young buyers, the subject line will look quite different from the one sent by a SaaS company targeting entrepreneurs. Everything, from the tone to the length and structure, should match your audience.

The best way to understand your audience is by creating a buyer persona. This is a detailed, fictionalized profile of your ideal customer, covering their demographics, behaviors, attitudes, and goals.

Use Visme's customer persona templates to develop a complete persona. Collect customer data, such as age, profession, address, income, etc. Visme offers over 30 diverse templates catering to various business types and sizes. Populate the chosen template with the collected data to create your buyer persona.

Customize this template and make it your own! Edit and Download

Once you know your ideal customer, it’s crucial to find creative ways to attract them. That’s where Visme forms come in handy.

Visme offers a no-code form builder that allows you to customize your form fields to collect the specific information you need, such as email addresses, names and phone numbers. These tailored fields help you fine-tune your forms to engage the right target audience.

Visme blends creative design with the functionality of forms to boost form engagement by 205% and increase the conversion rate by 207%. Read the full case study.

When your audience finds it easy and exciting to fill out your forms, they’re more likely to share their information, helping you grow your email list.

Visme’s free email capture software also supports integration with third-party tools like:

• MailChimp
• HubSpot
• Google Sheets
• Active Campaign
• Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
• Excel
• Airtable
• ConvertKit
• Constant Contact and more.

2. Start with a Draft

Start your process by drafting a simple, direct subject line summarizing your email's content. It doesn't have to be perfect—it’s your starting point.

Consider what should come to your readers' minds first when they see the subject line in their inbox. Is it a topic of their interest? A new product or service you are announcing? Or, maybe, a question that they want answered?

Once you have your initial draft, take a moment to refine it. Ensure it's clear and concise, capturing the essence of your email. Trim any unnecessary words to make it more impactful and engaging.

3. Keep it Short and Sweet

A recent study says the ideal length for your email marketing subject line is approximately 40 characters. So, aim for this ideal character length in your email subject line to avoid trimming crucial information in the inbox preview.

Short, concise subject lines are easier to comprehend at a glance and, hence, more likely to hook a reader's attention. Additionally, with many individuals checking emails on mobile devices, shorter subject lines provide a better user experience.

Enhance your subject lines with Visme's AI writer. This advanced tool will help you create compelling subject lines from scratch and refine or optimize existing ones. Just describe what you want to write in the prompt and you'll get attention-worthy email subject lines in seconds.

4. Conduct A/B Testing

There is no universal formula to make your email subject line perfect. In fact, email subject line best practices may vary across industries, business types and marketing goals.

But the good news is that you can find ways to write emails that work best for you by conducting A/B testing.

A/B testing involves creating two or more versions of your email marketing subject lines and sending them to two target audience groups. This will help you determine which one works best and why—it’s as simple as that.

Here are some opposites of A/B testing your email campaigns:

• Short vs. long
• Funny vs. serious
• Mobile optimized vs not optimized
• Capitalization vs. no capitalization
• Personalized vs. non-personalized
• Direct vs. mystery
• Discount vs. urgency

5. Review and Send

After finalizing your subject line, ensure the rest of your email aligns with it. Consistency between your subject line and email content is crucial to avoid misleading recipients. Once everything is in place, hit send.

Your email design process may need to go through many revisions and approvals before it's ready to be sent out. And collaboration can be challenging if your email design process involves various team members across the organization.

Visme can help you streamline the email design process with its advanced design collaboration features. You can invite others via email or share a link to work on a project. With features like live editing, commenting, annotating and version control, everyone will be on the same page and ensure your emails are as impactful as possible.

Discover how to do collaborative design right with Visme, or watch the video below to learn more.

Email Subject Line Best Practices

Creating great email subject lines goes beyond writing words. It involves choosing the right words, tone, length, and more. We'll now share helpful tips and practices to improve your subject lines.

1. Use Actionable Language

Active, actionable language in your subject lines can make an outstanding difference. When readers know exactly what they're expected to do and what they'll get in return, the incentive increases for them to open the email. Words like "discover," "explore," or "try" can inspire action and improve open rates.

Research the action verbs related to your products, services or industry and include them strategically in your subject line.

2. Use Personalization

Emails with personalized subject lines are 50% more likely to be opened. Personalization makes recipients feel more connected, leading to higher open rates.

Utilize subscriber data like their name, location or interests to craft a personalized subject line. The more you can make your email feel individually tailored, the more likely the recipient will engage.

For example, you can greet your recipients by name, include a topic they are interested in or send them birthday wishes.

You can use email marketing tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot or Active Campaign that allow for advanced personalization.

3. Create Urgency or Scarcity

Telling your subscribers that a deal will soon expire or that stock for a popular item is running out can encourage immediate action. The goal is to create urgency or scarcity that your recipients can resist, motivating them to purchase before it's too late.

For example, if you have a sale on your website that ends at midnight tomorrow, you can send an email with the subject line: "Last day for 40% off!"

However, you want to use these strategies sparingly to avoid sounding like a sales pitch.

4. Avoid Spam Triggers

Imagine this: You've carefully crafted an email with a captivating email subject line and engaging content. But when you hit send, it ends up in your recipient's spam folder. Frustrating, right?

Many factors can cause this, but 69% of recipients report spam based on the subject line.

Be wary of certain words and phrases like "free," "buy now," or "limited time offer," which could make your email look like spam and get filtered out. Similarly, excessive use of exclamation marks, all caps or numbers can negatively impact your deliverability.

Here's an exhaustive list of about 394 email spam trigger words you should avoid published by HubSpot

If your email subject line grabs attention and makes people open your emails, you'll need more to keep them reading and taking action. Therefore, designing emails is just as crucial as creating catchy subject lines, but it can be trickier. From writing the words to making it look good, it takes time and effort to perfect it.

Thanks to Visme's template library and simple drag-and-drop editor, making stunning, professional-looking emails is a breeze. The best part? Visme provides email templates, email header templates, and branded newsletter templates that follow all the design best practices.

Customize this template and make it your own! Edit and Download

Email Marketing Subject Lines to Use

Now, we'll provide you with thoughtfully crafted email marketing subject lines for nearly every type of message you want to send to your customers. We'll also throw in some real examples from different brands.

Get inspired by these email marketing subject lines and tweak them per your requirements.

Jump to:

• Cold Email Subject Lines
• Product Launch Email Subject Lines
• Abandoned Cart Email Subject Lines
• Retargeting Email Subject Lines
• Personalized Email Subject Lines
• Product or Service Highlight Email Subject Lines
• Events Email Subject Lines
• Follow-ups or Reminder Email Subject Lines
• Holidays or Black Friday Email Subject Lines
• Introductions or Welcome Email Subject Lines
• Referral Requests Email Subject Lines
• Thank You Email Subject Lines
• Discount or Sale Email Subject Lines
• Promotion Email Subject Lines
• Catchy Email Subject Lines
• Last Chance Email Subject Lines

Cold Email Subject Lines

Cold emailing is not dead. According to HubSpot, 80% of buyers prefer emails as their primary communication channel. So, you can see that there's a huge potential to grow your business with cold emails.

Now, let's dive into some effective subject lines to make your cold emails stand out.

1. Can I help (Company Name) with higher (Sales/ROI/Revenue)?
2. (First Name), can I have your 10 minutes?
3. Hey, (First Name), can we discuss (Specific problem/area of interest) at (Company Name)?
4. How (Company) Leveraged (Product/Service) for a (Metric) Boost
5. How (Your Top Client) Nailed (Goal/Metric) with Our Help
6. Generate (X) sales qualified leads in (Timeframe) using our (Product/Service)
7. Hi, (First Name), I can increase your (Metric) using (Product/Service)
8. Got a minute to catch up on (Business objective]?
9. Ready for a game-changing partnership with (Your Company Name)?
10. Could (Product/Service) be the answer to your (Problem)?

Product Launch Email Subject Lines

Announcing a new product launch through emails is thrilling, but capturing your audience's attention can be tricky. Use these product launch email subject lines to stand out in your subscribers' inboxes and drive conversions. Whether light-hearted or serious, these subject lines are tailored to captivate your audience and ignite their excitement for what's inside.

11. Exclusive sneak peek: the future arrives with (Product Name])!
12. Unveiling the (Product Name) – Upgrade Today!
13. You're invited to experience our newest product, (Product Name)
14. Get ready for (Product Name): Launching Soon!
15. Say hello to (Product Name) – You'll love it!
16. Be the first to try (Product Name)!
17. Unboxing (Product Name) – your life just got better
18. Early bird access: Try (Product Name) before public launch
19. You're exclusively invited to our (Product Name) launch
20. (Product Name) has arrived. Be the first to experience it!

Abandoned Cart Email Subject Lines

Abandoned cart emails shine with a 39.07% open rate—way higher than other emails—and boast a 23.33% click-through rate. They're a fantastic chance to win back those sales opportunities.

The shoppers were already interested in buying your products; all you have to do is recapture their interest through these emails. And the subject lines below are specially crafted to do exactly just that.

21. Didn’t get a chance to finish shopping? No problem. Click here.
22. Exclusive Offer: Grab (Product] at its New lower price!
23. Your cart misses you! Complete checkout for an exclusive discount.
24. Hey (Name], Your cart is waiting for you. Complete Your Purchase!
25. Last Chance: Your cart won't wait forever!
26. We saved your cart for you - ready to check out?
27. Last chance alert: grab your (Products) before they disappear!
28. Still considering (Product/Service)? What’s holding you back?

Retargeting Email Subject Lines

Retargeting emails aim to capture individuals who have shown interest in your brand, product or service–perhaps they've visited your website, checked a particular product or purchased a product in the past.

A nifty retargeting email reminds them of what they're missing, reigniting that spark of interest and guiding them back to your platform.

And it all starts with a captivating subject line.

29. Welcome Back! Exclusive Offer Inside, Don't Miss Out!
30. Flash sale. Up to 75% off on T-shirts
31. Missed us? Dive into exciting updates just for you.
32. Your next purchase is waiting with an exclusive offer!
33. Boost your team's productivity with (Product/Service)
34. ZipRecruiter: John, we have a client looking for candidates like you!
35. Limited-time delights from your favorite brand – Open now!
36. Google: Bring Google Analytics and Google Ads together

Personalized Email Subject Lines

Personalize your email subject lines to make them attention-grabbing and like a friendly note to the recipients. And it's more than just including their name in the subject line. Here are example subject lines for your inspiration:

37. You are invited to join the waitlist for (Product/Service/Feature) - Visme

38. (First Name), check out these hand-picked tools
39. Hey, (First Name), Thanks for helping us - Revolution Tea
40. (First Name), you don’t want to miss this… - ColourPop Cosmetics
41. Let These (Products/Services) do the heavy lifting for you - Visme

42. Hey (First Name), we picked these for you! - Fabletics
43. Only the best for you, (First Name) - Fenty Beauty
44. (First Name), Do you know what (relevant topic/feature/problem, etc.) means? - Visme

Product or Service Highlight Email Subject Lines

These email campaigns are designed to showcase the best features, benefits and unique selling points of your offerings to your audience, positioning them as solutions to their specific needs or desires.

Therefore, the email subject lines should also emphasize these points and communicate what your audience will receive in exchange for their click.

45. What's New at (Your Company Name): (Products/Services) - Visme

46. (New Feature/Product/Service): Say Hello to (Product/Service/Feature) - Visme

47. Get ahead with our brand new (Product/Service)
48. Make the most of your time with our new (Product/Service)
49. New Arrival Alert: Meet the revolutionary (Product/Service)
50. Revolutionize your work with our latest (Product/Service)
51. Redefine your efficiency with the new (Product/Service)
52. Unlock your potential with (Product/Service)'s enhanced features

Events Email Subject Lines

Did you know that 76% of event marketers find email marketing super effective for boosting registrations? So, if you are in the process of creating an event announcement email, make sure the subject line is compelling enough to attract your target audience.

53. Reserve Your Spot at (Event Name)
54. Join us for an unforgettable evening at (Event Name)
55. Don't Miss Out: (Event Name] Registration closes soon
56. Last chance to register for (Event Name)!
57. Join Us: (Event Name) Is just around the corner
58. Save the Date: Don't miss (Event Name)
59. Grab Your Tickets: (Event Name) is selling out fast!
60. Early bird pricing ends today for (Event Name)!
61. Register Today: (Event Name) Is coming up quickly

Follow-ups or Reminder Email Subject Lines

Follow-up emails are not just for sending after a job interview or meeting with a prospective buyer. Businesses use them to stay in touch with existing customers, share new information about their products or services, and build relationships.

Here are a few follow-up email subject lines that work:

62. Did you review our proposal, (First Name)?
63. (First Name), Do you have any questions we can answer?
64. Hey (First Name), wanted to see how you’re doing!
65. Can we schedule a meeting to discuss (the topic) further?
67. (Webinar Name): Reminder to Attend Tomorrow
68. Have you checked out (Product/Service Name) Yet?
69. Follow-up: Questions About (Product Name)?
70. I have some exciting news to share, (First Name)
71. Checking In: Any Assistance Needed for (specific task)?

Holidays or Black Friday Email Subject Lines

Holidays or special shopping days, like Black Friday, offer a tremendous opportunity for businesses. They're the peak seasons when deals are hot, audiences are in a shopping mood, and competition among companies is fierce.

To rise above the cut-throat competition and grab your customers' attention, craft compelling Black Friday email subject lines to stand out in your recipients' inbox.

72. Your Exclusive Black Friday Sale is here!
73. Holiday Savings: Up to 50% off All Items
74. An Early Gift: Pre-Black Friday Deals Inside
75. The Ultimate Black Friday Sale – Starts Now!
76. Tick-Tock: Black Friday Countdown Begins!
77. Time to Celebrate: the Biggest Sale of the Year Is Here
78. Hello Black Friday - Goodbye Full Price!
79. Our Black Friday Sale Is On - Get Them Before They're Gone
80. Happy Holidays - Celebrate with Our Best Deals
81. It's that time of year again...

Introductions or Welcome Email Subject Lines

Welcome emails have the highest open rate of all promotional emails at 68.6%. With an open rate this high, you can include crucial information about your brand for your audience to learn. But before you do that, let your email subject line do the talking and get your audience excited about what’s in store for them.

82. Welcome to the Family, (First Name)
83. (First Name), You've Made a Great Decision!
84. The Journey Begins: Welcome to (Product/Service Name)
85. We're Thrilled to Have You, (First Name)
86. Welcome to (your company name)! Let’s get started
87. It’s official. You’re now an exclusive member!
88. Exclusive Access Unlocked! You're Now a Proud Member!
89. Greetings from (Company Name)! Let's Begin this Journey Together

Referral Requests Email Subject Lines

In a successful referral email campaign, the challenge is to ask clearly while balancing urgency and connecting genuinely with your audience. And your email subject line should reflect that.

The subject lines below are clear, concise and urgent. They let readers know exactly what's in it for them and why it matters right now.

90. Help Us Spread the Word and Earn Rewards
91. Refer a friend and get (Incentive)!
92. Got Friends? Get Rewards!
93. Know Someone Who’d Love Our (Product/Service)? Let Us Know!
94. New referral program! Free to join!
95. Love [Our Product]? Share it With Friends and Earn Rewards!
96. Refer, Reward, Repeat!
97. Tell a Friend About Our (Product/Service) and Get (Incentive)
98. Join our referral program. It’s free (and super easy)!

Thank You Email Subject Lines

The simple gesture of saying thank you through an email can go a long way in acknowledging your customers and nurturing long-term relationships with them.

To ensure your appreciation note doesn't go unnoticed, use these effective thank you email marketing subject lines.

99. Thank you for choosing (Company Name)
100. Cheers to You! Thanks for Being a Supportive Member!
101. Thank You - Your Support Means the World to Us!
102. Thank You for Trusting Us with Your Purchase!
103. You Help Us Shine - Thank You, (First Name)!
104. A Huge Thank You from the (Your Company) Team
105. We're Fortunate to Have You, (First Name)!
106. Thank You for Being a Valued Customer

Discount or Sale Email Subject Lines

A discount or sale email subject line can act as a magnet to pull customers toward your offering. It's not merely about announcing your sale; it's about creating excitement, tapping into the fear of missing out and encouraging the customer to take immediate action - all in a brief but impactful line.

107. Limited-Time Offer: 50% Off All Products
108. Savings Alert: Your Exclusive 25% Off Code Inside!
109. An Offer You Can't Resist: 30% Off Your Next Purchase
110. Be Quick: The 48-Hour Sale is on Now!
111. $20 Off Your Next Order. Claim Now!
112. Grab Your 40% Discount Before It's Too Late!
113. Ending soon: 50% off until midnight - Grammarly114. Hurry! Save BIG with Our Year-End Clearance Event!
115. Shhh...Secret Sale Just For You!
116. One day left. Save up to $339. Use your CFI code now

Promotion Email Subject Lines

Similar to the discount or sale email subject line with a slight twist, these subject lines primarily focus on promoting your company's products and services, not just offering discounts.

117. Boost Your (Fitness/Style/Experience) with Our Newest (Product/Service)
118. Our Bestselling Product just got Better!
119. Be the First: Pre-Order the New (Product/Service)
120. It's not too late — the perfect Mother's Day gift awaits
121. New Features Alert: The (Product) You Love Now Even Better
122. (First Name), special early access to our "Flash Sale"
123. Prepare for the Holidays with Our Latest Collection
124. Trending Now: Our Most Popular New Releases

Catchy Email Subject Lines

Crafting this type of email marketing subject line involves a delicate balance between creativity, relevancy, urgency and personalization.

125. Skyrocket Your Sales with These Proven Strategies
126. 10 Game-Changing Tips for Your (Industry)
127. Need a (Solution)? Try Our New (Product/Service)
128. Why Settle? Upgrade with Our Premier (Product/Service)
129. Are You Making This Common Business Mistake?
130. Become a (Industry) Expert with These Tips
131. The Top 3 (Industry) Secrets You Need to Know
132. Equip Yourself with the Tools to Succeed in (Industry)
133. Say Goodbye to (Problem): Try the New (Brand's Product)

Last Chance Email Subject Lines

These are the final chances to snag a discount, a reminder to sign up before an event fills up or the last notice for a nearly sold-out product. The goal? Make your readers feel like they might miss out (FOMO) if they don't act on what you're promoting.

134. Wait! Your (Product/Service) is Going, Going… Grab it Now!
135. This is it. Your Last Chance to Own (Product/Service)
136. Time's Almost Up: Don’t Miss Out on (Product/Service)
137. Last Call for Your Favourite (Product/Service)!
138. Your (Product/Service) is on the Line. Don't Miss Out!
139. Tick Tock! Last Chance to Grab These Unbeatable Deals
140. Your Final Boarding Call: Last Chance for (Product/Service)
141. Hurry! Few Left - Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
142. Last Chance: Don’t miss out on exclusive savings!

Email Marketing Subject Line Mistakes to Avoid

Watch out for these common mistakes in your email marketing subject lines to avoid turning off your readers and missing out on a chance to engage them.

• Creating False Urgency: While urgency can drive action, overdoing it or misleading readers can harm your credibility. If every email is urgent, soon none will be. Use urgent language sparingly and only when genuine.
• Forgetting Mobile Users: Mobile opens accounts for 41.9% of all email opens. Ignoring mobile users and not optimizing your subject lines for mobile view can lead to low open rates.
• Being Too Vague: Subject lines should give an idea of what the email contains. Being too mysterious or vague can confuse readers about the content of the email and may lead to them not opening it.
• Overusing Capital Letters: While writing the entire subject line in capital letters might seem like an excellent way to catch attention, it comes off as shouting and can deter readers.
• Excessive Use of Industry Jargon: Using industry terminology your audience may not understand can make your email inaccessible and discourage open rates. Keep your language understandable for everyone in your audience.

Create Emails & Generate Leads with Visme

Discover inspiration for your next email with our 142 marketing subject lines. Start with the exhaustive list we’ve shared and tweak until they're uniquely yours and appeal to your audience. We also discussed the benefits of good email subject lines, how to create one and the mistakes to avoid for your understanding.

However, remember that crafting the subject line is just one part. You'll need to design captivating emails for a successful email marketing campaign. It is also essential to compile a list of potential customers' email addresses for the distribution of emails.

Visme can help you with that, too. Use Visme's no-code form builder to create email forms, sign-up forms, lead generation forms and many other form types to collect your customer data. Customize Visme's email and newsletter templates to create professional and engaging emails in just minutes.

Sign up for Visme to generate leads, build quality email lists, create emails and newsletters, and get your message out there!

Written by Raja Antony

Raja Antony Mandal is a content writer at Visme with 5+ years of experience in the B2B SaaS space. With a background in English Literature, he is passionate about using storytelling techniques to inform and engage readers. Raja writes about visual content creation, design tips and marketing strategies, and his specialty is making complex topics easy to understand.

He also knows the fundamentals of on-page and off-page SEO, which helps him rank his articles high in search engine results. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar and tabla. You can connect with Raja on LinkedIn.