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One key to high open rates?
Write killer subject lines.
What I’ve learned writing and editing 750+ email subject lines @TheHustle.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">...
Write killer subject lines.
What I’ve learned writing and editing 750+ email subject lines @TheHustle.
1/ Experiment often.
We A/B test 4 different subject lines every day.
We study what works/doesn’t work and make adjustments constantly.
We A/B test 4 different subject lines every day.
We study what works/doesn’t work and make adjustments constantly.
2/ Shorter is (almost always) better.
Here’s a list of winning subject lines from our most opened emails over the past ~10 months.
Here’s a list of winning subject lines from our most opened emails over the past ~10 months.
3/ Shorter, please!
Our top 20 best subject lines averaged 33 characters.
The bottom 20 averaged 41 characters.
(h/t @zzcrockett)
Our top 20 best subject lines averaged 33 characters.
The bottom 20 averaged 41 characters.
(h/t @zzcrockett)
4/ Boring isn’t always bad.
Here’s the subject line from our most clicked email, which had a 55% open rate:
“How bitcoin are created”
Here’s the subject line from our most clicked email, which had a 55% open rate:
“How bitcoin are created”
5/ HELP PEOPLE MAKE MONEY.
These 3 subject lines all made our Top 20:
“How a tiny D2C company hacked its way to $500k/mo in sales”
“Why NFTs are suddenly selling for millions of dollars”
“We interviewed 20+ vending machine owners. Here& #39;s how much they make.”
These 3 subject lines all made our Top 20:
“How a tiny D2C company hacked its way to $500k/mo in sales”
“Why NFTs are suddenly selling for millions of dollars”
“We interviewed 20+ vending machine owners. Here& #39;s how much they make.”
6/ Assertions are better than questions.
Assertion:https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏦" title="Bank" aria-label="Emoji: Bank"> Stripe Treasury is a huge deal (51% open rate)
Question:https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💸" title="Geld mit Flügeln" aria-label="Emoji: Geld mit Flügeln"> Will Big Tech lose its tax shelters? (42%)
Assertion:
Question:
7/ Solutions (and numbers) sell.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📧" title="E-Mail Symbol" aria-label="Emoji: E-Mail Symbol"> Fixing the $650B subscription economy (46% open rate)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🎯" title="Volltreffer" aria-label="Emoji: Volltreffer"> How Target took $9B from competitors (46%)
She was kidnapped and locked in a car trunk. Then, she decided to change the car industry. (47%)
She was kidnapped and locked in a car trunk. Then, she decided to change the car industry. (47%)
8/ Kinda obvs, but news also sells.
Amazon’s next playhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚚" title="Lieferwagen" aria-label="Emoji: Lieferwagen"> (53% open rate)
Apple fires Intel (52%)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📦" title="Paket" aria-label="Emoji: Paket"> Jeff Bezos is stepping down (51%)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🍟" title="Pommes Frites" aria-label="Emoji: Pommes Frites"> McDonald’s is crushing it (51%)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙅♂️" title="Mann gestikuliert „Nicht OK“" aria-label="Emoji: Mann gestikuliert „Nicht OK“"> Zucked (51%)
Amazon’s next play
Apple fires Intel (52%)
9/ Question assumptions.
As a journalist, I& #39;ve always assumed that conflict sells.
That’s not always true.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💸" title="Geld mit Flügeln" aria-label="Emoji: Geld mit Flügeln"> Will Big Tech lose its tax shelters? ( #244 most opened email since Aug. 2020)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🍭" title="Lolli" aria-label="Emoji: Lolli"> Big Candy vs. Cannabis ( #182)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💻" title="Computer" aria-label="Emoji: Computer"> The Google Docs pickle ( #101)
As a journalist, I& #39;ve always assumed that conflict sells.
That’s not always true.
10/ Another assumption: People love explainers.
We wrote at least a dozen subject lines with some variation of “X, explained”
Not one cracked the Top 50.
We wrote at least a dozen subject lines with some variation of “X, explained”
Not one cracked the Top 50.
11/ What *not* to copy.
Our email with the lowest open rate had this subject line:
“Board games are starting to look a lot like video games”
I don’t even know what that means...and a sh*t ton of readers didn’t care either.
Our email with the lowest open rate had this subject line:
“Board games are starting to look a lot like video games”
I don’t even know what that means...and a sh*t ton of readers didn’t care either.
12/ In sum, to write great subject lines:
- Experiment often
- Keep it short
- Keep it simple
- Help people make $$
- Assertions > questions
- News sells
- So do solutions
- Conflict is overrated
- So are explainers
- Don’t make people think too hard
- Experiment often
- Keep it short
- Keep it simple
- Help people make $$
- Assertions > questions
- News sells
- So do solutions
- Conflict is overrated
- So are explainers
- Don’t make people think too hard
13/ If you like breakdowns like these:
a) RT the first tweet in this thread -- it’ll help more people see this/learn.
b) Subscribe to @TheHustle and OPEN IT EVERY MF DAY!!!
c) Give me a follow ( @bradwolverton). I write about email growth tactics with the occasional wisecrack.
a) RT the first tweet in this thread -- it’ll help more people see this/learn.
b) Subscribe to @TheHustle and OPEN IT EVERY MF DAY!!!
c) Give me a follow ( @bradwolverton). I write about email growth tactics with the occasional wisecrack.