If you’re good at generating leads for your business, doing so is part of the battle of converting those leads into sales.

You must have an email marketing strategy and something as simple as a subject line becomes crucial when you realise that your leads are receiving your emails but not opening them.

So what exactly do you do?

Let’s examine your subject lines first. Once you have created your email list, the next most important piece of the puzzle is to have a catchy subject line.

The subject line must be such that, it can stop your readers from scrolling through their inbox and possibly skim past your emails?

Remember the leads that you have, probably receive over one hundred pieces of email per day. Make your emails stand out and scream open me.

Below I have created a list of some of the leading subject lines to use for a variety of cold emails you may be sending out in your campaigns.

Here’s what you will learn in this blog post:

• The type of subject lines to include in product launch emails
• The type of subject lines to include in ecommerce emails
• The best subject lines for outreach campaigns to get more replies
• Introduction to emoticons in email subject lines
• Best practices for writing email subject lines

The Type of Subject Lines to Include in Product Launch Emails

Preparing for a product launch is hard work. From creating the product, to promoting it, to gathering interest.

You really need a great email marketing plan to turn all those people who converted into interested prospects to paying customers.

Remember that your loyal and potential customers aren’t going to blindly purchase your new product.

You really need to send a message that proves that what you have to offer is useful to them and that you have a solution to their problems.

Having an effective product launch email series allows you to speak directly to your readers and enticing them to open the email in the first place all depends on catchy email subject lines.

The following are a few examples you can use in your own marketing campaign pertaining to your new product launch.

Product Launch Announcement 

There are two ways you can market a new product launch announcement via email.

You can start by building excitement before your product launches. One way I have done this is by creating an email sequence that acts as a teaser to gauge interest and reveal the big date.

Here are my email sequences that I wrote when I launched my first digital product. Pay attention to the high open rates.

As my product related to helping marketers generate affiliate sales without a huge website, I made sure that my subject lines mentioned some of their pain points, for example “I don’t want to start a new blog” or “the easy way… affiliate marketing”.

Another way to market a new product launch is to include the name of the product, the benefits and explaining its value to potential customers.

Also try offering incentives like bonuses or an early-access discount.

Product Launch Update

One thing to keep in mind when writing a subject line in your product launch email is to remove anything that sounds too spammy. Also, try not to use any overtly promotional words like “Buy Now.”

When I am launching a product, I often think about the reader and how they are likely to perceive my email.

I also want to encourage them to open the email so I like to keep my subject lines informative, creative and engaging.

For example, Mike Pearson of Stupid Simple SEO had a great subject line that made me want to open his email as I wanted to see what other people were saying about his course before I bought it.

Here’s how he delivered the message.

Upcoming Sales & Promotions

People love new products and new experiences, especially when they come at a discount! Personally, I am much more likely to open an email when there’s an offer directly mentioned in my inbox.

Example: “FYI: Your 50% Off Coupon Is Waiting For You!”

The more personal the subject line is, the better.

You can easily personalise a subject line with the settings provided in your email autoresponder. Here’s how it is done in Aweber.

Pre-Order of the Product

A company whose book you can take a page out of, is Apple.

They are the masters of pre-order campaigns. Their emails are always so well designed and straightforward with high-quality images.

With compelling subject lines such as, “Say Hello to the Future,” they are sure to grab the attention of their readers who are anxiously awaiting to see what new product they will be launching next.

As an online business owner, whether you are promoting your own product or service find some time to study the way that influential product owners are launching their own products and writing their emails, by opting into their email campaigns.

To be honest, this is exactly how I figure out what to say to my subscribers.

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. If it’s working for big brands like Apple or Starbucks it can work for you.

Even if their brand may not be aligned with yours, key point is to find your competitor and study the type of campaigns they write to their own subscribers and copy them.

The Type Of Subject Lines To Include In Ecommerce Emails

A subject line can potentially block a potential customer or client from opening your sales email.

The best subject lines are creative, interest provoking and informative, but they never give away too much information.

I have compiled a few subject lines for cold emails any store owner could send to generate sales:

Holiday Sales 

The holiday season is a time when inboxes are crowded with an overload of sales and promotions from stores wanting more sales.

This is the time to make your magical mantra subject line and get your subscribers opening your email.

For Thanksgiving, an example of a great subject line could incorporate family, food, football and giving thanks.

For Christmas, you could add humour with subject lines incorporating Santa, feeling merry, escaping the winter weather, holiday cards and more.

Always remember how you can give value when writing your subject lines.

Example: “5 Fine Wines That Go With Turkey.”

The reason why this subject line works is because it is not sales oriented.

Remember that no one likes being sold to, so by writing a subject line that will help the reader learn about different wines that can go well with turkey will not only get them opening the email but potentially generate click through rates and eventually sales for winos who enjoy turkey at Thanksgiving.

Cart Abandonment 

The ultimate goal of sending a cart abandonment email is to convert the abandoned cart into a sale.

Providing a friendly reminder to your customer that’s clear and clever will remind them that they were shopping from your website recently.

Your subject line here should serve as a light bulb moment to your customer and lead them to revisit your site and finish up their shopping.

Example: “Oops, You Left Something In Your Basket!”

Other great cart abandonment emails that can drive massive sales is offering a discount as an incentive to the shopper to complete their purchase.

A Birthday Celebration 

Every year, one of your subscribers are celebrating their birthdays with you for the first time after doing business with you.

This is a built-in opportunity to build customer relationships with them through email marketing.

Connecting with your subscriber on a personal level is very important for repeat business, so including the recipient’s first name in the subject line is a way to engage and show you remembered their special day.

Also, most people enjoy being acknowledged on their birthday so a birthday celebration email will make them feel special.

Example: “Happy Birthday _____, A Special Gift For You!”

Welcome Email 

A welcome email is a very important marketing strategy as this fulfils your subscriber’s expectation and also helps you position yourself as a professional and reliable business.

This is your time to shine and make a great first impression!

Welcome emails are also known to get the highest open rate amongst other emails.

This is a great opportunity to include a call-to-action in the subject line for introduction emails. Should they download your product? Do you want them to check out your website?

In eCommerce a good strategy is offering a time-limited discount to encourage subscribers to make their first purchase when they join your email list.

Here is how Food52 was able to accomplish this in the body of their email:

Here is what their subject line looks like:

Whilst the subject line is playful and friendly, I do feel it could be a bit stronger by offering an incentive to open the email.

For example, Welcome to Food52! Grab $10 Off 

Here’s how The Real Real did it, which clearly demonstrates what I am speaking about:

Offering a discount in your welcome email can be used for both new visitors and customers. Even if someone has made a purchase get them to come back to your website by offering a discount. 

For example, they may have purchased a product at the full price. How about rewarding them and offering a discount on their next purchase?

Try and it see if it works 😃

Thank You Email 

Letting your subscribers know how grateful you are for their support shows gratitude and is powerful for your business.

Personal connections are key and having subject lines for thank you emails is an easy way to build those relationships and earn respect from your customers or clients.

Even if the recipient doesn’t open the email, they are still able to see your appreciation, which is always a good thing.

Example: “Thank You For Your Review, We Appreciate Your Support.”

Repeat Purchase

The key to a profitable business isn’t the initial sale, it’s having repeat customers!

Email marketing offers an effective way to increase customer retention.

Sending a reminder to restock on an item that they purchased a few months ago, asking for feedback about their shopping experience or checking in with your customers to see if they need anything are all great examples of emails to send for repeat purchases.

Include subject lines for follow up emails aimed at nurturing their next purchase.

This could also be a good time to throw in a discount on their next purchase.

Example: “Share The Love – Review Your Purchased Item(s) Today!”

Outreach Campaigns to Generate More Replies

If you are a blogger and you have started outreach campaigns to get influencers, brands or other bloggers to work with you, I have learnt that there are some email subject lines that will make your emails stand out.

I’m telling you now, that outreach campaigns are exhausting and can be discouraging when no one is responding to your emails.

It really isn’t you. It’s actually your email subject line.

Remember that the brand, influencer or blogger may be receiving hundreds, if not thousands of emails per day.

For your emails to generate more replies, you have to craft an interesting out of the box subject line that is going to make the recipient curious to open your email.

The best cold email subject lines for outreach campaigns are compelling and piques the interest of the reader.

You want to capture their attention and get a response back.

Here’s how I would write a cold email subject line:

• Ask a question about a specific topic – “Best tip for online marketing?”
• Name a unique characteristic or idea that the prospect cares about – “Heard you like jazz on the avenue?”
• A simple straightforward message – “Can I join your Pinterest group board?”
• Ask for their help about a certain subject – “What would you do to get traffic to a blog?”
• Share a numbered list with them. This drives interest into seeing what your email is about “Here’s something your readers will LOVE”

Using Emoticons in Your Subject Lines

You may have seen marketers using emoticons very recently.

This is a great way to engage and connect with your subscribers by making your email subject lines fun and inviting.

Marketers are using emoji’s to stand out in their subscribers’ inboxes and to emphasise an idea and add expression.

Some businesses are also using a single emoticon in their subject line for branding purposes.

This makes their emails easy to recognise in their recipients’ inbox. You can also use emoji’s to compliment your message.

Using emoticons in your email subject line is as easy as copying and pasting the emoji from a website. I love using EmojiPedia for my emoticons.

Not all emoticons show up properly on all mobile devices and desktops, so send yourself a test email to ensure that it’s visually appealing.

Adding emoji’s in your email subject line can be an effective and attention generating technique that will have your recipients opening and engaging with your marketing campaigns.

Example: “Open up! We’ve just launched our first digital product🙌😜”

Best Practices for Email Subject Lines

I hope that you found this blog post helpful and you get some inspiration for your own emails.

Email subject lines hook your subscriber’s attention and if they are not opening your emails consider doing a split test until you are able to increase the open rate of your emails.

Here are some best practices for writing your own compelling subject lines:

• Personalisation – Showing that you care for your subscriber and that they are more than just a sale is very important. People would rather open emails from those they know and care about so offering something of value, being personable and building relationships through your subject line is key.
• Length Matters – keep your subject line short and to the point.
• Keep Them Curious – Generating a little mystery in your subject line requires your readers to open the email so that they can get more information. These types of subject lines have a much higher open rate.
• Share Offers & Promotions – Open your subject line with a deal or a discount. When there’s an offer directly mentioned in the subject line, your potential customers are more likely to read on to see what kind of savings they will be receiving on items they already have an interest in.
• Create a Sense of Urgency – Subject lines that create a sense of urgency have a higher opening retention rate. Offering your customer a discount if they act within a certain time frame is a great example of creating urgency.
• Test Your Subject Lines – It is important to always test your emails before sending them out to your email list. Check the length, verbiage, capitalisation and punctuation to see how your message will be received to the subscriber.
• Keep Their Goal In Mind – Keep your subscribers goals in mind when writing your subject line. Pique their interest without giving away too much information. Tell your subscribers what your email is about so they know what to expect in the content inside.

It is crucial to craft a compelling subject line if you want higher open rates. While this may seem like a simple and easy part of your message, this is what will make or break your marketing campaign.

Think of your subject line as the first impression you are making on your potential customers and recipients. Always remember to be specific and clear about the topic of the email. Great communication will lead to great business relationships!

How are your email open rates? Is it poor? Are you doing great? Let me know in the comments.

Cheers