How can you write subject lines that so that people will open your emails?
Here are nine scientific, proven-in-the-lab, research-based tips for getting people to open and read your email:
- Offer value.
“Helpful words” — like can, deserve, do, get, go and you — increase opens, according Omnisend, the email marketing platform.
Useful information — “news I can use to live my life better” — is also one of the top three reasons people share information, according to research by Chadwick, Martin Bailey.
So focus on benefits verbs in your subject line. Let the reader know what she’ll be able to do differently if she reads your email.
- Keep them short.
Four- to six-word subject lines get the most opens, according to Omnisend.
And Axios, everyone’s favorite newsletter publisher, sees a 3% to 5% increase in open rates with subject lines of three to six words.
Another way to count: Subject lines of 31-49 characters optimize opens even more, according to Axios. Omnisend suggests making them even shorter: 21 to 40 characters.
- Keep words short.
Stick to words of one to two syllables, Axios recommends. Short words boost opens by 1%.
This is true for all of your communications: Aim for an average of five-character words, regardless your channel, medium or audience.
I know you can do it. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and CNN do it every day.
- Choose sentence case.
Writing in sentence case — like this — increases opens, according to Omnisend. Title Capitalization, On the Other Hand, Reduces It.
(Take note: Title Capitalization is too formal for headlines and other display copy as well.)
ALL CAPS reduces opens by 2%, according to Axios. So stick with simple sentence case.
- Don’t be afraid of emojis.
Using one relevant emoji can boost open rates, according to Axios. Put your emoji at the:
- Front of your subject line to get an average 3% boost in opens.
- Middle of the subject line for 5%.
- End for 7%.
- Include 1 numeral.
Numerals boost opens, according to Omnisend.
And — here’s something I learned from my work in the magazine industry: Oddly, odd numerals increase readership more than even ones. So “7 steps” is better than “10 tips.”
- Stay positive.
A neutral or positive tone increases open rates by 2%, on average, according to Axios.
- Don’t ask questions.
Expect a 4% boost in open rates, suggests Axios, when you avoid question marks.
- Create urgency.
Urgency is the No. 1 reason people open emails, according to research by Return Path — now Validity — email platform. To create urgency:
- Choose urgent words. Still time, Limited time, Expiring, Last chance and Now all performed well in Return Path’s research.
- Use concrete numbers. “Save 50% when you book by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31,” maybe.
- Don’t oversell. You lose credibility when every email purports to be the last, final, urgent
Get help.
I use Omnisend Email subject line grader to test all of my subject lines and many of my headlines. It’s better than AI!
The subject line I used for this column’s headline — 9 ways to get emails opened — got a perfect score. That’s because it’s:
- Short: 6 words, 27 characters
- Valuable: It offers two helpful words, get and ways
- Positive: It doesn’t include any negative words
- Quantifiable: It features the numeral 9
- Scannable: It uses sentence-case, Not Title Case or ALL CAPS, capitalization
How can you increase your open rates with these scientific, proven-in-the-lab tips?
Ann Wylie (WylieComm.com) helps PR professionals Catch Your Readers through writing training. Her workshops take her from Hollywood to Helsinki, helping communicators in organizations like Coca-Cola, Toyota, Eli Lilly and Salesforce draw readers in and move them to act. Never miss a tip: FreeWritingTips.wyliecomm.com.
Copyright © 2025 Ann Wylie. All rights reserved.
Illustration credit: tiena
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