Sometimes, when you work hard on an email, you forget a really important fact:
The first thing people read is your subject line.
Along with a snippet of your first sentence, it’s the first impression your email makes. And like wearing boxing gloves to a Pilates class: it sets the tone, but maybe not the one you want.
So a good subject line is MECHAGODZILLA IMPORTANT.
If that first glimpse sucks, it doesn’t matter how brilliant the rest of your email copy is. Because no one will open it. And any unopened email is a wasted email.
I want to help you fix that, so sip your latte and read on 🙂
Avoid Overused Subject Lines
Outreachers tend to stick to what all other outreachers do. This includes using the same subject lines over and over again.
Those old lines might still work, but, as you’re not showing any editorial creativity, the prospect is more likely to ask for money. It’s because their expectations of any other value proposition are low.
![Overused Subject Lines such as: Opportunity for Quick Question (Name), I Need Your Help Checking Your Interest in (Торіс] Just Following Up Check This Out Great Collaboration Idea Valuable Resource for](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/1z6axlij/production/fd433ac41554ed3df4ef7f0c9c483dd9a292d257-730x730.png)
Here are some of the old school subject line phrases to avoid if you want to win any editorial heart:
- Quick Question
- Just Following Up
- Check This Out
- Requesting Your Expertise
- Opportunity for [Company Name]
- [Name], I Need Your Help
- Great Collaboration Idea
- You Won’t Believe This [Topic] Statistic
- Quick Question About [Topic]
- Something Interesting About [Topic]
- A Unique Perspective on [Topic]
- Great Article on [Topic] – Let’s Connect
- Your Audience Would Love This [Content]
- I Noticed Your Interest in [Topic]
- Your Expertise on [Topic] Could Help Our Readers
- Hoping to Connect
- Introducing [Product/Service] to [Company Name]
- Innovative Solution for [Pain Point]
- A Better Way to [Achieve Goal]
- Exclusive Offer for [Company Name]
- Checking Your Interest in [Topic]
- Join Us for [Event/Webinar]
- Looking for a Link Opportunity
- Partnership Opportunity: [Your Niche]
- Content Collaboration Request
- Link Building Request – [Your Niche]
So let’s switch things up, and make that inbox *pop*!
What Do The Best Subject Lines for Cold Email Have in Common?
Overall, good subject lines focus on one or more of these goals:
- Peek curiosity
- Make a connection
- Entertain
And the best thing of course, is if the subject line ties directly into a high-quality, targeted value proposition. In that case, the subject line works as a qualifier: if someone opens the email, there is a higher chance they convert.
7 Email Subject Line Formulas
Below are the methods I use to stand out in the inbox. My preferred style is humorous, but that does not mean other styles don’t work.
As long as your subject line tickles the brain, makes a connection and feels targeted, you can use any style you’re comfortable with. I’ve created inspirational, urgent and serious lines, and they all get opened, if done well 🙂
1. Play on their tagline
This shows the receiver you took time to look at their company / website, and it might trigger their attention as they (consciously or subconsciously) recognize their own tagline.
Example:
Prospect: Starbucks.com
Their tagline: “To Inspire and Nurture the Human Spirit – One Person, One Cup, and One Neighborhood at a Time.”
Subject line: “To Inspire and Nurture Your Inbox – One Message, One Click, and One Connection at a Time.”
2. Weird combo of relevant things
Here you dig a little bit into the niche / vertical your prospect is in finding relevant topics, trends and other points of interests.
You pick 2 topics that make sense, and add a 3rd one that makes it a weird combo. Your prospect will recognize the topics (=connection) but will also be curious what the 3rd one is doing in there (=curiosity).
Example:
Prospects: Sites in the project management realm
Subject line: Neuro Project Management, Scope Creep and Magic Beanstalk Deployment
3. First line of a joke
Every industry has its own set of jokes, and it’s a very easy way to make that instant connection.
So dive into the niche again, and find industry-specific jokes with a punchline. Or use AI to come up with your own! They don’t need to be good – a bad dad joke can be a great opener for a self-deprecating intro (=relatable = connection).
Example:
Prospects: Any website that has an audience interested in AI
Subject line: What do you call an AI that’s always cold?
In the email body itself, you deliver the punchline: A ChatGPT with the chills
4. Stats & Facts
Interesting numbers and/or facts about the prospects industry can be a great email-opening device 🙂 So find some cool stats, and incorporate them in a curiosity-triggering statement or question. Ideally, as mentioned before, those stats tie into your value proposition.
Example: In the 1880s, the Harvard Observatory director, dissatisfied with his staff, hired his Scottish maid, Williamina Fleming. She went on to lead a team for decades, classifying tens of thousands of stars and discovering white dwarfs and the Horsehead Nebula.
Prospects: Astronomy sites
Subject line: From Maid to Trailblazing Astronomer – Williamina and other stellar women
Value proposition: this would either be a pitch for a guest post around women in astronomy, or to link to a resource about the same topic.
5. Play on lyrics
Outreach usually works best for me with niche prospect lists as I can tailor my templates to their specific lingo, trends, pain points, and even inside jokes.
For more broad and diverse prospect lists, lyrics—used verbatim or tweaked to their interests, trends, or other relevant points— can still make an instant connection.
Here are some examples:
- Reaching out about boats? Try this subject line: “I like big boats and I cannot lie.”
- For lead generation software solutions, consider: “We found [ROI] in a hopeless place”
6. Something they can relate to
This approach works for both broad and narrow lists. For broader lists, find something universally relatable. For example:
- New Year, Same Me (Resolutions Are HARD, Okay?)
- Reply-Allpocalypse: The Email Thread That Never Ends (Send Help & Snacks)
- The Mysterious Disappearing Lunch Thief (Office Fridge Edition)
- Budgeting: The Impossible Dream (Or Is It Just Me?)
For narrow lists, tailor examples to their specific audience:
- For sites around coding: When Your Code Works… But You Have No Idea Why
- For sites around human resource management: Explaining Company Benefits: The HR Version of Interpretive Dance (It’s Complicated)
- For sites that target affiliate marketing managers: The “Influencer” Who Can’t Influence a Light Switch
7. Showerthoughts
Showerthoughts—those light-hearted, creative thoughts that strike while doing something else (e.g., showering, walking)—work for any topic. Use them broadly with universal appeal or customize them to a specific audience. Get as weird or straightforward as you’d like!
Broad example:
Maybe the journey of life is not about finding yourself, but about creating yourself as you go along.
Custom examples:
For pet sites:
Cats are basically furry alarm clocks that don’t know how to snooze.
For car sites:
Every car holds a different story, intersecting briefly with ours.
For accounting tools:
Imagine spreadsheets as living things, their cells stressed by every miscalculation.
For parenting sites:
Parenting is basically a never-ending game of hide-and-seek with your sanity.
The cool things about formulas
Don’t stress about writing witty subject lines. Formulas are your AI’s best friend. Just give it your topic, formula, and ask for a short and snappy result. You’ll be amazed at the creative output!
Before you go… I am working on a link building course 👇
If you have feedback, questions, or need help with link building, find me at BibiBuzz.com – I’ll hold my breath…
