Getting Ghosted? Let’s Fix Your Email Subject Lines

I know you’ve got something worth saying. But if your subject lines feel invisible, no one’s seeing it — let alone buying from you.

The truth is your open rate is more than just a number. It’s a signal. It’s telling you whether your people see you as a “must-open” or a “maybe later” (that means never). And if that stat has you spiraling, stop right now. Let’s fix it — with strategy.

Here’s what actually moves the needle when it comes to subject lines that get opened — and lead to clicks, calls, clients, conversions, and cold hard cash. (I couldn’t resist.)

Cut the clutter.

If your subject line looks like a sentence, it’s probably too long. Think punchy. Think scroll-stopping. Think “ooh, what’s that?” You’ve got 50 characters to make it count so use them wisely.

Instead of: How to improve your marketing strategy in Q2

Try: Your Q2 sales strategy? Not this.

And for the love of RuPaul, please don’t use title case! I work for some corporate clients who loooove a title case subject line. It reads so stiff and, well, corporate. Just no.

Try something clear that tells subscribers what they’ll get (which naturally boosts open rates).

Use your real voice.

Most people stiffen up when writing email subject lines, and you can feel it. Your people don’t want “professional.” They want you. Avoid stuffiness and sound like someone they’d actually want to talk to. Humor, edge, curiosity — whatever you’d say over coffee, say it in the subject line. “Unlock your full potential today” is never going to beat “Your ambition called. It wants another chance.”

Make it specific.

Specific email subject lines stand out because your reader knows exactly what’s inside. And people love numbers. Lists. Frameworks. Concrete things they can mentally grab onto. Specificity cuts through noise. Drill down. No, even more. “3 subject line formulas I still use” or “The email I sent that booked 4 clients” are both pretty intriguing, right?

Note: When I had an email marketing membership back in 2021, I used to tell members to “personalize!” “Use their name in the subject line!” That’s because it actually used to work. But like everything else in marketing, it’s been done to death now. I don’t think it hurts your rates (note to self: A/B test this!) but I’d be surprised if it helps.

Trigger curiosity — but try not to get clickbaity.

Curiosity gets the open. Credibility keeps them reading. Give them just enough to want in, then actually deliver once they do.

“I almost didn’t send this…”

“This one line doubled my open rate”

The word “this” in headlines and subject line kills (almost) every time. I really couldn’t tell you why but it boosts my open rate every time.

Add urgency without sounding desperate.

FOMO is real. And it works. But if you’re always yelling “last chance!” people will tune you out. Save the urgency for when it actually matters — like when you’re launching or filling spots. And if your subject line is “Closes tonight. No extensions.” don’t you dare come back the next day saying you’re giving everyone one more day or whatever. Mean what you say or you’ll lose trust!

Stop guessing and start testing.

If you’re just “trusting your gut,” you’re leaving money on the table. Use A/B testing to see what actually works. Most platforms make it easy. Let data make the decisions so you’re not rewriting your subject line 12 times in a row (ahem, ask me how I know). I don’t A/B test every time but it’s always interesting when I do. Most often, I testing shows the more “clever” version doesn’t perform as well as the more straightforward one. It doesn’t stop me from trying clever subject lines because, well, sometimes I need to be me more than I need to increase my open rate by 1%.

TL;DR

Great subject lines get your emails opened. And if people like what they see, they’ll actually want to hear from you again and again. That starts with voice, clarity, and relevance.

Want a swipe file packed with 201 subject lines you can actually use? Grab my FREE Big Fat Subject Line Swipe File!