You’ve crafted the perfect cold email and are ready to hit “send”, but there’s just one itsy, bitsy problem … your subject line stinks.
It’s boring.
It’s unimaginative.
It’s unworthy of your killer email.
A bad subject line is a much bigger problem than many people realize and can have a number of negative consequences such as:
- Your email may be ignored. If your subject line is not interesting or relevant to the recipient, they may simply ignore your email.
- Your email may be marked as spam. If your subject line looks spammy to email filters, it may be erroneously marked by the recipient’s email provider and sent to their spam folder.
- Your email may be deleted. If your subject line is misleading or deceptive, the recipient may delete your email without even opening it.
Trust us … It is SUPER important to take the time to craft an attention-grabbing email subject line. A few minutes of extra effort can mean the difference between a cold email sale … or your email never getting read.
So, what is a good subject line for a cold email? Let’s find out …
Tips On Writing a Good Subject Line For A Cold Email
Writing a good cold email subject line is not as hard as you think. There are a few rules we suggest you follow to help write a email subject line that will jump off the page:
- Keep it short and sweet. A good subject line should be no more than 50 characters long. This will help it stand out in the recipient’s inbox and make it more likely to be opened.
A good example: “The future of email is chaning.” - Make it personal. If you can, try to personalize your subject line by including the recipient’s name or by referencing something you know they’re interested in. This will make your email feel more like a personal communication and less like a cold outreach.
A good example: “Lisa, I’m a fan of your work and would love to connect.”
- Avoid spammy words. Words like “free,” “urgent,” and “now” are often used in spammy emails, so it’s best to avoid using them in your subject lines.
- Make it relevant. Your subject line should be relevant to the content of your email. If you’re sending an email about a new product, your subject line should mention the product.
A good example: “I’m offering a free trial of my anti-spam software.” - Make it interesting. Your subject line should be interesting enough to make the recipient want to open your email. You can try using humor, puns, or other creative elements to make your subject line stand out.
- Be specific. Don’t just say “check out my website” or “let’s connect.” Tell the recipient exactly what you’re looking for or what you have to offer. This will help them decide whether or not to open your email.
Good example: “Looking for someone to help with email warmup” - Test different subject lines. The best way to find out what works is to test different subject lines and see what gets the best results. You can use a tool like Mailchimp or A/B testing to test multiple subject lines at once.
By following these easy tips, you can write cold email subject lines that will get your emails opened and read.
What To Avoid When Drafting a Cold Email Subject Line
On the flip side, it’s important to know what you should avoid when drafting a cold email subject line. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Making it too long. A subject line that is more than 50 characters long is likely to be overlooked by the recipient. Be short, be sweet and leave room for intrigue!
- Making it too vague. A subject line that doesn’t give the recipient any idea what the email is about is likely to be ignored. Be specific with your “ask” – people are more likely to open your email if they are interested in what you are offering.
- Spelling & Punctuation Errors: No excuse for sloppy writing with all the AI and other tools available today.
- Making it too spammy. A subject line that uses all caps or exclamation points is likely to be seen as spam. There are a lot of spam trigger words and phrases (i.e. “sale” “free” “cash” “buy “cards accepted”) that can set off the email spam filters and land your email in the junk folder.
- Making it too urgent. A subject line that uses words like “urgent” or “now” is likely to be seen as spam.
Avoiding these mistakes, and you can dramatically increase the chances that your cold email will be opened and read.
Remember that you can do everything possible to improve the content of your emails. However, none of that actually matters if your emails land in the spam folder and never reach your prospect in the first place.
You should use an IP warm up service to ensure that you’ve built a positive sender reputation with ISPs before sending cold emails.
73 Killer Cold Email Subject Lines
Need inspiration on your cold email subject line? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.Here are 79 great subject lines that you can simply cut and paste for your next email campaign:
- Quick question about [company name]
- Congrats on [recent achievement]!
- [Mutual connection] recommended I get in touch
- [Name of prospect], a quick introduction from [your name]
- Your thoughts on [industry topic]?
- [Industry trend], and how it impacts [company name]
- [Company name] and [your company name] partnership opportunity
- Can we help you with [specific pain point]?
- Let’s talk about [relevant topic] over coffee
- Would love to collaborate on [project idea]
- [Company name] and [your company name] have similar goals
- [Name of prospect], a success story from [your client’s company name]
- [Industry news], and how it affects [prospect’s company name]
- [Your company name] can help you achieve [prospect’s company goal]
- [Name of prospect], would you be open to [specific ask]?
- [Industry topic] expert here to help
- [Company name] case study: [impressive results]
- [Name of prospect], do you have 15 minutes to chat?
- The future of [industry] is [relevant prediction]
- Invitation to join [industry-related event or conference]
- I have a proposal that I think you’ll be interested in.
- I’m offering a special discount on my product.
- I’m looking for someone to help me with [task].
- I’m a fan of your work and would love to connect.
- I thought you might enjoy this article about [topic].
- I’m a new customer and wanted to reach out.
- I’m following up on our conversation last week.
- I’m reaching out to see if you’re interested in [product or service].
- I’m writing to see if you’re available for a quick chat.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a free trial of my product.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a partnership.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a guest blog post.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a speaking engagement.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a sponsorship.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a referral.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a testimonial.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a review.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a collaboration.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a partnership.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a guest blog post.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a speaking engagement.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a sponsorship.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a referral.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a testimonial.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a review.
- I’m writing to see if you’re interested in a collaboration.
- I’ve been following you for a while now and I’m a big fan.
- I’m reaching out because I think we could help each other out.
- I’ve been working on a new project that I think you’d be interested in.
- I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for a while now…
- I’m a fan of your work and I’d love to connect.
- I have a proposal that I think you’ll be interested in.
- I’m looking for someone to help me with a project that I think you’d be a great fit for.
- I’m a fan of your company and I’d love to learn more about what you do.
- I’m reaching out because I think we could partner on a project.
- I’m a big fan of your work and I’d love to have you on my podcast.
- I’m reaching out because I think we could collaborate on a project.
- I’m a big fan of your company and I’d love to learn more about your products.
- I’m reaching out because I think we could partner on an event.
- I’m a big fan of your work and I’d love to have you on my blog.
- I’m reaching out because I think we could collaborate on a campaign.
- I’m a big fan of your company and I’d love to learn more about your services.
- I’m reaching out because I think we could partner on a product.
- I’m a big fan of your work and I’d love to have you on my video series.
- I can help you increase your sales by 20%.
- I have a new product that you’re going to love.
- I’m looking for a few beta testers for my new product.
- I’m giving away a free trial of my product.
- I’m offering a special discount on my product.
- I’m looking for someone to help me with a marketing campaign.
- I’m looking for someone to help me with a sales campaign.
- I’m looking for someone to help me with a customer service campaign.
- I’m looking for someone to help me with a social media campaign.
- I know someone who knows someone who knows you.
- I have a secret that could help you.
- I have a question that only you can answer.
- I have a solution that could save you time and money.
- I have an idea that could change your life.
- I have a gift that I think you’ll love.
Conclusion
Cold email subject lines are an integral part of your cold email outreach campaign. By following the tips and examples in this article, you can write subject lines that are more likely to get opened and read – which means the better chances of your landing that next client.
However, it is important to remember that the subject line is just one part of a successful cold email. The body of the email also needs to be well-written and relevant to the recipient, and it should include a clear call to action.
If you are looking for email warming services, reach out to us at Inboxy to help get your emails into the inbox at an over 99% rate! For just $47 a month, you can guarantee your email campaigns don’t get sent to spam.
Until Next Time,
Until Next Time,
Erik Paulson
CEO, Inboxy
