200+ Monthly Newsletter Email Subject Lines (That Work!)

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May 14th, 2021

If you're looking to boost your email open rates and increase sales, your email subject line is the first (and most important) step in achieving those goals.

Did you know that 33% of email recipients open emails because of an engaging subject line?

That's why it's critical to craft a catchy email subject line that will get you the traffic and conversions you deserve.

We've put together a list of 200+ monthly newsletter email subject lines (that work!).

Some are proven examples from other successful campaigns, and some are creative ideas to inspire you.

Creative Email Subject Line Ideas

"Up to 90% off our best-selling products gone in 3…2…1…"
Digital Marketer: “Your 7-figure plan goes bye-bye at midnight…”
Foreclosure Double Dip: Why federal INTERFERENCE likely will cause another foreclosure wave (the deal that created the double dip)
“sale now”
Brooklinen: “Vanilla or Chocolate?”
Ramit Sethi: “How to email a busy person (including a word-for-word script)”
Digital Marketer: “Steal these email templates…”
"🔥 Hot freebie alert! 15 free gifts, you pick 5."
Warby Parker: “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring”
Buffer has been hacked - here is what's going on"
Mary Fernandez: “? your detailed results…”
Thrillist: “How to Survive Your Next Overnight Flight”
Eater Boston: “Where to Drink Beer Right Now” (Sent at 6:45am on a Wednesday.)
Pizza Hut: Tonight only. Save $5 on your order.
“now in”
“sale starts”
HP: Time is running out…Save up to $300.
“stock”
Jersey Mike’s Subs: “Mary, Earn double points today only”
“buy”
"DO NOT Commit These Instagram Atrocities"
HP: “New must-haves for your office”
IKEA: Save with this week’s flyer.
"👗 Free (Cool!) Clothes Alert 👖"
Pop Physique: “Get Ready. Keep the Pie Off Your Thighs Returns.”
“Don’t Open This Email”
“latest”
"Hey” – Barack Obama
“may…?”
Topshop: “Get a head start on summer”
IKEA: “Where do all these toys go?”
Fabletics: “Your Butt Will Look Great in These Workout Pants”
“? Free (Cool!) Clothes Alert ?”
La Mer: “A little luxury at a great price”
HP: “Stop wasting money on ink”
BIG news & you're hearing it first! – Bath and Body Works
John Lee Dumas: “Are you coming?”
Thrillist: “What They Eat In Prison”
UncommonGoods: “As You Wish” (A reference to the movie The Princess Bride.)
Jon Morrow: “Quick favor?”
TopShop: Shop now. Save big.
Guess: “Tonight only: A denim lover’s dream”
“get your”
Manicube: “Don’t Open This Email”
Barack Obama: “Hey”
“wonderful”
HP: “Flash. Sale. Alert.”
“great deals”
Sam from The Hustle: “I love you”
Digital Marketer: “[URGENT] You’ve got ONE DAY to watch this…”
Syed from OptinMonster: “Grow your email list 10X ⚡ faster with these 30 content upgrade ideas”
“orders over”
The Hustle: “Look what you did, you little jerk…” (This one’s a reference to the movie Home Alone. We hope.)
“available”
TicTail: “Boom shakalak! Let’s get started.”
Warby Parker: “Pairs nicely with spreadsheets”
Rapha: “Gift inspiration for the discerning cyclist”
Pizza Hut: Bob, try our new treat.
“special”
"Rock the color of the year"
Lies in Lending: Why THIS bank will have to pay millions thanks to a 75-percent FAIL rate on rating loans
“Happy Holidays from [Company Name]”
Unroll.Me: “⚠ Unroll.Me has stopped working”
Syed from OptinMonster: “300% increase in revenue with a single optin + a neat growth trick from my mastermind!”
“Good news for people who love bad news . . .”
Topshop: “Meet your new jeans”
“Invitation from [Company Name]”
Guess: “Wanted: Cute and affordable fashions”
"China Falls, Sleepy Unicorns, And The Deals Aren’t Bigger In Texas"
Vivino: “We are not gonna Give Up on You!”
“Google sees smartphone heroics in Oreo. It’s The Daily Crunch”
Nick Stephenson: “How you can afford Your First 10,000 Readers (closing tonight)”
Cold, Hard Numbers: Housing markets in how many? states now have THIS in common
“[Company Name] and [Company Name] Invites You!”
“The price dropped for something in your cart”
Groupon: “Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)”
“your next order”
“New Video: (Topic)”
"Black Friday shoppers are the worst customers"
Me, me, me, me, me – Brooke Howell
Pizza Hut: “Feed your guests without breaking the bank”
Harry’s: “Two razors for your friends (on us)”
Sephora: You’re invited: 10% off for Beauty Insiders.
“Black Friday shoppers are the worst customers”
“What They Eat In Prison”, “DO NOT Commit These Instagram Atrocities”
“you free this Thurs at 12 PM PST? [guest blogging class]”
GrubHub: “Last Day To See What This Mystery Email Is All About”
“$ today, $$$ tomorrow”
“[Company Name] May 2005 News Bulletin!”
Kimra Luna: “I didn’t see your name in the comments!?”
"Abra-cord-abra! Yeah, we said it."
“[Company Name] Sales & Marketing Newsletter”
Ryan Levesque: “Seriously, Who DOES This?”
Seafolly: “A new product you won’t pass on”
“Learn a language with only 5 minutes per day”
"Where to Drink Beer Right Now"
“celebrate”
"Watch Out for This Amazon Phishing Scam."
The Brain-Dead Simple but Astonishingly Effective Way to Become a Better Writer – Jon Morrow – Boost Blog Traffic
numbers (e.g. “7-figure plan”, “212 ideas”, “60 minutes or less”)
Thrillist: “Try To Avoid These 27 People On New Year’s Eve”
Rapha: “As worn in the World Tour”
The Black Tux: “Get priority access.”
“won’t…?”
“10 bizarre money habits making Millennials richer”
“Best of Groupon: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)”
AYR: “Best coat ever”
Digital Marketer: “[WEEKEND ONLY] Get this NOW before it’s gone…”
IKEA: “Get more kitchen space with these easy fixes”
Mary Fernandez: “you free this Thurs at 12PM PST? [guest blogging class]”
“Tonight Only: Get this NOW before it’s gone…”
Animoto: “Did you miss out on some of these new features?”
Jeremy Gitomer: “How Have You Progressed Since the Third Grade?”
Refinery29: “10 bizarre money habits making Millennials richer”
“back in stock”
Syed from Envira: “I’m deleting your Envira account”
“Yes, this is a fundraising email”
Chubbies: “Hologram Shorts?!”
Digital Marketer: “212 blog post ideas”
Digital Marketer: “A Native Ad in 60 Minutes or Less”
“on orders over”
“1,750 points for you. Valentine’s flowers & more for them.”
The Hustle: “A faster donkey”
Jaybird: Last chance to save big this holiday.
Rent the Runway: “Happy Birthday Mary – Surprise Inside!”
OpenTable: “Licking your phone never tasted so good”
Sephora: Last day: Pick your 5 faves.
Guess: Lindsey, check out these hand-picked looks.
"As You Wish"
"The timer’s going off on your cart!"
Gozengo: “NEW! Vacation on Mars”
“Rock the color of the year”
Rapha: “Complimentary gift wrap on all purchases”
"Google sees smartphone heroics in Oreo. It's The Daily Crunch."
Al Franken: “Yes, this is a fundraising email”
“We Need To Talk…”
“off selected”
Sephora: “Products the celebs are wearing”
Sephora: “Your beauty issues, solved”
“Where to Drink Beer Right Now”
“can…?”
Converse: Ending in 24 hours: 25% off sitewide.
“Eye on the [Company Name] Update (Oct 31 – Nov 4)”
“Not Cool, Guys”
“introducing”
Travelocity: “Need a day at the beach? Just scratch n’ sniff your way to paradise…”
Uber: “Since we can’t all win the lottery…”
"Don't Open This Email"
"Important Weather Advisory"
Personal Finance: Why THIS investment vehicle is pulling in record amounts of cash
“what…?”
Ugmonk: “Offering you my personal email”
“ICYMI”
“Everything you wanted to know about email copy but was too afraid to ask”
Revolution Tea: “Thanks for helping us”
Digital Marketer: “Is this the hottest career in marketing?”
"🐶 Want a Custom Emoji of Tullamore & 6 Months FREE Walks? Book a Walk Today for Your Chance to Win!"
If You Like Us, You’ll Love This (GREAT affiliate partner verbiage!)
I know what you did – Frank Kern (sent after a trigger showed that I had watched one of his videos)
Target: “The price dropped for something in your cart”
Rapha: Your savings code expires today.
Bonnie Fahy: “Mary, do you remember me?”
Financial Markets: The INSIDER INFORMATION that shows a bearish secret in the markets
Eat This Not That: “9 Disgusting Facts about Thanksgiving”
Pinterest: “Good News: Your Pin’s price dropped!”
"Best of Groupon: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)"
UrbanDaddy: “You’ve Changed”
“[Company Name] Newsletter – February 2006”
"Not Cool, Guys"
"Everything you wanted to know about email copy but were too afraid to ask"
“do…?”
Guess: “Don’t wear last year’s styles.”
"Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring"
The Muse: “We Like Being Used”
James Malinchak: “Crazy Invitation, I am Going to Buy You Lunch…”
JetBlue: “You’re missing out on points.”
Business Notes: Lobbyists hope to extend TERRORISM insurance options for another 7 years (is your property covered?)
“As You Wish”
Bonobos: “Hey, forget something? Here’s 20% off.”
Evernote: “Stop wasting time on mindless work”
Influitive: “So I’ll pick you up at 7?”
Guess: “Mary, check out these hand-picked looks”
Syed from Envira: “Mary, your Envira account is on hold!”
“brand new”
Great teaser from @jeniiferscot- 12 Pinterest Boards You Can't Live Without, #3 is my bible! – sp
Rapha: Complimentary gift wrap on all purchases.
Baby Bump: “Yes, I’m Pregnant. You Can Stop Staring At My Belly Now.”
“continues”
Duolingo: “Learn a language with only 5 minutes per day”
“Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring”
"1,750 points for you. Valentine's flowers & more for them."
“Is this the hottest career in marketing?”
La Mer: “Age-defying beauty tricks”
Only Open If You Use Salesforce -Nathan Latka
"I got Botox—& THIS is what it looked like"
Zillow: "What Can You Afford?"
Rip Curl: “Two for two”
"What Did You Think? Write a Review."
Mary Fernandez: “? a surprise gift for you! {unwrap}”
“free”
“Products the celebs are wearing”
Syed from OptinMonster: “✔ 63-Point Checklist for Creating the Ultimate Optin Form”
Jersey Mike’s Subs: Lisa, earn double points today only.
Digital Marketer: “Check out my new “man cave” [PICS]”
Guess: “25% off your favorites”
“[Company Name] Staff Shirts & Photos”

GUIDE: How To Write A Great Subject Line

As we mentioned above, crafting a catchy subject line is critical to the performance of your email campaign.

While just a few words may seem like a small piece of your overall message, this is the first impression your audience will have before they decide whether to open your email.

If your subject line isn't engaging or appealing enough, there's a chance it could get buried in your reader's inbox.

Let's go over the proven tips on how to craft a subject line that boosts engagement:

What makes a great subject line?

First, let's discuss the fundamentals of creating a great subject line:

Spark interest and curiosity
A clear and urgent call to action
An offer/intriguing discount
Personalization (this can be done by sending out different versions of emails to subscribers based on their preferences)
Relevance - make sure your subject line covers the current trends and topics within your industry

5 Tips To Crafting a Great Subject Line

Now, let's dive into the specifics of how to create a great subject line for your next campaign:

1. Use a familiar sender name

Although this may seem obvious, it's a piece many marketers miss the ball on.

Your readers want to feel like your email is coming from a human and not a corporation or automated system.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is by changing the sender's name to YOUR name or someone in the company that is well known.

Here's a great example of this from Marketing Examples

Pro Tip

Avoid the "no-reply" sender name at all costs. This makes your email feel unfamiliar, unapproachable, and less personable.

2. Keep your subject short and to the point

If your subject line is too long, it will get cut off, which could impact your reader's chances of opening your email.

The rule of thumb (for both mobile and desktop) is to keep your subject line under 50 characters.

3. Add personal touches to your subject line

If you have access to information about your subscriber (ie. name, location, etc), you can use this to benefit your subject line and catch your readers attention.

It's important not to go overboard here, but adding even the simplest touch such as their name can build trust and rapport.

Here's a great example of a personalized email + offer I received from BarkBox with my dog's name in the subject line:

4. Avoid making any false promises

Your subject line makes a commitment to your reader, so it's important you don't stretch the truth just to simply get more opens and clicks.

In the grand scheme of things, making false promises will end up hurting your open rate as your readers will lose trust in you.

5. Give them a sneak peek of what's inside

Telling your subscriber what is inside helps with open and clicks.

For example, if you're providing your reader with a free guide or e-book, consider making your subject line something along the lines of:

"Your FREE marketing e-book awaits!"

Conclusion

If you want your email campaign to perform well, it all starts with your subject line.

Think about the emails you receive in your inbox and what makes you click vs what gets buried - odds are, the same habits go for your customer.

We hope you enjoyed our guide + list of 200+ monthly newsletter email subject lines (that work!).

meet the author

Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.

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