My Top 5 Subject Lines, Analyzed by Open Rate (+ Strategy)
Before we dive in to this post, I want to get a few things straight:
My market is copywriters and business owners interested in copywriting.
I own a “personal brand” (barf) for my newsletter, which means some of these subject lines are associated with me.
This is not the full scope of what a good subject line should look like. Pay attention to the strategy and thinking behind the subject lines instead of “swiping” them verbatim.
Subject Line 1: My #1 secret to unlocking true creativity
Open Rate: 60%
The strategy: I used a combination of techniques for this subject line, in tandem.
First off, this is a benefits driven headline. The promise is to show you a great technique for unlocking creativity.
But not just ANY type of creativity … here, I refer to true creativity, which implies that other types of creativity are inferior, subpar, or “mechanically deficient.” You’re left hungry to figure out what this secret form of creativity is and how you can unlock it for yourself.
If you read the email, of course, you’d know it’s not anything you’d actually think of when it comes to creative work. It’s more about the way you approach the work itself, and the mindset you have behind it.
But that’s not all for this subject line.
I went with “this is what I did” positioning, through the use of the word “my” to highlight my expert positioning.
I used two power words as well. “#1,” which implies it’s the best (at least for me), and “secret,” which implies some level of withheld information.
I love this subject line.
Subject Line 2: 💦☠️
Open Rate: 60%
The strategy: So the strategy for this subject line is wildly different, and in the email I sent out with this subject line, I actually listed all of the other subject lines I considered in the process.
Ultimately, I decided on the emoji-only subject line … but not for the reasons you would think.
Yes, the subject line is purely based on the idea of making my emails entertaining and fun to read.
But I settled on “💦☠️” because it was wildly different from so many of the subject lines I had sent in the weeks prior.
The idea, in my mind, was to “pattern interrupt,” a strategy I learned when I started testing image-based ads on Facebook and Instagram over 10 years ago.
It worked.
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Subject Line 3: This TikTok “copywriter” is dangerous
Open Rate: 61.22%
The strategy: This subject line is all drama and controversy.
First, I poke fun at the subject of the email by putting quotation marks around the label of “copywriter” … a subtle jab that implies they are not, in fact, what they say they are.
This is controversial.
I also called out that this “copywriter” is dangerous, which adds to that controversy while showing you that I have your best interest at heart. I never want anybody on my list to listen to garbage copywriting tips.
Beyond that, the drama at the center of it all is wildly important. Not even I am immune to drama.
It’s like watching a fight on the street. You feel bad for being interested in what’s happening.
But you can’t look away.
This is a technique that I’ve used in lots of different industries for years, including SaaS, ecommerce, and personal finance.
Obviously, you need to modulate it for different audiences, but I think it can work really well for lots of industries. Especially if the controversy or drama is centered around an idea or belief held by that market.
Subject Line: Drunk, limping prospects need your help
Open Rate: 64%
The Strategy: This one is a bit of a wild card.
There’s storytelling. (Why are the prospects drunk and limping? What happened?)
There’s some drama. (Start your next conversation with a friend using the line “So I was drunk and limping on my way home last night … ” and tell me they won’t be hanging on your every word.)
And finally, there’s some audience interactivity. (Why do they need my help? How can this possibly involve me?)
This one is probably my least favorite subject line because it doesn’t follow a super clear structure.
Still, it’s the second top performer, right behind the one I’m about to reveal below.
Subject Line: Curry
Open Rate: 64.71% (Winner 🎉)
The strategy: This is a great example of why you should never, ever overanalyze your open rates.
Because “Curry” is not a good subject line. Yet out of ALL the subject lines I’ve written, this one has got to be the strangest one.
Perhaps that’s why it did so well … and perhaps that’s the extent of the lesson for this specific subject line.
Sometimes it pays off to just try something new and weird.
In fact, the more I try things out of the “norm,” the more I learn.
If you have the capacity to constantly test new ideas, I recommend doing it as often as possible. Especially if you’re split-testing.
You don’t want your tests to be so similar to your control that you’d end up getting similar results. Instead, you want to test a completely different idea than the control to see if you can beat it.
David Patrick
