Capturing consumer email addresses is an excellent retention strategy—it ensures you have a direct line to your customers without going through any external sales channel or platform.
Due to this advantage, many merchants put painstaking effort into growing their email lists and converting leads to their newsletters.
However, none of that effort will matter if those newsletter subscribers don’t open their emails.
Your email subject line gets your foot into the customer’s front door and determines whether or not a recipient bothers to open your email.
Subject lines present you with limited real estate to convince a reader your email is worth their time—over the thousands of other brands vying for their inbox attention.
Fail to present a compelling subject line, and you risk wasting the time, effort, and resources spent on all of the content inside your email.
In this article, we’ll present multiple email subject line examples and share what makes them so good so that you can use them to inspire your own email subject lines that convert.
Read on to see stellar examples of email subject lines for various messaging:
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Email marketing is a powerful digital marketing tool that enables ecommerce businesses to nurture and convert their audience directly.
Emails newsletters can help brands reach some of the world’s 4 billion daily email users to increase sales and brand recognition.
In fact, 59% of people say that marketing emails influence purchase decisions and 50% make a purchase from a marketing email at least once a month.
Emails are cost-efficient, too.
The Direct Marketing Association found merchants can get an average return of £42 for every pound spent on email marketing campaigns.
Six Barrel Soda, for instance, generated an average of NZ$1,426 per email campaign from December 2021 to April 2022.
Your subject line delivers the first impression of your email and is the deciding factor in whether or not 64% of recipients will open it.
To reach that end, HubSpot states that your subject lines should attract curiosity, incorporate promotional offers, and be tailored to each person’s interests.
A really good email subject line may be just the thing to boost your email open rates, which gets you one step closer to driving more clicks to your website.
Pro tip: Ensure what comes next matches why your email was opened.
If your subject line promises a seasonal offer, a CTA in your email should take customers to an appropriate landing page, making it easy for them to claim.
Additionally, doing some QA, A/B, and spam testing can increase your ROI by up to 28%.
Now, to help you get started, here are some examples used by different companies—all of which are sorted according to the email’s function and intent.
I’ll also briefly explain what makes them work.
These emails thank customers for purchasing or completing an activity, such as subscribing to your newsletter.
They usually include information pertinent to the accomplished activity, like an order confirmation number.
From: Classic Specs
Classic Specs uses a typical example, stating your order and confirmation number.
From: Unsplash
Unsplash entices you to open the email by saying your photos received millions of views—a real ego booster.
From: Bombas
Bombas creates a sense of urgency, saying it’s your last chance to redeem a discount code.
From: Brooklinen
Brooklinen lures you into verifying the email’s contents when they say it isn’t email marketing.
From: Invision
Invision informs you that professional photos—which you could be in—were taken, urging you to open the email.
These emails welcome readers and introduce them to your company.
It’s the best opportunity to deliver a solid first impression, so it should be warm and inviting yet informative. Try to build trust and effectively show them what your company is all about.
From: Harvest
Harvest follows a common approach, then its email gives you a breakdown of what comes next.
From: Framer
Framer welcomes you by immediately meeting a need: showing you how to build your first prototype.
From: Atlassian
Atlassian welcomes you by helping you set up Jira Software, something new users would appreciate.
From: YNAB
YNAB shows you what any new customer wants: how to succeed with the company’s services.
From: Niice
Niice highlights why you would sign up—more visibility over your team’s creative efforts.
These aim to reduce shopping cart abandonments via automated reminders.
They’re sent to those with unfinished transactions, typically an hour or more after leaving their purchase incomplete.
These emails usually include follow-up steps to help get recipients back on the path to purchase.
From: Nomad
Nomad creates a sense of urgency by telling you that inventory is running out.
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From: Columbia Sportswear
Columbia Sportswear urges you to finalize your purchase through price drops.
From: Alex Mill
Alex Mill offers you a tempting opportunity to buy items in your cart at discounted prices.
From: Rudy’s Barbershop
Rudy’s Barbershop creates a fear of missing out (FOMO) on free shipping and adds a bit of urgency.
From: Jack Wills
Jack Wills uses a humorous and engaging line to remind you of your incomplete purchase.
Typically, these are sent after any vital point of the customer’s journey.
They’re designed to collect information from readers, such as why they unsubscribed from recurring purchases, then reconnecting with them.
From: Return Path
Return Path captures attention by making your newsletter subscription seem like a game.
From: Rock Candy Media
Rock Candy Media engages by checking if you know what working with them entails.
From: Really Good Emails
Really Good Emails effectively follows up by bringing up an issue and offering a helping hand.
These emails aim to engage consumers and inform them about a recent or upcoming product launch.
For example, you may have an email that builds anticipation for a new item, inviting consumers to pre-order to ensure they get their item before it sells out.
From: Apple
To create excitement, Apple highlights the major shift its new M1 chip can bring about.
From: Austin Eastciders
Austin Eastciders piques interest by saying it’s given in to customers’ demands for a new flavor.
From: Puzz
Puzz leaves it a little vague, dropping news of a new collection and making you yearn for more.
From: Asana
Asana effectively appeals to a user’s desire for automation to make their work life easier.
From: Burrow
Burrow piques your curiosity by playing up the magnitude of its new product launch.
Emails concerning sales and promos are all about making customers feel like they can’t miss out on attractive deals, which can involve limited-time discounts, buy-one-get-one deals, or events that provide a chance to win prizes.
From: Everlane
Everlane follows a standard approach, directly stating the product and its accompanying offer.
From: Output
Output follows a similar strategy: telling you all its FX engines are now discounted.
From: Chrome Industries
Chrome Industries uses only four words to drop news of old colorways available at lower prices.
From: Disney+
Disney+ creates urgency through a low-priced one-year subscription available for a limited time.
From: Better.com
Better.com directly tells you that home security can be obtained without hurting your wallet.
From: Namecheap
Namecheap compels action via a limited window to ensure your internet privacy at lower prices.
From: Misfit
Misfit straightforwardly introduces its giveaway, a relaxing trip to a beautiful destination.
From: Apto Skincare
Apto Skincare lures you in by offering an enticing chance to win its entire collection of masks.
From: Aftershokz
Aftershokz attracts attention through a giveaway to support COVID-19 frontliners.
From: System On Grid
System on Grid motivates you to open its email by saying that a present awaits.
These emails not only pertain to events during summer, spring, fall, or winter but also holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s, Mother’s Day, and those in between.
They’re meant to draw attention to specific offerings only available during such occasions, creating urgency.
From: Avocode
To compel you to read, Avocode showcases how much you can save through its Summer Sale.
From: Allbirds
Allbirds introduces its new collection through naming and wording that matches the season.
From: Lush
Lush uses a popular phrase appropriate for Halloween, then introduces its holiday-specific product offerings.
From: Baggu
Baggu utilizes two concise sentences to announce the drop of its seasonal designs.
From: Adobe
Adobe lures you in through its promise to help you deliver beautiful Yuletide designs.
From: Wemo
Wemo’s wording urges you to brighten the holidays through products available at lower prices.
From: Taco Bell
Taco Bell playfully uses a Christmas song to introduce discounted holiday food items.
From: Hestan
Hestan uses an emotionally appealing yet appropriate Father’s day statement for its gift cards.
From: Virgin
Virgin, meanwhile, showcases its gift card as a present you SHOULD be giving.
From: Fracture
Fracture, lastly, appeals to those needing last-minute gift ideas.
These emails help nurture relationships with your audience, building connections that go beyond monetary transactions.
Merchants usually send these kinds of emails to show gratitude and recognition, and it can be done at any time for whatever reason.
From: MacPaw
MacPaw attracts attention and appreciates customers through generous discounts.
From: Flodesk
Flodesk entices you through its Affiliate Success Kit, which can help generate passive income.
From: McDonald’s
McDonald’s subject line is all about appreciating COVID-19 frontliners through free meals.
From: Leesa
Leesa highlights a seasonal treat for two to show appreciation during Thanksgiving.
From: Dev.to
Dev.to tell you upfront that you earned a badge for staying with them for a year.
Subscription emails entice readers to enjoy better benefits through a full or higher-tier subscription.
Retention or reactivation emails, meanwhile, pique their interest before they become inactive or unsubscribe.
From: KiwiCo
KiwiCo offers a free additional book to make a Deluxe subscription seem even more worth it.
From: The New Yorker
The New Yorker arouses interest by simply stating that a subscription offers more benefits.
From: Zapier
Zapier entices you to subscribe by showcasing a sweet deal of three months for a lower price.
From: GoDaddy
GoDaddy urges readers to re-engage by offering 30% discounts.
From: Airbnb
Airbnb lures people into reconnecting with the brand by introducing all its updates.
From: YNAB
YNAB simply asks you where you went, then highlights the value of managing your budget.
These emails are typically sent to celebrate customer milestones, like spending a certain amount in one transaction or signing up for something, earning a future discount.
Creating a sense of urgency and consistent reminders, meanwhile, compels readers to claim their rewards.
From: Chipotle
Chipotle playfully uses its name as a verb when notifying you of a reward that’s claimable through its app.
From: Love Cocoa
Love Cocoa simply tells you how much you’ve earned, then shows you how to earn more.
From: Starbucks
Starbucks informs you that you’ve earned a free item, then shows you how to redeem it.
From: Domino’s Pizza
Domino’s creates urgency through a question and lets you know your free pizza is one order away.
From: Chipotle
Chipotle, this time, thanks customers through points for trying the brand’s delivery.
These emails are sent based on consumers’ previous actions.
Recommendations are made depending on their purchase history and other behaviors. This ensures that the recommendations match or pair well with the customer’s interests.
From: Brooks Running
Brooks asks an engaging question, then takes people to where they’re paired with fitting shoes.
From: Filmsupply
Filmsupply is straightforward, telling you that it’s curated films that match your interests.
From: Vitruvi
Vitruvi captures your interest with a subject line that perfectly fits why you stopped by their store.
From: Goodreads
Goodreads shows your recently-finished book, then makes recommendations based on that book.
From: The Dots
The Dots recommends enticing events that are curated based on your actions on their site.
These are sent to customers who have, for instance, placed out-of-stock items in their wishlist or favorites.
They might also be sent to shoppers who signed up specifically to be notified when a certain item was back in stock.
From: Sonos
Sonos keeps it simple, sending an alert that your favorites are back.
From: Everlane
The same applies to Everlane, notifying people that its linen shirts are available again.
From: UGG
UGG makes it seem more personalized, saying that YOUR chosen footwear has returned.
From: Polaroid
Polaroid heightens the sense of urgency by giving the impression that inventory is limited.
From: 686
686 takes a straightforward approach, informing you that a specific product is back in stock.
A feedback request email is essentially a request to hear directly from your customers.
Your aim is to find out how their experiences were and whether or not you need to make any future business improvements.
However, you’ll likely need to give them a reason to deliver that feedback.
From: Asana
Asana asks a question that resonates with customer experiences, compelling them to respond.
From: Everlane
Everlane, meanwhile, gathers feedback by offering the opportunity to win a prize.
From: Scoot
Scoot’s email gives the impression that they’ll deeply appreciate you helping their business.
From: Algolia
Lastly, Algolia effectively asks for reviews by offering customers a gift card for Black Friday.
From: Frye
The same applies to Frye, rewarding survey responders with a gift card for the Fall season.
Emails come in many colors and sizes for many different reasons.
It’s a versatile tool that can help brands nurture leads, reconnect with old buyers, and develop customer loyalty.
However, the effects of those emails only come if you can convince recipients to open and read them. Subject lines are the start of that path.
Use the email marketing examples above to see what other brands have done, and use them as inspiration to craft your own killer email subject lines.
Remember to use a subject line that matches your email content and gives readers motivation to click.
Use language that aligns with your brand and audience’s interests, and keep things creative, informative, and concise.
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