10 Proven Email Subject Line Formulas

No matter which industry you’re in, email marketing is still one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience. But sometimes you just don’t know what to write – and much less how to send emails that get attention. That’s where email subject line formulas come in.

Below you will find ten email subject line formulas. Implement them at your organization, and you will get more people reading your emails. We’ve also added examples for each one so you can see the formula in action. 

Happy emailing!

10 Email Subject Line Formulas For Higher Open Rates

1) The Question

Why it works:

Questions create curiosity and feel conversational. They pull people in by prompting them to think about something. This is called an “open loop”. We don’t like questions to remain unanswered. The result? Opening the email for the answer.  

Examples:

• What does housing security really look like?
• Are you free next Thursday night?
• Can we count on you this week?
• Have you seen this incredible transformation?
• Will you help one more student succeed?

2) The Urgent Ask

Why it works:

If you want somebody to act, you need to give them a reason to. Urgency is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Inject some urgency into your subject lines, and people are compelled to act now instead of later.

Examples:

• Last chance: give before midnight
• Only 3 hours left to triple your impact
• Deadline: your gift matched until 11:59PM
• We’re $417 away from our goal
• Final day to help families this winter

3) The Curiosity Hook

Why it works:

We are curiosity-driven animals. If something interests us (but we don’t have a full explanation of it), we naturally feel compelled to investigate. So try to use a little mystery in your subject lines. You’ll get higher open rates as a result. 

Examples:

• You won’t believe what happened last week
• Something big is coming tomorrow…
• We almost didn’t send this email
• A story we couldn’t keep to ourselves
• This one gave us chills

4) The Personal Touch

Why it works:

Emails get opened more often when they feel like they’re written to just one person. Especially when they are combined with somebody’s name. Important note: for emails that use the subscribers name, you will want to collect their name when they sign up, which allows you to implement merge tags later on.

Examples:

• You made this happen, Emma
• Sarah, here’s what your gift did
• I wanted to tell you this myself
• Thought of you when I saw this
• Can we chat for a second?

5) The “You-Focused” Line

Why it works:

“You” is the most powerful word in the English language. We all want to hear about ourselves. To effectively implement this with your subject lines, focus on your prospect’s role. How have they made a difference – and how can you communicate this to them?

Examples:

• Your support changed her life
• You’re the reason he’s smiling
• What your donation really means
• This starts with you
• You did it!

6) The Numbered List

Why it works:

Our brains love structure. Numbered subject lines promise value and efficiency, especially when peoples’ inboxes can feel overwhelming. One pro tip on this one: odd numbers usually perform better than even ones. Keep this in mind when writing subject lines with numbers in them.

Examples:

• 3 quick ways to help this week
• 5 things you made possible in June
• 10 backpacks. 10 kids. One big impact.
• 4 reasons we’re hopeful today
• 2 minutes = a big difference

7) The Short & Strong

Why it works:

Short subject lines stand out. This is especially true on mobile, where you’re working with much less space. Done right, short subject lines are also effective at creating an emotional response. Be sure to experiment here with what works for your audience.

Examples:

• Hope, delivered.
• This matters.
• Do good. Feel good.
• Still time.
• Just wow!

8) The Testimonial / Quote

Why it works:

Social proof is essential for all organizations. Your audience needs to not only hear about your offer, but how it has worked for others. A great way to do that is through a subject line that introduces one of your past (or current) success stories. Obvious point here: make sure that the content of the email actually includes some kind of case study.

Examples:

• “I didn’t think anyone cared.”
• “This saved my son’s life.”
• “That moment changed everything.”
• What John says about us
• Why Katie chose to enroll

9) The Timely Tie-In

Why it works:

No matter your industry, timeliness will always get attention with subject lines. When possible, try to connect your email to something current. This could be some kind of “cultural moment” or holiday. The effect? Your reader naturally feels the email is more relevant and is more likely to open it.

Examples:

• Before school starts: Help 25 kids get ready
• On Giving Tuesday, every gift matters
• A meaningful way to honor MLK Day
• This Women’s History Month: support her dreams
• Did you see the news last night?

10) The Visual Tease

Why it works:

What we mean here is the combination of an emoji and contextual information. The reason we suggest it is that (say what you will about them) emojis add a bit of personality to your subject lines. This helps your emails stand out in inboxes.

Examples:

• ✏️ Backpacks packed. Futures bright.
• 🧣 Cold nights. Warm hearts.
• 🧡 You’re part of something powerful
• 🕒 Time’s almost up!
• 🐾 Big day for our furry friends

A Few Quick Tips

Using the email subject line formulas above doesn’t guarantee success. You still need to follow a few “best practices” for good email marketing results. Here are four tips to always keep in mind:

• Test different subject lines. Just a few A/B tests can show you which kind of emails your audience opens the most.
• Look at your email on mobile. When viewed on a phone, subject lines usually get cut off after just 25-30 characters. No reason to completely change it up, but certainly something to consider.
• Avoid spam triggers. If you land in the spam folder, nothing else really matters. People simply won’t see your email. The solution? Avoid using all capitals, exclamation marks, or phrases like “Act now!”, as these can hurt deliverability.
• Write 3 – 5 options for every email. Use the email subject line formulas as templates, sure. But the first one you come up with usually isn’t the best. Just a few minutes of brainstorming can leave you with something wonderful.

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