Here’s the formula for producing sales with email:
List size * open rate * click through rate * conversion rate * average order value
One of the easiest ways to dramatically increase the sales you make through email is by increasing your open rate.
Most people settle for a measly 10-20% open rate. In this post, you’ll discover proven email subject lines that have produced open rates as high as 72% (that’s 3-7X what most people get).
Open Rate Factor #1: The List
Are you guaranteed to get open rates as high as 72% just by copying one of the subject lines below? Absolutely not.
It’s hard to compare the open rate of one email versus another, even when sending to the same list.
A new list is almost always going to perform better (higher open rates). A list of customers versus prospects is almost always going to produce a higher open rate as well.
Also, how well you manage your relationship with your list and how good you are about removing unsubscribes and bad emails is going to affect your open rate too.
Open Rate Factor #2: The From Name
The subject line isn’t the only thing people see when they receive one of your emails in their inboxes.
They also see your name. Hopefully, they recognize it and want to hear what you have to say.
Unless you run a Fortune 500 corporate behemoth, you should likely send from something more personal than just your company name. Ideally, you’re able to send from your own personal name (e.g., “Matt Clark”) to build an even better relationship with your list.
However, you can settle for a combination of both (e.g., “Matt Clark from Amazing.com”) and be OK.
Open Rate Factor #3: The Pre-header Text
In email clients such as Gmail, there’s one more thing people see when your email hits their inbox that affects whether you get them to open up or not: the pre-header text.
This bit of text gives the reader a preview of what’s coming. Many people and companies (including American Express according to an email I just received) forget about this critical piece of text and let the email template fill this unattractive and useless content.
Tease the content of the email with your pre-header text. Think of the subject line like your headline and your pre-header text like your sub-headline.
Open Rate Factor #4: The Subject Line
Last but not least is the subject line. You can increase sales multiple times over by just getting more people to open your emails with well-crafted subject lines.
Not all subject lines will work in every case. But, all subject lines can be adapted in one way or another to fit any product or business.
WARNING: Some of the subject lines below are very aggressive and should be used sparingly. If you use some of these too often (let’s say the “FINAL NOTICE” one for example), you’ll likely lose credibility with your audience and will get a dangerous level of spam complaints.
Our 163 Best-Performing Email Subject Lines
(#163) This is crazy. (Open rate: 15%)
(#162) Amazon BANS Reviews (Open rate: 15.9%)
(#161) Quick question… (Open rate: 17%)
(#160) OMG…Are you kidding me? (Open rate: 18.6%)
(#159) OMG…How come I didn’t think of that? (Open rate: 18.6%)
(#158) Are you doing the right things in the wrong order? (Open rate: 24.9%)
(#157) Amazon partnering with you? (Open rate: 25%)
(#156) You want in on this? (Open rate: 27.1%)
(#155) See you at lunch today (Open rate: 28.%)
(#154) Conversion, Traffic, Scale (72 Hours = $200) (Open rate: 28.%)
(#153) Uh oh. (Closing TONIGHT) (Open rate: 30%)
(#152) Rock the Holidays (Open rate: 30%)
(#151) Live in < 30 min: “$1M to $2M on Amazon” (Open rate: 30%)
(#150) Facebook in 90min (Open rate: 30%)
(#149) Facebook = More Sales (Open rate: 30%)
(#148) Looking for Increased Traffic? (Open rate: 30.1%)
(#147) Want to sell your Amazon business? (Open rate: 30.5%)
(#146) Do You Sell on Amazon? Here’s Why It Matters… (Open rate: 30.6%)
(#145) Subject: Unlimited Amazon reviews (here’s how) (Open rate: 30.7%)
(#144) COUNTDOWN: It’s almost over. (Don’t miss out.) (Open rate: 31%)
(#143) The simple way to make your product sell on Amazon (Open rate: 31%)
(#142) The 10th principle (Open rate: 31%)
(#141) Make Facebook work for you (Open rate: 31%)
(#140) Increase Sales in 90min (Open rate: 31%)
(#139) Closing TONIGHT (Open rate: 31%)
(#138) 10 page 1 rankings in 2 weeks? OMG… (Open rate: 31%)
(#137) Can you spare one hour to grow your business? (Open rate: 31%)
(#136) Auto-pilot has never been so profitable (Open rate: 31.3%)
(#135) Final notice (<17 hours left) (Open rate: 31.4%)
(#134) Missed the Webinar? You have 48 Hours to Watch It (Open rate: 31.4%)
(#133) Go Beyond Amazon, Thrive in the Wild! (Open rate: 31.7%)
(#132) Don’t Miss the Grand Finale! (Open rate: 31.9%)
(#131) Thanks! (Plus: 5 Crazy Facts About Amazon) (Open rate: 32%)
(#130) Here it is…[strategy video] (Open rate: 32%)
(#129) 12 months of someone else handling the details, for FREE (Open rate: 32.1%)
(#128) You better do THIS before your competitors (Open rate: 33%)
(#127) Come hang with us now! (Open rate: 33%)
(#126) $0 to $1M on Amazon [webinar] (Open rate: 33%)
(#125) We’ve Got Something New for You (Open rate: 33.1%)
(#124) It only takes 3 hours (or less)! (Open rate: 33.4%)
(#123) One Free BWM (and Five Other Reasons to Stay) (Open rate: 33.6%)
(#122) [Private Invitation] Only 10 HOURS left! (Open rate: 33.8%)
(#121) Spend time on Facebook? Why not generate sales while you do it… (Open rate: 33.9%)
(#120) Time’s up (Open rate: 34%)
(#119) Don’t be silly (plus, URGENT update) (Open rate: 34%)
(#118) 10 page 1 rankings in 2 weeks? (Open rate: 34%)
(#117) OMG – Rings or Board for 99% OFF? (Open rate: 34.6%)
(#116) Extreme Makeover: Amazing Edition (Open rate: 34.7%)
(#115) BANNED by Amazon (2,600 coming) (Open rate: 34.7%)
(#114) Re: can’t see what’s next?? (Open rate: 35%)
(#113) WOW: The whole shebang (Open rate: 35%)
(#112) What are the 5 steps? (Open rate: 35%)
(#111) Instagram + Amazon = Sales? (Open rate: 35%)
(#110) Gone in minutes (Open rate: 35%)
(#109) Disappearing soon… (Open rate: 35%)
(#108) Step 1. Get product live, Step 2. Do this…. [live] (Open rate: 36%)
(#107) Rank on Amazon’s page 1 like clock work (Open rate: 36%)
(#106) Want a free balance board? (Open rate: 36.4%)
(#105) Steal this! (Open rate: 37%)
(#104) Start now (Open rate: 37%)
(#103) Shhh (this is just for ASM – TODAY ONLY) (Open rate: 37%)
(#102) Need money for inventory? (Open rate: 37%)
(#101) I’ve got your ticket to China (Open rate: 37%)
(#100) Commit now (Open rate: 37%)
(#99) Amazon + Instagram = ??? (Open rate: 37%)
(#98) Scaling to $500 Million from nothing, in 5 years… (Open rate: 37.1%)
(#97) $0 to $1MM in 12 Months? (Open rate: 37.3%)
(#96) Meet me in Austin (only 24 hours left) (Open rate: 37.4%)
(#95) How to DOUBLE your sales on Amazon… (Open rate: 38%)
(#94) Your next lesson (Open rate: 38%)
(#93) The 5-Step System (Open rate: 38%)
(#92) Freely available (for a limited time) (Open rate: 38%)
(#91) Become an “appreneur” (Open rate: 38%)
(#90) Amazon to Shopify [live] (Open rate: 38%)
(#89) $1M on Amazon with no product? (Open rate: 38%)
(#88) LAUNCH DAY! (Only 17 Hours Left) (Open rate: 38.9%)
(#87) Meet Carter (Open rate: 39%)
(#86) Here it is… (Open rate: 39%)
(#85) My $60K Mistake (Open rate: 40%)
(#84) Only One More Day! (Open rate: 40%)
(#83) The Final Secret (Open rate: 40%)
(#82) No computer needed (Open rate: 40%)
(#81) Let’s get started (Open rate: 40%)
(#80) Are you ready? (Open rate: 40%)
(#79) 2 weeks notice (Open rate: 40%)
(#78) Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! (Open rate: 40.3%)
(#77) $1,040,136 per year ON AVERAGE? (Open rate: 40.5%)
(#76) $2,163,852 Per Year on Amazon Each (Only 36 Hours Left) (Open rate: 40.9%)
(#75) URGENT WARNING: Facebook closing down? (Open rate: 41%)
(#74) [SS] Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! (Open rate: 41%)
(#73) Build Yours (Open rate: 41%)
(#72) [Affiliate] Cut the crap. (Open rate: 41%)
(#71) We Miss You (Open rate: 41.4%)
(#70) Want to sell more of your products? (Open rate: 41.8%)
(#69) ASM to Shopify [live] (Open rate: 43%)
(#68) $0 to $100K/month in 12 months? (Open rate: 43.4%)
(#67) Only 36 hours away… (Open rate: 44%)
(#66) ASM – Time is money, so do this now (Open rate: 45%)
(#65) 1,607 Registered! (Plus: Why we’re closing Social Secrets down) (Open rate: 45%)
(#64) [PRIVATE] Steal These PROVEN Headlines, Images, and Templates…(One Day Only) (Open rate: 45%)
(#63) ASM vs. the Membership (Open rate: 45%)
(#62) [Private Invitation] Hey , Don’t Settle for $1M (Open rate: 45.4%)
(#61) Really? We’ve gone INSANE…(You won’t believe this) (Open rate: 46%)
(#60) Learn How to Pick RED HOT Products (Open rate: 46%)
(#59) Sell your skills (and help others) (Open rate: 46%)
(#58) Check out what’s new (Open rate: 46%)
(#57) New Week, New Members, & Awesome Instructors (Open rate: 46.6%)
(#56) Your 2014 Strategy (Open rate: 47%)
(#55) Are you ready to dominate Facebook (Open rate: 47%)
(#54) [SS] WOW! Now this is very cool… (Open rate: 47%)
(#53) The Future of ASM (Open rate: 47%)
(#52) 100 books a year? (Open rate: 48%)
(#51) Got skills? Get paid to teach them! (Open rate: 48%)
(#50) Steal THIS strategy (Open rate: 49%)
(#49) Become a spy (Open rate: 49%)
(#48) An Exclusive Preview (Open rate: 49.5%)
(#47) Let’s hangout in Austin (Open rate: 49.5%)
(#46) Tell us how to make it even better! (Open rate: 51.9%)
(#45) Thank you! (Open rate: 52%)
(#44) Spy and profit (Open rate: 52%)
(#43) Get your space while they last! (Open rate: 52.9%)
(#42) Introducing… (Open rate: 53%)
(#41) You only have 14 days (but you only need a few hours) (Open rate: 53.5%)
(#40) Testimonials and News! (Open rate: 53.6%)
(#39) 28 Courses Added! (Open rate: 54%)
(#38) [JV] Covered by Forbes, 60 Minutes, CNBC, and more… (Open rate: 54%)
(#37) We Have Something Just for You (Open rate: 54.3%)
(#36) The Countdown Has Started! (Open rate: 54.8%)
(#35) Steal from your competitors (Open rate: 55.%)
(#34) How’s it going? (Open rate: 55.%)
(#33) [LIVE] Your webinar starts now! (Open rate: 55.%)
(#32) Are you up to date? (Open rate: 55.9%)
(#31) Your “$0 to $1M in 12 Months” replay is now available! (Open rate: 56.%)
(#30) $2,163,852 Per Year on Amazon Each (Open rate: 56.3%)
(#29) What do you think so far? (Open rate: 57.%)
(#28) New course added: Social Marketing Profit System (Open rate: 57.%)
(#27) Join Original “Shark” Kevin Harrington Now! (Open rate: 57.%)
(#26) Re: You are getting this, but it’s not forever… (Open rate: 57.%)
(#25) Loved the webinar? Did you catch all the extras? (Open rate: 59%)
(#24) Your webinar w/Jason Fladlien is starting now! (Open rate: 60%)
(#23) Join the presentation now! (Open rate: 60%)
(#22) [JV] Two BIG opportunities (Open rate: 60%)
(#21) The truth about sourcing from China (Open rate: 60.4%)
(#20) [Barcelona] Your Early Registration Link is HERE (Open rate: 60.5%)
(#19) We’re Upgrading! (Open rate: 60.5%)
(#18) [LIVE] Your Google Hangout is starting… (Open rate: 61%)
(#17) 7/5: The wait is over… (Open rate: 61.8%)
(#16) You have new courses! (Open rate: 62%)
(#15) Deactivation notice: Renew now (Open rate: 62%)
(#14) Here’s What’s Up for June 17! (Open rate: 62.8%)
(#13) You might be taking the wrong steps (Open rate: 62.9%)
(#12) [WSM] Live Today! (Open rate: 63%)
(#11) Your bonus training webinar is starting now! (Open rate: 64%)
(#10) [Only a Few Spots Left] You Hear About This? (Open rate: 64.5%)
(#9) Here are your discount links and coupon codes! (Open rate: 64.8%)
(#8) Big news for APM (Open rate: 67%)
(#7) [SS] 60 MINUTE WARNING. (Last call!) (Open rate: 67%)
(#6) Live TODAY (Plus: THIS is happening tomorrow…) (Open rate: 69%)
(#5) I want to see YOU (Open rate: 69%)
(#4) FINAL NOTICE (Open rate: 69%)
(#3) Your Google Hangout is starting soon… (Open rate: 69%)
(#2) Hey , did you make it? (Don’t miss the replay) (Open rate: 70.4%)
(#1) Sneak Peek (Plus: Less Than 72 Hours Left) (Open rate: 72%)
Email is Just the Start…
What if I told you you can use the same mechanisms that work to dramatically increase the open rates of email to hack your entire sales process to produce a ton more sales for any product in any market?
Well I’m about to show you how with four free videos.
You’ll discover our system for planning and executing massive 8-figure product launches (including one launch that generated over $22 million in sales in 8 days).
Click here to check it out (you do not want to miss this)…
See you soon!
~ Matt Clark, CEO and Co-founder of Amazing.com