100 Cold Email Subject Lines To Guarantee a Response

This subject raises curiosity levels straight through the roof, while also incorporating fear-based motivation.

Preparation implies a change is around the corner.

This sparks readers’ interest and ignites fear of being unprepared for an important event.

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This is a clear example of creating an open loop and raising curiosity in readers’ minds. To find out what the question is, you’ll have to open the email.

More than that, the subject asks the recipient to formulate an answer to this question, demanding more of their focus and attention.

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Here’s another headline that provokes curiosity:

Who wouldn’t want to learn more?

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A clever play on a well-known phrase stands out and arouses curiosity.

It can be risky in outbound messages where recipients aren’t aware of your company. But the cold email subject line does enough to make you stop and look twice.

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This works by going in the opposite direction of readers’ expectations.

Why wouldn’t a recruitment company want to fill your vacancies?

The apparent logical inconsistency grabs attention and encourages recipients to click through to find the answer.

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You can’t help but love this reverse psychology.

It speaks to innate curiosity and our overwhelming desire to do what we’re told not to do.

Have you ever wanted to touch something after reading a ‘Don’t touch!’ sign? It’s practically wired into our DNA.

However, this is another one I’d use sparingly.

Used once, and it’s charming. But the second time around makes it seem like a cheap gimmick.

And if the contents aren’t worthwhile, or explain why the reader shouldn’t have opened the email, then they’ll feel tricked.

Remember, nobody likes to be tricked.

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Auto Pilot knocked the curiosity factor out of the park on this one.

While it may look like a mistake at first, the email quickly explains that the ‘jumbled string of text and symbols is what UTM parameters look like, and they’re super important for tracking marketing ROI.’

It’s a risky move, and I wouldn’t try this in a cold email. But as an email to an opt-in list of tech-savvy marketers, it certainly stands out.

What’s a similar way to make a subject line stand out in your industry?

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I love subject lines that switch things up and start from a negative.

When good advice is a dime a dozen, bad advice stands out and kicks the curiosity factor up.

I refer to this as the ‘glossy mag headline.’ Next time you’re out and about, take a look at what’s on the magazine covers.

Positive messages might be nice, but messages about mistakes sell more.

What negative aspect of your industry can you highlight?

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Wait, what finally happened? Is it good? Bad? Am I affected?

Turns out it only takes three words to raise your reader’s heart rate, along with their curiosity.

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We all want answers. And we have an insatiable appetite for seeing other people’s mistakes (remember the ‘glossy mag’ principle?).

So for those on Lincoln Murphy’s list, this subject created enough curiosity to get readers clicking.

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Like my aversion to all lower caps sentences, I’m normally against yelling in ALL-CAPS.

But when you have a cool topic like robots, I think that’s something worth shouting about.

Product Hunt offers a clear value proposition (increased productivity) with a dash of the unexpected (robots).

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This is an example of a subject that uses personalization in a succinct format.

This was sent shortly after the new year when people are often thinking about what’s in store for them in the future.

Remember: Sometimes an email’s timing is as important as its contents.

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Sean Platt has written a post on CopyBlogger about how this is his most opened subject line by far.

The post is well worth a read, but the gist is that we all share a fear of being alone.

So this will speak to your readers’ sense of belonging.

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Donald Miller uses this subject to elicit the recipient’s interest.

Rather than simply stating an important date is coming up, he finds a fresh way to illustrate its importance.

Taking the time to find illustrative ways to share announcements ensures your messages won’t grow stale.

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Here’s an example of an understood concept, Uber, mixed with a metaphor about dogs that likely sparks curiosity.

Are you as curious as I am to find out more about an Uber for dogs?

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This is a mysteriously playful subject line.

And maybe it’s all the time I’ve spent watching James Bond films, but when this showed up in my inbox, I had to click it.

Involving your recipients in something exclusive and mysterious will pay off in higher open- and click-through rates.

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Here’s an example of another great question.

The sender could have asked a straightforward yes/no question:

‘Do you plan to scale?’

Instead, he asks ‘how’ do you plan to scale.

This requires more thought and implies you should have a plan in place.

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‘You’ is a magic word in marketing, and Clearvoice gives us a classic example.

They’re speaking directly to their readers.

We’re not hearing about random people’s content issues, only our own. That’s powerful.

They’re also tantalizing readers with a fear-based message, a strong motivating factor to take action.

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This question works by appealing to a specific problem.

If a recipient is experiencing this problem, if they look at the subject line, and say, ‘Yes, yes, I am…’

Then, they’ll be more likely to open the email, because the writer implies a solution.

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When so many emails are all about selling, an email that’s completely focused on offering help, with no costs or strings attached, stands out.

The sender gets to know what problems affect their audience and can form closer relationships with prospects.

And the receivers get free advice.

It’s a win-win.

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If you tell someone you can help, they’ll likely want to know how.

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Reviews are an important aspect of Amazon’s business:

Have you ever bought something on Amazon without reading the reviews?

But getting people to actually write a review isn’t so simple.

To increase the likelihood of someone leaving a review, Amazon starts off with a subject line that asks you how many stars you’d give a recently purchased item, rather than write a review.

If you have to ask for something, make it a small request, something the recipient can easily say yes to.

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While Tough Mudder puts on obstacle races around the world, they also know their audience is made up of people who are looking for adventures.

That’s why, when they’re looking for potential employees, they’re able to use subject lines like this to appeal to their tribe.

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Have you ever been out for a meal and had the waiter ignore you after taking your order?

Instead, they’re normally around after a few minutes to check if everything’s okay.

Calendly follows this pattern, making sure their customers are happy with the service so far.

It’s a great opportunity to get feedback and make sure customers are getting the best from them. And the subject line is direct and to the point.

Being sent soon after signing up, but after enough time has passed for the customer to try out the service, and an easy-going informal tone contributed to this email’s massive open rate.

What do your customer follow-up emails look like?

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Funding Circle uses personalization by using recipients’ first names, then adds social proof to grab attention. If it’s good enough for 24,000 businesses, surely it’s worth checking out?

Using ‘join’ as a verb is also a good move, inviting the reader to be a part of a large community of businesses.

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This straightforward subject line focuses on ratings.

If your service or product has been given any awards or ratings, then highlighting them in the subject line can convince recipients to learn more.

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Sumo calls people out on its mailing list that haven’t taken advantage of their monthly webinars, while also using social proof (thousands attend this webinar, so it must be useful).

And by framing the subject as a question, your brain engages and wants to know the answer.

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In the cosmetics world, people look for inspiration from celebrities – they’re the ones setting the trend.

To use this method in your industry, figure out whom your audience looks to for inspiration. And mention these influencers in your subject line.

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This subject is a little more direct than others on the list.

If you get too clever with your subjects, you might get your emails deleted.

This sender has done enough homework to know that an ad reporting product would be of interest to the recipient, which is the key task with an email like this.

Sometimes you have to spell out what you’re offering, especially with cold emails.

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A two-word value proposition that does what it says on the tin: captures attention.

With a ‘less-is-more’ vibe, the deal is that if you want to know more, you’ll have to open the email.

If you’re going to use this method, make sure the subject is definitely something your recipient wants to know about, or they won’t be curious enough to continue.

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Personal cold email subject lines are a powerful technique in marketing, and Clearvoice gives us a classic example.

Rather than just simply using the company name, this subject promises something (in this case intent data) that’s specific to the company.

This makes it more valuable to recipients and worth their time to check out.

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If you’re going to announce something, make sure it’s something that the recipient will give a damn about.

By introducing a feature with obvious benefits that will appeal to their audience, as well as spelling out whom it’s for, AutoPilotHQ makes sure this email will hit the mark with their target audience.

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Conde Nast Travel’s subject may come across as another fear-based line, but this email is actually appealing to folks who are inclined to go off the beaten path.

To emulate this subject, think about what your audience believes that others may not. What would inspire them but scare others?

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This subject line is an example of knowing your audience and what they search for.

Whereas many subjects ask a question, this answers one instead.

If your subject line answers a question your audience is asking, they won’t be able to open your emails quickly enough.

A great way to find subjects like this is to take a look at your analytics and see what search terms are bringing people to your site, or sites similar to yours.

What questions does your audience need the answers to?

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GrowSumo offers you information about your influencer program, using a similar method to Clearvoice.

They take the personalization one step further and use the recipient’s company name.

It’s also worth noting the use of Re: on their follow up emails, it’s a little touch that goes a long way.

I’d use this with caution though:

I’ve seen this in cold emails and, though I may have opened the email, I ended up feeling tricked, and didn’t click through.

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One way to get insanely high response rates in cold emails is to research the prospect well enough to make a custom recommendation.

For instance, can you review something about the prospect’s content strategy, their website or any other visible aspect of their business and send them a report?

That would make a highly favorable impression and significantly improve your chances of getting the deal.

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Grammarly helps keeps their users engaged with their weekly emails.

By giving detailed reports on your progress, comparing your results to other Grammarly users and offering tips for improvement, they make what could be a bland marketing email something useful and interesting.

Can you use direct customer data to better personalize your emails?

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This fitness app offers weekly personalized summaries of workouts and progress and reminds you when you haven’t exercised.

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Facebook has more active users than any other social network, completely dominating the competition.

One of their methods for keeping users active is by using subject lines like this, to keep the curiosity factor high.

Who wouldn’t want to know more about the people checking out their page?

What information would your audience find compelling?

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The sender has done a great job of jazzing up a fairly standard subject line (‘A’+ ‘B’ for great results) and made it stand out by describing the result as superpowers, with a funky little emoji.

Which would you prefer:

Great results or superpowers?

By talking to readers as a friend rather than sounding like a tired sales letter, your recipients are more likely to read the email.

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This isn’t about random destinations…

These are your next beach destinations.

And as most of us spend a large percentage of the time at our desks daydreaming about being beach bound, people are likely to be curious about warmer destinations.

But what if you’re not selling beach holidays?

Use your audience’s habits and behavior to offer repeat services.

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This is a clear and obvious value proposition, but your inbox is likely flooded with companies offering you money off your order.

But clever wordplay helps this promotion stand out.

Remember, if you get your recipient to smile, they’re much more likely to open your email.

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Google uses a desired outcome/solution to hook readers.

By using a question to highlight something that every business on the planet is interested in (new customers), they answer that question with their own service.

Adding ‘today’ also encourages urgency.

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Rather than informing potential customers that stands are available, or asking whether they would be interested in attending, this email asks them to choose what stand they’ll have.

The technique is an effective method of increasing the chances of a positive response.

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Sending special offers to your email list is a practice as old as marketing itself, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful.

The well-known sender and the fact that this is an opt-in list makes it easy to open.

But if you want to keep those high open rates, as with the outbound examples, I’d be cautious of overusing the words “special offer.”

By definition, special offers shouldn’t be a common occurrence.

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By knowing their audience loves a good bargain, Groupon appeals directly to their desires.

Rather than focusing on the specific products/events, they use a price point to draw attention to the affordable nature of the deals.

Knowing your recipient’s wants and needs will help you write compelling subject lines.

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By offering something of value for free, you’re going to get attention.

Of course, as more people offer more for free, you have to go further to stand out.

Hubspot does this through their positioning as a respected authority and offering complimentary tickets to a major, in-person event.

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Similar to the example above, this will tempt the reader by offering something of value for free.

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Three, a mobile service provider in the UK, gives a value offer: a free movie.

But, in line with their brand, they abandon stilted language.

Instead, their subject line is informal and chatty, fitting in with the emails from friends and family.

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Like me, you probably get emailed about different sales and offers every day.

Surfwear seller Saltrock has made their promotional email stand out by personalizing it, referring to the recipient by name and making the offer specific to them through a unique code.

Additionally, they’ve used emoji’s to make the message appear more important.

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This well-crafted subject line is concise and leaves readers curious.

In this case, it’s clear that you’re going to read about specific integrations to use as part of your lead funnel, but what integrations?

You’re going to have to click to find out.

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Similar to the example above, readers are left curious and tempted by the promise of a live event.

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This type of subject is all about timing. Many people will want to know which fashion trends to follow in summer right before it arrives.

What will your audience be interested in at a certain point in time, or during a certain time of the year?

Answer that question and give them a way to get a head start. They’ll open it because you’re in sync with your audience’s needs!

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Cold email subject lines with specific numbers are an effective way to draw attention and work better than vague approximations.

Numbers and stats indicate specific information, rather than wishy-washy advice.

Usually, you’ll find the bigger the number, the bigger your headline.

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This email works by asking a question, a common tactic, but also uses the odd number to stand out. 61% is a very specific number, rather than a rounded ‘over 60%.’

Ignore the temptation to round your numbers up or down in your email, and try to use unusual numbers.

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This subject line has a great word choice. It sounds almost criminal, which is exciting for the recipient. It appeals to a more mischievous mindset, making the reader want to learn more, while also offering a clear value proposition.

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The ‘How to do A and achieve B’ is a classic and effective format, echoing the famous book ‘How to make friends and influence people.’

In the information age, being able to teach people how to do something and achieve the desired result is a valuable skill, and one you should be willing to spell out in your email subjects.

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Using the same principle as above, but in a different format, Sumo’s email promises to help the recipient achieve the desired result (the funding of their crowdfunding campaign).

A clear promise of a valuable benefit will get people to open your email right away.

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This subject line taps into the fear of failure while piquing curiosity.

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Blinkist provides summaries of nonfiction books, and their daily emails are similarly concise.

They’ve mastered the art of capturing the key benefit of a book and spell this out in the subject line, letting you quickly know if it’s worth your time to read.

And who wouldn’t want to be exceptional?

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This subject works by quickly establishing what you’ll receive in return for opening the email: a tool.

In this case, you’ll get a downloadable PDF that you can use for a specific, important situation (meeting with prospective clients).

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The subject presents both a problem and its solution in four words. It also creates curiosity.

So it doesn’t matter if you’ve read tons of similar emails/articles before:

If the topic matters to you, you’ll want to read it!

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There’s a reason you’re reading a post about the 100 best cold email subject lines. Numbered lists have a long history of drawing views. And using them in a subject line is a good way to give readers an idea of what they can expect.

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Don’t be afraid of trying out a variety of listicles in your subject lines.

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Another example of an effective ‘list’ style subject line:

The difference here is that a warm email list is more likely to care about what your favorite posts are.

Sending this to a cold list would flop.

However, for an inbound list, this is a great way to build on an existing relationship with your email subscribers.

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Nobody likes to miss out, and the conversational tone (‘I’ instead of ‘We’ or ‘Hubspot’ and ‘you’ instead of ‘people’) makes this feel more like an email from a friend than one from a company to a list.

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Create a sense of urgency by making the topic of your emails bound by time, or imposing a deadline.

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An exclusive invitation is a lot more exciting than an e-blast to thousands of people.

The difference is semantic, but by making a recipient feel special, they’re more likely to give a favorable response.

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This example uses scarcity and a time-bound deadline to motivate readers to click through and take action.

If they don’t act by the end of the day, then they’ll miss out.

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Anyone who uses Valve’s Steam service for downloading and playing PC games will be familiar with this subject line, especially during their massive sales events.

If you have a site with a ‘wishlist’ feature, are you using it to inform potential customers when something they want is on sale?

This is a great example of following up when customers have told you something specific they’re interested in.

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Donald Miller literally starts this subject with ‘bad news,’ and again uses strong words to emphasize the importance of the email.

Rather than saying some people don’t want to read your newsletter, the subject states categorically that nobody does.

It’s a great example of using negativity to raise interest.

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Use of the word ‘need’ increases perceived value:

We’re not talking about something optional.

So, the fear of missing out on essential information acts as a motivator.

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A triple threat:

This subject uses fear-based motivation (talent are choosing your competitor over you), personalization (uses the recipient’s name) and presents a clear value proposition (what to do about it).

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People don’t want to miss out on vital information about essential services they’re already paying for.

While it could potentially come across as misleading, in this case, the email’s contents are made clear:

Important changes to insurance…

If you have important advice, declare it in your subject line. Just make sure it’s actually meaningful, lest you annoy the recipient.

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Scare tactics that are set in the form of a question are an effective way to create curiosity.

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Here’s another subject line that uses fear as a motivator. And it’s personalized to the reader.

The strong tone also helps. For example, they haven’t said ‘why your growth hacks might not be working.’

The subject line is definitive, authoritative and motivates the reader to take action.

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Here’s a classic example of using FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to trigger clickthroughs:

Nobody wants to miss out on an opportunity. That’s why people go after limited-time deals.

The most effective way to use this tactic:

Figure out what your target audience values. Then, insert that goal or desired object into the subject line:

You’re missing out on ______.

For instance, if you’re targeting marketers, try: “You’re missing out on traffic to your website.”

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Marketo is one of the best-known names in the Marketing SaaS space. And, in this example, they keep their message direct and to the point.

People in account management roles or at a top management level at a SaaS company would certainly want to know what they did right.

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We’ve already seen how high, specific numbers can increase open rates in cold emails.

These can work even better for a warm contact list, where the recipient is already familiar with you and your company. That familiarity provides a context for the figures and increases trust in readers.

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Who got acquired? How? That’s what will go through your mind when you see this subject line.

If you’re in the startup space, you will click!

$3.7 billion is a whopping number, and people will want to know what the company did to attain this incredibly high valuation.

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Another compelling subject line for most startups:

500 million is a huge number, and all startup folks would want to steal an idea or two from the company who’s been there and done that!

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This example uses a specific and rather impressive number.

But it also promises a bit more for the reader:

Readers can learn from this email and achieve similar results.

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This subject starts with a clear description of what readers can expect (a case study).

Then it follows up with a ‘how to’ style subject, centered on a goal that readers will be interested in (ranking number one for a high volume keyword).

It also includes a time frame (under 3 months).

And the value proposition is crystal clear:

Anyone looking for higher search engine rankings will have to click through.

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This subject line also offers a clear value proposition with a concrete example and specific numbers from a successful case study.

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Ramit Sethi creates a sense of mystery while staying clear on his subject matter: an example of a pitch and why you should care (it generated millions in sales copy).

It can be broken down as: The [something your prospect needs] that [specific value it provides].

But be careful about too much mystery:

Unless you’ve established trust among readers, these can seem like spam.

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The last two words make this subject unique. And the state of email marketing might sound boring. But adding ‘it’s weird’ sparks curiosity.

Sumo promises this is going to be something different, something unconventional.

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This email emphasizes the value of its content. This is a complete marketing roadmap and used by the person sending the email, so you know it must be good. When you’re offering something of value, highlight the value to your audience with the language you use.

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This subject uses a couple of methods to attract readers: First of all, it refers to something of interest to the target audience of marketers. It may be something they’ve heard of but don’t know much about.

It also includes reference to ‘real ROI,’ spelling out the value of clicking through and learning more.

While the specific subject isn’t evergreen, it can easily be adjusted by referring to industry news that’s specific to your audience, along with a motivating reason to learn more.

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Kickstarter draws previous contributor’s attention to interesting projects, but their use of language moves beyond a bland ‘you might also like.’ Instead, they talk about projects that they love. The passion is infectious and encourages readers to click through and learn more.

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We are always looking for templates.

Why try to reinvent the wheel when you can use something that’s proven to work?

To use this, make a value proposition with a super-easy call to action. The effort to read the email should seem minute compared to the benefit that they get out of it.

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This example is similar to the previous one, with one difference:

By using the word ‘steal’ they’re emphasizing that it’s too good to be true!

You are essentially getting something priceless for practically nothing!

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This one made me smile, and a subject line that makes your recipient smile is one they’ll open.

On the opposite side of the scale from $50 million startups, OkDork switches to a story hook about ex-girlfriends, but with the promise that you’ll learn something about sales.

This makes for an effective combination.

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This is a high curiosity subject, one that raises lots of questions in the recipient’s mind.

What was this angry email, what were they angry about, what are these product updates?

There’s a story here that’s much more effective than simply announcing the company is publishing more updates.

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In a world that praises constant hard work and hustle, the email challenges the reader with an unexpected subject, one that may be opposite to their preconceptions, and promises a story.

The unexpected will always stand out from the familiar.

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Another robot subject, but not in all-caps this time. This still works though, as it’s using a well-known company in the headline, and arouses curiosity with the mention of a risky bet. The misfortune of others is always something people will be interested in.

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A good use of curiosity and conversational tone help this subject line. The tone takes on a water-cooler, gossipy feel, and we all love a bit of gossip. Whether you know what’s going on at Google or not, you’re likely going to want to click through and find out for sure.

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Another ‘glossy mag’ subject line: When we’re told that a well-known and successful company like Uber have had, not just a bad idea, but a really bad idea, it grabs your interest.

It’s important that the company is well known to generate enough curiosity. Some unknown, unheard of company’s mistakes aren’t nearly as interesting to the average reader.

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Spinning familiar sayings in unexpected ways can help your personal email subject line stand out. While I’m not a fan of the all lower case spelling, the play on ‘another day, another dollar’ is enough to grab attention.

If you want to try this for your own email campaigns, have some fun brainstorming common sayings with keywords for your industry (in this case unicorns, or business startups valued at over $1billion).

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Similar to the negative focused subject lines, this one uses a controversial statement to grab attention.

How does it make you feel? Do you agree? Disagree? Either way, you’re likely to click through to find out why the sender has this opinion, either to confirm your own belief or to prove them wrong.

But be careful that the statement isn’t so controversial it would insult your audience.

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