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Best Subject Lines for Cold Emails with Real Examples

Best Subject Lines for Cold Emails + Real Examples

Introduction

With an abundance of tips and tactics to formulate an effective cold email, marketers often get off track and could not decide what suits their brand. And when your prospect is not familiar with your work and product, they often ignore it. 

That’s why formulating an effective email that can catch your prospects’ interest is most important in cold email marketing. And that’s where cold email subject lines step in! 

According to Neel Shivdasani,  Product Manager at Mutiny, “The content of your message is really what determines which words you use, but with so few words in a subject line, each one matters quite a lot.” 

When you send a cold email, you enter into a pre-existing competition with other marketers, using the same techniques. Therefore, you can not go with the same old cold email. To run an effective cold email campaign, the main goal needs to make your email unique and interesting. And as the subject line is the most important factor in it, you cannot compromise with it! 

To help you out with formulating the best subject lines for cold emails, we have presented this article containing all the tips and advice you need for a cold email campaign. We have included some of the most compelling email subject line examples that will surely help you. So, let’s get started! 

What Is a Cold Email?

Before we get into complexity, you must get familiar with the concept of a cold email

It is the headline of an email, which gives the impression of what the body of the email contains and holds the interest of the recipient to an extent that they feel the urge to open the email. For a cold email campaign, the most important element is the cold email subject line. Anyone familiar with cold email marketing knows the value of a subject line, therefore, they craft it with the best techniques. 

These days, people have become more addicted to social media channels, which makes it very tough for marketers to grab the attention of their prospects. But as cold email marketing is considered so effective, it works brilliantly once you catch your prospect’s attention.

Also, it decides whether your email will reach the inbox or straight to the spam folder. And having good cold email open rates promotes your email campaign. All these factors make subject lines very important for an effective cold email campaign.

How to Write the Best Subject Line for cold emails That Get Opened

To formulate the best subject lines for cold email, you need to opt for a creative and personalized approach. Catching your prospect’s interest becomes quite easy with a personalized approach. And once you have it, you can keep them in the swing by writing a relevant and timely email response. 

An effective cold email subject line holds the power to make month-old news, exciting for today in the eye of your prospects. And it can rise to its peak within a few weeks. 

Through thorough study and exploration, we have mentioned some effective tips, which are well-tried and tested, for you to follow while writing the best cold email subject lines. These are: 

1. Create Curiosity

While writing an email subject line, the most important thing that you need to focus on is, creating curiosity with it in the eyes of your prospects. And for that, you can add up numerous things such as: 

  • New sensational news of the industry, 
  • Recent statistical studies about their industry, 
  • A call for their help, or
  • Query about their recent project

You can include anything that can grab your prospect’s attention. And once you have it, you’ll get plenty of time to pitch them your product and services. The main thing with a cold email campaign is to make your email clicked by your prospect, which will only be possible if you create curiosity in their mind about your emails. 

2. Urgency

When you build urgency in your email, the chances of its opening are enhanced by a great percentage. Because if your prospects get to know what they would miss out on if they didn’t go for it now, then they do it anyway. 

All I am saying is, that making your email urgent sends the message of a limited-time offer. And that’s what increases clicks. But make sure, you didn’t take this too far otherwise, your prospects may get annoyed by receiving so many urgent email requests.

3. Personalize it

The best way to get your prospects’ attention is by connecting with them. And that happens when you come up with personalized email subject lines. For instance, you can try including their name in it, which seems like a smart tactic. Personalizing your email can increase your revenue by 20%, according to some studies. 

This is because people connect more with other people in business, rather than with a brand or company. Your email needs to look like you are communicating as another person, and not a computerized text. Make sure your email appears more like a human; for that, use your email address to reach out to your prospects. 

4. Make it brief

The subject line of your cold email needs to be of an ideal length, which is around 60 characters long before it gets chopped by the email provider. That’s why come up with an amazing one-liner that catches the eye of your recipient. 

5. Include Keywords

Nobody likes their inbox filled with unnecessary unopened emails. This compels the user to filter out those emails which are important, and remove the unnecessary ones. That’s why it’s advised to include specific keywords in your subject line. Although it is quite tough to guess what filters your prospect prefers. But with creative thinking, you can surely come up with something extraordinary, and increase your cold email open rates as well.

6. Keep it short, but memorable

Although various proven techniques are embodying how to craft great cold email subject lines, they all plan on two things. Firstly, your message needs to be short and compelling, so that it doesn’t get dismissed right away.

Secondly, in a moment of no-time panic and urgency due to an urgent task, you were assigned by someone, don’t commit the mistake of jarring them more with long-winded messages that repeat themselves quickly without any meaning or content.  Your prospect is a busy person with limited time maybe even less than yours! So you need these tips to write effective cold emails within seconds. 

Tips for writing Catchy Subject Lines For emails

Writing the perfect cold email subject line is about how crafty you can be! People often don’t get it and end up using the same old tactics, which is a total waste of time. As said by MailChimp, “When it comes to email marketing, the best subject lines tell what’s inside, and the worst subject lines sell what’s inside.”

So, to help you with crafting the best subject line, we have mentioned some tips that will help you build a strong strategy. These are: 

1. Research your prospects

Dig deep into what attracts your prospects. You are not sending some generalized email, you are specifically targeting your prospects. So, with proper research on their age, profession, geography, and all the necessary demographic details create a compelling subject line that seems relevant to your prospects. 

2. Understand your prospects’ needs

You need to have the proper information about what your prospect is looking for. Find out their business needs, and obstacles they might be facing. By having these, you’ll be able to hit the direct road to sales for your business, as you are providing them with a solution. 

3. Use the prospect’s name

To give a more humanized direction to your email, address them by their respective name if you have them. 

4. Personalize an offer

Pitch your prospects with offers they can’t say no to. And for that, personalizing your subject line is important. By having their details, you can offer them exactly what they are looking for. 

5. Ask a question

Starting with a question always works with your prospects. This builds curiosity in their mind that what could be the solution or if they are having the same issue, they’ll be compelled to open up and look for answers. This works brilliantly to boost cold email open rates.

5. Mention a mutual acquaintance.

  • Social Networking is one of the most efficient ways to reach new potential customers and prospective clients. If you’re an acquaintance or business friend in common with your prospects, include it in the subject line.

6. Highlight your expertise.

  • Show prospects your company is an expert in the field by sharing your company’s reviews, and customer feedback.

Cold Emails Subject Lines Techniques with Examples

Personalized Subject Lines

Giving a personalized touch to your email helps your audience connect on a better note. However, many marketers believe that just addressing your prospects by their name will be all for email personalization. But those familiar with the real concept of cold email marketing know that it involves more relevant and timely content that compels the prospect on all ends. 

For instance, you can use their first name to make them feel connected, or you can mention the topic of their interests based on your knowledge of customers. Personalization works amazingly when you send an email on your prospect’s special occasion and offer them the best possible deal. 

Personalized subject line examples:

  • Hey {{first_name}}
  • [Your company] + {{company}} = The idea for {{company}}
  • Congrats on {{event}}
  • Check it out, {First name}
  • {Prospect’s Name}, here is a personal note
  • Loved your post on {idea} in {LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram}
  • Can’t agree more with you
  • Sale at {prospect’s city/town/village}!
  • I miss seeing your posts on {LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram} these days
  • No {prospect name}, No Party

Subject Lines asking Questions

Doesn’t it happen to you when you receive an email asking you an exciting question, and you can’t do anything but open that email and check out what the solution is? Yes, that’s what I am talking about when I refer to the subject line with questions. 

This is a successfully proven email marketing technique, which never disappoints you with open rates. When you send an email with a subject line of a question, your prospect will develop an urge to know the solution to it. 

Now, the question is what questions should you ask? Based on your knowledge of customers, ask questions concerning their interests or any issue that they might be facing, known as pain points. Come up with something crafty and it will be a sure success. 

Subject line examples with questions:

  • How are you dealing with {Pain Point}?
  • Thinking about {a specific goal}?
  • Are you making these mistakes?
  • Question about {Goal}
  • Have you thought of {{relevant_offer}}?
  • Want to talk about {{topic}}?
  • Want to learn more about {{solution}}?
  • Want to know the future of {organization name}?
  • Did you know that you can get superpowers?
  • Did you miss these new features of {product}?
  • {Prospect name}, Do you remember me?

Short Cold Email Subject Lines

Another very important thing that you need to keep your recipient engaged and trigger them to open the email is to keep the subject line short and precise. The thing with a short and precise email subject line is that it catches your prospect’s attention instantly. Plus, it makes them curious to know all the details of the subject line in the body, by opening the email. But, don’t just mention your product right in the subject line, instead give them hints and let them be curious to know what is it.        

Another reason for keeping your sales subject line short is it gets cut off when it’s too long. That’s why it would be a major drawback for your email if you stretch your subject line more than it requires. Here are some examples of short subject lines, that might help you. 

Short Subject Line Examples:

  • Congrats!
  • {{first_name}}, let’s connect
  • Potential cooperation 
  • Check this out, {{first_name}}
  • You’re invited
  • Ready for {{event}}?
  • Can’t decide?
  • Save money
  • Another chance?
  • Not a sale!
  • There’s still time
  • Only {quantity} left
  • It’s official…
  • You won’t regret
  • Meet {product name

Subject Lines that create Urgency

To give your email an important status, create a subject line that reflects the urgency of the email. And the best way to have it is by using the right words, like breaking, alert, urgent, now, and other. Also, you can add deadlines or cutoff dates in it to make it more effective.  

The important thing that you need to keep in mind is not to oversell anything. Stick with your words and don’t chase. 

Cold Email Subject Line Examples That Create Urgency:

  • Only two weeks until {regulation law}.
  • Only a few seats are available for {conference/training classes/etc..}
  • Tickets for {event} disappears at midnight!
  • Last chance to solve {pain point}
  • [URGENT] You’ve got 1 day before {regulation law} kicks in
  • Don’t get left behind
  • Your discount code is going to say adios soon!
  • Time’s running out. Addressed {pain point} yet?
  • LIMITED TIME offer on {product}
  • Move quickly or else lose this deal

Humorous Subject Lines

Making your sales subject line humorous helps you obtain a clever way to catch your prospect’s attention. Humour is something that can pique curiosity as well as grab the interest of your audience. Plus, it gives a more humanized approach to your email, which always impresses the prospect.

Humorous subject lines examples

  • We cannot win all lottery tickets for you
  • 2 bizarre steps to bring the best out of your job
  • These pair nicely with spreadsheets
  • Don’t invite Harry to the meeting. He will dress like a ghost
  • Rough day or a fine day?
  • The name of the company holiday brochure is on fire
  • Buffer has been hacked- here is what’s going on.
  • Don’t make these nine AdWords mistakes

Best cold email subject lines from SaaS marketers and founders

After approaching some marketers and founders in the SaaS industry, we have presented you with tactics they prefer in cold outreach campaigns. We have mentioned some best-performing cold email subject lines that have good open rates and surely boost sales. 
Such b2b cold email subject lines are: 

Subject line: (your company’s name)/(prospect’s company name) collaboration opportunity 

For sales email subject lines, it’s always best to directly come to the point. Suppose someone looking for collaboration work, you can directly send them an email regarding the opportunity. As this is in the best interest of your prospects, they check out and open the email.

Founders and marketers go with those subject lines that would instantly attract customers, and for that, they go with what works best for their prospects. For example, suppose you have a new product and with your in-depth research on your prospect, you know exactly what are their requirements and if it is what you are offering, don’t think twice! In the subject line, ask them a clear and enticing question that will make them curious to open the email and read more about it. Speak to your prospect in their language and come up with the best possible deal for them.

How to Write a Follow-up Email Subject lines (Bonus Tips)

After getting a positive response from your prospect, a follow-up becomes very important. And to keep the prospect engaged, it’s best to use the same subject line in the follow-up email as well. Your prospect would be reminded about the earlier offer they agreed to, and you would mainly write a follow-up email to keep them hooked on the products with additional details and benefits they can get with this offer.            

However, often the marketers prefer using a different subject line for the follow-up email, which is also alright in case, your first email hasn’t been opened.  So, next time, you can try another catchy and crafty subject line with your follow-up email.                     

So, for the follow-up email, if you want to send it in the same thread, keep the subject line field empty and it will process automatically. 

And if you want to add a new one, the whole process is the same for writing the email.

Examples of Follow-up Email Subject Lines

  • I forgot to mention
  • What would you say?
  • Just {{number of days}} day left
  • Nice to meet you {{first_name}}
  • Let’s take another look at {{topic}}
  • Great meeting you at {{place/event}}
  • Our next steps
  • {{topic}} options to get started
  • I thought about what you said
  • Don’t tell my boss
  • What would it take?
  • Here’s what I’ll do

Give your cold email subject lines a boost: Final thoughts

Cold emailing may have a slightly poor image in the marketplace, but it surely becomes a success if you go with proper planning and be a little more creative with your sales subject line. It all depends on the subject line that you prefer for keeping your clients hooked and engaged with your content.

As said by Parry Malm,If you aren’t split testing your subject line, start now. But, if you are split testing follow this cardinal rule: Be creative but don’t be crazy.”

With this in mind, we’re sure that cold email subject lines are the best way to warm up your prospect and offer them a lifetime deal, and to achieve that you need to come up with attention-grabbing subject lines. 

One of the biggest challenges B2B marketers and sales teams face is getting people to read their emails. The easiest way to increase your email open rate is to send a subject line that is relevant, informative, and unique. It’s an opportunity to connect with a potential customer and position your product or service as the answer to their problem. It’s your chance to break through the clutter and grab a potential customer’s attention.

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