Cold Email Subject Lines: Tips, Tricks, and Examples

Apr 10, 2023

Frank Jenkins

Cold emailing can be a powerful tool to connect with prospects, partners, and potential customers. However, the success of a cold email campaign largely depends on one crucial element: the subject line. We'll explore how to write captivating cold email subject lines that increase open rates, and we'll share some examples and examples to get you started.

Stand out in your prospect’s inbox with the proper subject line

Why Cold Email Subject Lines Matter

Cold email subject lines play a vital role in determining whether your email gets opened or sent straight to the trash. Even the best cold email with the best offer will be of no use if it doesn’t get opened. A well-crafted subject line must pique the recipient's curiosity and motivate them to read your email.

When writing your subject line, you must keep in mind that it has just one goal: To make the recipient open the email. Don’t try to sell anything or add complex jargon, just make them open the email.

Tips for Crafting Winning Cold Email Subject Lines

Before we dive into the best subject lines for cold emails, it's important to understand what makes a subject line effective. A good subject line is one that:

• Is short: Aim for 5-7 words and less than 50 characters to ensure it is fully visible on most email clients
• Is personalized: Use the prospect’s name or company name to make your email sound like it was tailored specifically for them
• Piques the reader's curiosity: Curiosity is the best feeling to spark if you want them to open and want to read your email. So make sure when you read it, it has some sense of mystery.
• Focused on the benefit: This is not completely necessary, but it can help with reply rates. Explain what's in it for the recipient, and be specific about the value you're offering.

Top 5 Subject Lines for Cold Emails

“Quick Question”

There’s a reason why this is the most famous and used subject line in cold emails. It is effective because it is very short, and it taps into the reader's curiosity, motivating them to open the email to find out what the question could be. Keep your question specific and relevant to your recipient - which could tie with personalizing the cold email

“[Benefit] for [Company name]”

This subject line works really well as it has personalization (Company name) as well as mentioning a direct benefit for them. Just make sure the benefit resonates with your target audience, and your open rates should be very high.

“A solution for [Pain point]”

This subject line is similar as the previous one, but instead of mentioning the benefit you mention their pain point, which can be more powerful as that’s what is on the top of their mind. If your targeting is right and this pain point resonates with your suspects, your open rates will be pretty high.

“Have you seen this, [First name]?”

This works similarly as “Quick Question” in that it’s main purpose is to create curiosity as to what you mean with the question. And as you’re including their first name as a personalization, it’s less likely that they think it’s a spam email, but more of an email meant directly for them. Try to start your email body by referencing something they should’ve seen so that it makes it more coherent.

“[First name], struggling with [Pain point]?”

This works very well thanks to the personalization it has and the mentioning of their pain point. That’s because the subject line implies that there’s a solution to that pain point in the email (No one just asks if they’re struggling with it). Which will motivate them to check out what solution you’re offering.

Tying the Subject Line with the rest of the Cold Email

Now that you've mastered the art of crafting irresistible cold email subject lines, it's essential to ensure that the rest of your email content lives up to the expectations set by the subject line. This section will guide you on how to tie your subject line effectively with the rest of your cold email, creating a cohesive and engaging message that maximizes your chances of success.

• Maintain Consistency: Your subject line should accurately represent the content of your email. Ensure that the subject line sets the stage for the value proposition or information you're about to deliver. Meaning if you use “Quick Question”, make sure there’s a question in the email’s body.
• Use Personalization: If you used personalization on your subject line, make sure the cold email’s body also uses it. Don’t make the mistake of sending a generic sounding email. That will tank your reply rates. If you want to personalize cold emails at scale, check out eCold.ai - A tool that will generate 100s of personalized lines in seconds.
• Deliver on the Value Proposition: If you used a [Solution] or [Pain point] in your cold email’s subject line, make sure you actually deliver the solution (Or the offer to the solution) on the email’s body. That’ll maintain consistency and actually resonate with your prospect which will help you increase reply rates.

By tying your subject line with the rest of your cold email, you'll create a consistent and impactful message that captures attention, builds trust, and encourages recipients to take action. Remember, your subject line is only the beginning – the true value lies in the content of your email.

Conclusion

Crafting good cold email subject lines is crucial for the success of your cold email campaigns. By keeping your subject lines short, personalized, focused on benefits, and testing different variations, you'll increase your open rates and ultimately generate better results.

Don't underestimate the power of a well-written subject line. Use these tips, tricks, and examples to make your cold emails stand out in crowded inboxes and spark meaningful conversations with your prospects.