{"id":15576,"date":"2021-06-17T12:09:34","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T16:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/?p=15576"},"modified":"2025-12-15T15:42:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T20:42:31","slug":"how-to-write-the-perfect-subject-line-infographic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-write-the-perfect-subject-line-infographic","title":{"rendered":"18 Subject Line Tips from Experts to Win Email Opens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t
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Let\u2019s clear the air first: There\u2019s no perfect subject line.<\/p>\n

Yes, I said it. What works for one brand may not work for yours. And what does<\/i> work may not always. The world is changing. People<\/i> are changing\u2014and your subject lines have to adapt to rise above the busy inbox and win those coveted email opens. But not just any email opens. The ones that matter.<\/p>\n

So why are we here, then?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not out to mislead you, but rather, to guide you <\/b>toward<\/i><\/b> perfection<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Writing subject lines is hard. Even for someone like me who\u2019s been doing email marketing for over a decade and now does content for a living. So I get it: It seems like the entire world\u2014at least your job\u2014is riding on your email\u2019s subject line. What will get your email opened, clicked on, and converting? Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll cover a lot, including real-life examples, so feel free to check out our infographic summary below or skip around to the details that interest you:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Welcome everyone\u2019s ideas<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Think beyond the subject line<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Don\u2019t focus too much on length<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Focus on your subscriber<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Show practical proof<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Personalize your subject line<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Use emoji (with caution)<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Make your reader curious<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Add some action<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Be specific instead of vague<\/a><\/li>\n
  11. Think about transactional subject lines differently<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. Use urgency\u2014sparingly<\/a><\/li>\n
  13. Avoid the fake RE: or FWD:<\/a><\/li>\n
  14. Stop shouting<\/a><\/li>\n
  15. Humor your audience<\/a><\/li>\n
  16. Consider that some emails are designed for low opens<\/a><\/li>\n
  17. Don\u2019t make assumptions<\/a><\/li>\n
  18. A\/B test often<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\"18\n

    Why you should care about email subject lines<\/h2>\n

    With email as a primary method of communication\u2014even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic began\u2014the average person receives over 100 emails a day<\/a>. How can you make your email stand out from the sea of emails in your subscribers\u2019 inboxes? That\u2019s where the subject line comes in. Use it to get your subscribers\u2019 attention and your emails opened!<\/p>\n

    And while Apple\u2019s Mail Privacy Protection has thrown us a curveball<\/a>, that doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t care about opens anymore. It just means we may not be able to track them (at least for Apple Mail users), which gives subject lines an even more critical role to get people to engage further.<\/p>\n

    But first, let\u2019s bust the #1 subject line myth<\/h2>\n

    True or false: Certain words or characters will land your email in the junk folder. Think, using ALL CAPS, the word \u201cfree,\u201d or exclamation points!!! There are tons of lists of spammy words to avoid, after all.<\/p>\n

    This is one of the biggest lies that just won\u2019t go away (other than \u201cemail is dead<\/a>\u201d).<\/p>\n

    The truth is, spam trigger words are a thing of the past<\/a>. It\u2019s an old wives\u2019 tale that certain practices will get you immediately marked as spam. Spam filters can be triggered for a variety of reasons, but specific words alone are rarely the culprit.<\/p>\n

    As long as your email authentication and engagement are both great, don\u2019t worry about supposed \u201cspam trigger words.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n
    \"4<\/td>\n\n

    Make it to the inbox, not the junk folder<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Identify the real<\/i> issues that may land your emails in the spam folder\u2014with practical advice to fix deliverability problems before you send. Try Litmus Spam Testing today.<\/p>\n

    LEARN HOW \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    So, what do the experts say?<\/h2>\n

    There\u2019s a lot<\/i> of advice out there on how to write the perfect subject line, including long lists of examples you can just copy and paste into your own email. Some \u201cbest practices\u201d are even conflicting.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s worth mentioning again: There\u2019s no perfect subject line.<\/p>\n

    So, consider these tried-and-true tips from email and copywriting experts as simply a jumping-off point as you fine-tune what works best for your<\/i> audience. And go ahead, mix and match them.<\/p>\n

    1. Welcome everyone\u2019s ideas<\/h3>\n

    This advice from Ashley Spencer<\/a>, Manager of Digital Marketing at Chubbies<\/a>, is a great way to kick off this series of expert tips:<\/p>\n\"Ashley\u201cGet your team involved. Heck, get the whole company involved! Call out for company-wide brainstorms and get those creative juices flowing. You just might have a superstar subject line writer that works in accounting.\u201d<\/p>\n

    I strongly believe there are no bad ideas when brainstorming, only ones that inspire even greater ideas. And bringing in folks outside of your team? Genius. Because it\u2019s that diversity of thought that pays off.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s no wonder Chubbies is so loved for their subject lines!<\/p>\n

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    @Chubbies<\/a> Just plain amazing Subject Lines. Always a delight! pic.twitter.com\/Sjj3VERiPq<\/a>\n

    — Yanna-Torry (@YannaTorry) May 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n