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100 Cold Email Subject Lines To Guarantee a Response

By February 15, 2019 No Comments

Are you aware of the tactics by which your cold email could stand out in your recipient’s inbox?

Wait! I’ll unfold the truth a while after.

Do you know total 269 BILLION emails were sent plus received per day in the year 2017? And this figure is expected to increase to 320 BILLION by 2021.

That’s really insane! Isn’t it?

But thank God! Not all of those emails are business emails. Radicati said that around 125 billion business emails sent as well as received in 2018. It signifies an office professional receives an average of 121 emails per day. But still, it’s a lot of emails.

Definitely, your email recipient’s inbox is going to be overwhelmed. And it’s true that with a large number of emails, your prospects will more likely going to just scroll down their inbox to locate the important emails (relevant to their business) from the rest.

And so the competition is getting tougher for standing out from the crowd.

What should you do now?

How could you ensure the lines of text (with or without media) you sent will draw the attention of the recipients from the rest of the others?

I promised you to reveal the answer. And the simple tactic is by creating compelling subject lines for your cold emails. After discussing the tactics of crafting subject lines, I’ll list out 100 cold email subject lines to guarantee a response. So, keep on reading.

Many times small things are ignored, isn’t it? The same thing goes well for subject lines.

If you think what a small line can do, let’s ignore it, you’re lowering the odds of your success.

Just think about it- which emails will you read first?

Emails with subject lines or without subject lines? You’ll get the answer.

Actually, subject lines are undoubtedly becoming one of the topmost deciding factors when the recipients start thinking whether he/she should open your email or not.

According to Convince&Convert, 35% of the email recipients open their emails depending on the subject line alone.

Hence, writing attractive subject lines for cold emails are becoming more and more important nowadays than ever.

Subject lines help your emails stand out by drawing the attention of your prospects. The one-liner description encourages the recipient to open and go through your emails along with your offerings.

This post is dedicated to explaining some simple tactics that you can implement in your subject lines all around your cold email campaigns.

Personalized cold email Subject Lines:

Everyone likes to get personalized treatment. Now, if you’re serious about your business growth, some hard work is evitable to personalize your email.

But, if your prospect doesn’t open your email, then? All your hard work will be wasted.

So, subject line personalization is also important.

Reason?

The human brain is designed to respond or shift focus almost instantly when you see or hear something relevant to you. It’s instinctive human behavior. And by taking advantage of this fact, you can grab the attention of your prospects to your products/services.

So, you have to craft some compelling subject lines that will indicate, “it’s for you and it’s about you..” to all the email recipients of your campaigns. We usually ignore or delete generic emails, isn’t it?

But, personalized subject lines could easily draw the prospect’s attention in an overwhelmed inbox. The properly personalized subject lines provide your prospects with a hint about the solution of their pain point.

But how to personalize your cold email subject lines?

Don’t think about to include prospect’s name, company, or their designation, as they are some old school tactics.

They are okay but to present yourself as a unique one, some other methods should be applied.

Then, how do you personalize your cold email subject lines?

You need to do more research.

Just personalize around the geography of your prospects, specify events, conferences, workshops, ideas, and so on, taking place in their local area.

You can also personalize around their latest activity- commenting on some blog or Twitter posts, and so on.

How can you gather these pieces of information?

LinkedIn is the most appropriate place to collect information about them, about their recent likes, comments, or other activities. Try to find out if you and your prospect share any mutual connection (s) etc.

Don’t forget to research their Facebook or Twitter page to discover their hobbies, personal interests, and so forth.

Backed with these facts, you can easily convert a generic subject line into a personalized one.

Cold email Subject Line with Questions:

Questions are a powerful means to raise the interest of your prospects. Because where there are questions, the urge to get answers gets increased.

Do you know the reason?

As per the scientific explanation, questions stimulate neocortex that’s meant for higher-order brain functions like the creation of motor commands, sensory perception, conscious thoughts, and spatial reasoning in human and language.

In simple words, when a human being faces a question, the human brain creates a deep-seated urge for knowing the answer or at least looking for an answer. Hence, asking correct questions would generate curiosity or would make the prospects to introspect.

How do you figure out which questions are correct to ask?

The most effective solution is inserting questions about their goals or pain points (issues they might be undergoing) of their life.

Prospects will more likely curious when they find a doubtful question about their career. And to get the answer, they will open your email. And here, you’d win the half battle.

Asking the right questions in the right time is the golden formula. Reaching out the prospects with the right question in right time will increase the odds of immediate response for your emails.

Adding Pain Point in your email subject line:

If your prospect opens your email in which you mentioned about a particular pain point, you’ll get a clue that that person might be going through this situation or at least interested to find out its solution. This vital information will help you follow up with that prospect more effectively.

Now, how do you find relevant questions?

With more in-depth research

Go through their official website. Take a look at their latest articles plus related news articles to figure out the present mindset, vision, and mission of your prospect’s company.

Finding out the exact pain points can be difficult and time-consuming. It’s a better idea to search for proper indicators to help you discovering with which they are struggling at this moment. Going through recent Quora posts, forum questions, or LinkedIn comments (if any) to have insights into what issues the company might be currently experiencing.

Insert questions based on their pain points, goals, or topics and the chances will be high to get a response from your prospect.

Subject Lines Having a Mutual Connection:

I have already mentioned about mutual connections earlier in this post. Since mutual connections work as a strong reference, you should definitely include it (if you find any).
Reason?

Existing of a mutual connection (s) between you and your prospect means you’re no longer an absolute stranger for your prospect.

You should build a mutual connection or common ground to validate your identification more prominently.

Moreover, it will work as an ice breaker that’s far better than being a total stranger.

Which mutual connections should you search for?

Actually, the mutual connections can be anything- it can be a mutual friend or can be a mutual connection from

LinkedIn. Even it can be personal similarities, such as the same hobby, supporter of the same sports team, school (if from the same school), attendees of the same conference or event, and so forth.

Just you have to perform thorough research and you could find out one or two similar things to use as a mutual connection with your prospect. Just be polite in all your emails.

Most importantly, inserting a mutual connection (s) in your email subject line can help draw the attention of your prospects to your cold email.

Mentioning of the mutual connection is actually a more refined, sophisticated type of personalization. If something familiar or common they find in your email, it will more likely catch their eye.

Where can I find these mutual connections?

LinkedIn is the perfect platform to start searching for mutual connections. Start searching for common friends, check if there is any topic you both like, or if there is any common influencer you both follow.

To find out personal connections, you can search for their Twitter and Facebook profiles and try to figure out if there is any common aspect that you can use in your cold email subject line.

Shorter cold email Subject Lines:

If a professional receives a large number of emails on a regular basis, inserting complicated subject lines means lowering the odds of your success.

So, always try to insert short, simple subject lines. Your subject lines should convey the main essence of your email and thus your email will more likely stand out in an overwhelmed inbox. Moreover, short subject lines correctly fit the screens of handheld devices.

Do you know more than 55% of working professionals go through their emails on their mobiles?

The average mobile screen can fit only 4-7 words max. And short subject lines help your emails to remain within the limited screen space of the mobile devices.

A Point to Remember

Subject lines having 0-5 words have a 16% of open rate but subject lines with 6-10 words get a 21% of open rate.

Remember, the term “short” can be subjective for each and every sales representative. So, based on your requirements, you can craft a small yet simple subject line that conveys the gist of your email.

Cold email Subject Lines that Generate Urgency:

As per the report by Invesp, subject lines that can generate a sense of urgency plus exclusivity can provide you with a 22% higher open rate.

Why does the Formula of Creating Urgency work effectively to get a response from prospects?

The answer is as simple as that. Every one fears of missing out something valuable or its unavailability in the future.

So, using some researched keywords and phrases can convert your offerings into rare, scarce, and special ones.

Nonetheless, generating a sense of urgency is an old school technique but it’s significant to this date. Attaching subject lines like “Winter Sale in ON” or “Last Day of Big Saving” or “Only 10 Stocks are remaining” or “Don’t Miss Out” or “Excellent Deals” can work great to attract a large number of customers.

Besides these standard and widely-used subject lines, you can design subject lines specifically for your each and every prospect. Subject lines that perfectly go well with the situation of your prospects will raise the odds of your success.

How to Create Urgency in Cold Email Subject Lines?

First, you need to find out whether any situations or events are going on or about to start to generate a sense of urgency to make your prospects prefer your offerings. It can be a golden opportunity for your products or services to get more and more sales. This sense of urgency will work as a trigger event.

These events can be anything, such as an upcoming event, a time-bound pain point, a law or regulation that is about to come into effect or the end of the year or quarter.

Using such events, you can easily create a specific deadline for your prospects. Crafting your email subject lines around these events to create a sense of urgency would make them interested in this event and they will more likely contact you for a solution.

And so they need to open your email, which is your success. If everything goes well, things will immediately start happening in your support without any small talk.

Subject Lines Having Value Proposition

Do you know customers are actually interested to buy your product benefits?

So, it is utmost important to include values or benefits with your offerings. And adding cold email subject lines with values that your products or services would provide means the high chances of your success. In simple words, your offerings should provide a solution to the pain points of your prospects.

But remember, these value-added subject lines are most effective when you take care of the proper timing.

How can you implement values in your subject lines?

You need to list out and divide your prospects, as per the fact how they will make use of your products and how they would get values from them. Thus you’ll get a clear picture of the requirements of your prospects. Then, your work will be creating a value-added subject line that should be tailor-made for each and every prospect.

Preparing a subject line with its benefits is the key to attracting your prospects in this scenario. Anything relevant to their field of work or any solution to their pain points would encourage them to open your emails and read it.

Humorous Subject Lines

A good laugh can overcome many difficulties in life than any other thing.

Do you know why humor is emphasized in workplaces today?

Laughter dissipates boredom and stress. It also boosts well-being and engagement. Laughter also helps to extract creativity plus collaboration along with productivity and precision.

Prospects are after all human beings and they also need laughter. So, it’s not bad at all to choose a funny subject line to relieve their stress a bit. It can make your email stand out from the rest of other monotonous emails.

How do you get the correct sense of humor?

Do you know presenting correct humor at the right time is a tricky art?

You should not forget it’s a part of your professionalism so the jokes that you normally share with your family and friends can’t be fitted here. More and more refinement is required before placing humor in your email subject line.

First, you should collect information about your prospects and their likes and preferences. For instance, if your email recipient is British or prefers humor, you can innovatively design some strong sarcasm.

Do remember that humor is subjective, specifically in this era. So, it’s very important to research your audience and choose your humor carefully. If everything goes well and you could make your prospects happy with your joke, it can be heavy beneficial for you unless you can draft an apology letter to normalize the situation.

100 Cold Email Subject Lines

Now, it’s time to list out 100 cold email subject lines that will give you some great insights:

Personalized Cold Email Subject Lines:

First Name + Company Name

Check it out, First Name

First Name, Pain Point

Looking forward to talking to you at (Conference Name), (First Name)

(Prospect’s Name), here’s a customized note

Congrats (First Name)! Have you ever thought of (Business Value)?

Your comment on (Blog Post) was insightful

(Prospect Name), Thank You So Much from (Your Company)

Goodbye, (Prospect’s Name)

(First Name), I missed you a lot!

Cold email Subject Lines with Questions:

How are you managing with (Pain Point)?

Question about (Goal)

Are you thinking about (Specific Goal)?

Are you ready for (Some Specific Situation)?

Where shall we start?

Can you help me to figure out?

Are you making such mistakes?

Want to talk about (Specific Topic)?

(First Name), want to know the truth?

Can you point out the right direction?

Subject Lines with Mutual Connection:

(Prospect’s Name), it’s really great to connect with (Mutual Connection)

(Mutual Connection) asked me to contact you

Anyway, (Mutual Connection) told me to have a conversation with you

Can you help me out (question about favorite place)?

BTW, I am also a great supporter of (favorite sports team)

It was indeed golden days (common School or College or University Name)

Glad to know you also like (favorite thing)

Shorter cold email Subject Lines:

Hey!

A Big Congratulations!

Get ready!

Just tried contacted you

23 seconds (or less)

I forgot to specify

Time to think big

What’s next?

I’m serious

A serious note

Your well-wisher is here!

Adieu

I’m not joking

Want a big success?

Move on

OMG!

Cold email Subject Lines to Create Urgency:

Get ready for (a particular event)!

Only a couple of seats available for (training classes/conference etc..)

Do you need help (change because of a regulation)?

Only two weeks to go (regulation law).

Hurry up! Only some stocks (some particular product) are remaining!

The End Season Sale is Ending Soon!

Cold email Subject Lines with Values:

(Prospect Name), want to know the best solution (about a key problem)?

(Product Benefit)

Resources to Resolve the (Pain Point)

Ideas for (Prospect’s Goal)

Major Challenges in implementing (Solution)

Subject Lines with Humor:

Hello! Are you okay?

What are your opinions on (A Humorous Topic)?

Your Wi-Fi Password?

Hello! Do You Want a Chocolate?

Am I welcome?

Get Well Soon!

Now, let’s take some other email subject line examples below and your task is to personalize them as per your choice.

Don’t Read This Email!

Want to know the Money Making Habits?

Last Day to Save a Big!

OMG! The Hottest Career is no more Secret!

The Best Deal is Here!

(Prospect Name), Here’s a Surprise Gift for you!

Will You Help Me to Help You?

Are you on the right track?

Wow! Heard about this Latest Technology?

Only Successful People know this!

Want to Check Out my New Marketing Tips?

This Email is for a Success Hunter!

Deals that will blow your Mind

Taking a Trip was not that easy!

What about a Sports Event the Next Week?

Vacation has started!

Winter Bells are Ringing!

Festive Season is Here!

Want to know your performance?

Ting Tong! May I come in?

Try to Avoid these 10 Situations

Beware of these 5 People

Want to Repeat Last year’s fashion?

Here’s your progress report!

You will look great in these Lovely Outfits

What is your age?

Miss those days (School/College/University Name)

What is Your Inspiration?

Want to overcome your weaknesses?

A Big Thank You!

You are Great!

Want to know the Best Tricks (Favorite Sports)?

Never Make these Mistakes

Want to Beat Your Last Record?

Be a Money Magnet!

Only Successful People Know these Tactics

Are you ready for loss?

It’s a Big Profit Day!

The Biggest Surprise of the Year

It’s Painful

Wrapping Up

I hope you are now aware of the fact that how much a one-liner subject line is important for your cold email.

Writing compelling, attractive and exceptional subject lines are tricky. And without proper personalization, you can’t expect to get responses from your prospects. Moreover, some uniqueness should be there to stand out from the crowd.

The perfect way to find out the most effective cold email subject lines is to go through A/B testing for your subject lines. Just write various subject lines you test, but make sure your subject lines are honest so that your prospects can be properly engaged with your emails. It offers clear information as well as value regarding your offerings.

Now, it is a high time to start crafting cold email subject lines for your next cold email campaigns.

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