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See FeaturesCatchy email subject lines: 68 Examples + Tips (& a subject line tester)
Can you imagine if you had to read every single email that landed in your inbox?
Just the thought of it is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat—there’d be no time left for anything else!
It’s the same thing for your recipients. You want them to read your emails, but they’re probably receiving more than they can read as well.
Just like you, they skim through their inboxes and only stop if something grabs their attention. If it doesn’t, it’s ignored or deleted, never to be seen again.
That’s why catchy subject lines are so important. They help you stand out in a busy inbox. Other senders using boring subject lines is your opportunity to shine—and we’re going to help you. In this article, you’ll find 68 examples of the best email subject lines for different types of email, and learn how to make them yourself.
How to write a catchy email subject line
Writing a catchy email subject line can feel difficult at first, but with practice you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Use the following tips to help you find early inspiration:
Be true to brand character
Your subject lines, like all of your messaging, should stay true to your brand character—try to avoid writing something that gets attention but doesn’t sound at all like you. If your brand uses humor or playfulness, experiment with incorporating those elements into your subject lines.
Add personalization
Let your recipients know the email is for them. You can mention their name, reference their birthday, or include their purchase history to make it clear they’ll love this email.
Be specific with benefits
If your subject line gives clear benefits, your recipients are much more likely to take note. Think about what outcomes they can expect, or why this particular email is so important for them to read.
Ask a question
Questions make people start thinking of answers, so they’re incredibly powerful—particularly when you only have a second or two to get someone’s attention in the inbox!
Use humor
If you can make your recipients laugh or smile, they’re more likely to open your email. An example of this would be a food-email using “Hungry for discounts? Here’s a free coupon.” If you choose the humor route, be careful not to rely on it too much and remember to keep it relevant to your brand.
Your subject lines should ultimately convey the value inside your email, so don’t oversell or deviate from what the email is about just to try and get more clicks.
Use our free email subject line tester and AI subject line generator to check your creations and get tips on how to improve your campaigns
Catchy email subject lines: 68 examples
Now that we’ve covered why catchy subject lines are important and some pointers on how to write them, let’s dive into examples of using them for different types of emails.
Catchy email subject lines for newsletters
Newsletters are the main type of email that many businesses send out. One of the great things about them is their versatility—you can use them to share updates, offer a discount, make announcements, or almost anything else. And if you use audience segmentation, you can tailor the messaging and recommendations to recipients you know will like it. Here are some ways to use catchy subject lines for your newsletter:
“[Month] newsletter”
“Happy [Holiday] from [Brand]”
“Have you seen this?”
“Have you seen [Guide/Download Name]?”
“[Name], summer style tips”
“[Name], new recommendations just for you.”
“🔥 Don’t miss this!”
“Summer is finally here”
“See what’s new”
“Want 20% off?”
“Top tips just for you”
“Don’t miss these new items”
“If you liked [past purchase], you’ll love this!”
“You’re not going to believe this…”
“How would you wear this, [Name]?”
Catchy email subject lines for promo offers
Everyone loves a bargain, so the last thing you want is for a boring subject line to be the reason you lost out on sales. Consider these catchy subject lines for promotions to increase your open rates:
“Get your 30% coupon! Today only.”
“Free bonus ebook for our first 1,000 customers!”
“Our 20% off sale ends Friday. Don’t miss out!”
”[Product] 😍 50% OFF”
”Summer discount!”
”Psst!! Up to 50% off happening right now!”
”Thank you! 75% off for being an awesome customer”
”Summer [product] sale”
”Holiday special 🎁”
”[Name], up to 50% [holiday] sale”
”Sale has started”
”New ideas just for you”
”50% off before Black Friday!”
”Only 2 days left! Huge Labor Day sale!”
”LAST CHANCE for Cyber Monday!”
”Reminder: 30% sale is closing”
”20% off! Last chance for Xmas delivery!”
”Free shipping — today only!”
”Price drop extended for 2 days!”
”The biggest sale we’ve ever had!”
Catchy email subject lines for event invitations
If you’ve got an event that people will really enjoy, your subject line needs to reflect that. You can utilize fear of missing out (FOMO), urgency, exclusivity, and need-to-know information to grab the attention of your recipients:
“You’re invited (come hungry!)”
“Back by popular demand: [event name]”
“Monday. 5pm. Don’t miss it”
“A free event to learn about [theme]”
“It’s that time again – annual [event name]”
“Add this date to your diary”
“Trust us, you won’t want to miss this”
“Let’s talk [theme] – join us on [date]”
“Only a few spaces left – don’t miss out!”
“Here’s your invite 🙂”
“[Name], it’s almost here…”
“Last day to register!”
“The countdown is on!”
“Are you ready?!”
“Here’s your Save The Date”
Catchy email subject lines for review requests
We get it, asking for a review can be awkward. But a catchy email subject line can encourage your customers to leave positive feedback. Consider incorporating some of these examples into your review request emails:
“Hey, can you do us a favor?”
“Psst, how about a favor?”
“Got a minute?”
“$20 for 2 minutes”
“[Name], how are you liking [recent purchase]?”
“How was it for you, [Name]?”
“You can change our world.”
“Your opinion matters – will you share it?”
“Help us help you”
“Did you love [product]?”
“If we put a smile on your face, can you put one on ours?”
“We need to know! Will you tell us?”
“[Name], was [product] everything you hoped for?”
“To quote The Beatles, won’t you please help me?”
“Share your opinion. Win a discount.”
“Procrastinating? We can help you burn 3 minutes”
“If you leave a review we’ll love you forever”
Next steps
Crafting catchy email subject lines can feel daunting. It may not come easily to combine marketing with humor and brand image to bump up audience engagement.
But with the tips and 68 examples above, you’ve got everything you need to try them out and start seeing higher open rates.
If you’d like to learn more about subject lines for specific occasions, check out the following articles: