The Email Everyone Opens: Writing Subject Lines That Work
Tom sends a monthly newsletter to his 500 customers.
He spends hours crafting the perfect content, sharing valuable tips, and including customer spotlights. His last email had a 12% open rate.
Twelve percent.
That means 440 people never even saw all that hard work.
The problem wasn't his content. It was his subject line: "Johnson Landscaping Monthly Newsletter - March Edition."
Your email content doesn't matter if nobody opens the email.
The 3-Second Decision
Your subscribers make the decision to open your email in about three seconds. They're scanning their inbox, probably on their phone, probably distracted. Your subject line has to grab their attention immediately.
But here's what most businesses get wrong: they think the subject line should describe what's in the email.
Wrong. The subject line should make them want to open the email.
What Makes People Open Emails
People open emails for the same reasons they click on articles or watch videos: curiosity, self-interest, and urgency.
Curiosity: "The mistake 90% of homeowners make with their sprinkler systems" Self-interest: "How to cut your landscaping costs in half" Urgency: "Last chance to schedule spring cleanup"
Notice none of these mention "newsletter" or "monthly update." Those words tell people exactly what to expect: probably boring, probably promotional, probably deleteable.
The Psychology Behind Subject Lines
Curiosity creates tension. When you hint at information without giving it away, people want to resolve that tension by opening the email.
Specificity builds credibility. "5 ways to improve your lawn" is better than "lawn care tips." Numbers and specific benefits feel more valuable.
Personal benefit drives action. People want to know "what's in it for me?" Your subject line should answer that question immediately.
Urgency creates priority. Not fake urgency ("URGENT: Read this now!") but real deadlines and limited opportunities.
Subject Line Formulas That Work
The Specific Benefit: "3 signs it's time to replace your irrigation system" The Mistake Warning: "Why pressure washing your deck might be ruining it" The Seasonal Tip: "What to do with your garden beds before the first frost" The Inside Secret: "What landscape designers never tell homeowners about mulch" The Success Story: "How Sarah saved $1,200 on her landscaping project"
What Doesn't Work
Generic announcements: "March Newsletter" Company-focused: "Johnson Landscaping Update" Boring descriptions: "Spring services now available" All caps: "SPECIAL OFFER!!!" Too clever: Inside jokes or puns that require context
Testing What Works
The only way to know what works for your audience is to test. Most email platforms let you A/B test subject lines with a portion of your list, then send the winner to everyone else.
Try testing:
- Questions vs. statements
- Numbers vs. no numbers
- Short vs. long
- Benefit-focused vs. curiosity-focused
Keep track of what works and build on those patterns.
Beyond the Subject Line
The subject line gets them to open. The preview text (the snippet that shows after the subject line) gets them to read.
Use your preview text strategically:
- Complete the thought from your subject line
- Add additional benefit or curiosity
- Don't just repeat your subject line
Subject line: "The irrigation mistake that's costing you hundreds" Preview text: "Plus how to fix it before next summer"
The From Name Matters Too
People are more likely to open emails from people they recognize. If possible, use a person's name instead of just your company name.
"Tom from Johnson Landscaping" performs better than just "Johnson Landscaping."
Action Steps You Can Take This Week
1. A/B test subject line formulas provided. Take your next email and write three different subject lines using different formulas. Test two of them and see which performs better.
2. Analyze your last 5 email open rates. What patterns do you see? Which subject lines performed best? What can you learn from them?
3. Rewrite your upcoming email subject lines using this new approach. Instead of describing what's in the email, focus on making people want to open it. Lead with benefit, curiosity, or urgency.
The Bottom Line
Your email content might be amazing, but if nobody opens it, it doesn't matter. The subject line is your first and most important marketing message.
Tom changed his approach. Instead of "April Newsletter," he sent "Why your spring cleanup might be too late." His open rate jumped to 34%. Same content, different subject line.
The best email marketers spend as much time on their subject lines as they do on their content. Because without the first, nobody sees the second.
Your subject line isn't a description. It's an invitation. Make it one people can't refuse.
