15 Email Subject Lines with Open Rates of 50% or more
In the world of email marketing, getting your message opened is half the battle. According to Mooseend’s 2024 Email Marketing Benchmarks report, the average open rate for healthcare industry emails is 23.37%, while the average for the wellness and fitness sector sits at 21.68% Against these benchmarks, achieving a 50%+ open rate isn’t just good – it’s exceptional.
Mailchimp’s industry data shows that for medical, dental, and healthcare providers, click-through rates average just 2.69%. This makes the subject line’s role in engaging readers even more crucial. Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on 15 subject lines from my newsletter that achieved remarkable results, more than doubling industry standards.
BTW, my overall open rate average is about 45%. It’s not just these 15 emails.
Wanna get on my list? Subscribe here.
The Power of Emotional Connection
The highest-performing subject line, “Let’s all come together 🤗” (57.80%), reveals a fundamental truth about marketing: before we are business owners or chiropractors, we are human beings craving connection. According to a study by OptinMonster, personalization drives sales. 80% of consumers say they’re more likely to do business with a company that uses personalization, highlighting the importance of human connection in digital communication. Are you segmenting your email list yet?
To help increase open rates, Retention Science recommends using a person’s name in the subject line.
Breaking Down the Winners
Let’s analyze the psychological triggers that made these subject lines so effective:
1. The Power of Community and Belonging
- “Let’s all come together 🤗” (57.80%)
- “Partners in crime” (50.51%)
These subject lines tap into our innate desire for belonging. Research from the Email Marketing Journal shows that subject lines evoking community or shared experiences see 39% higher open rates than purely promotional ones [Source: emailmarketingjournal.com].
2. Empowerment and Strength
- “You got the power 💪🏼” (54.99%)
- “Be unfuckwithable” (54.75%)
These subject lines speak directly to the desire to feel confident and in control. This is for the Hero, Ruler, and Rebel archetypes. According to Litmus, power words in subject lines could increase open rates.
3. Curiosity Gap
- “Unlock the mystery” (50.64%)
- “(not so) risky business” (53.77%)
- “The Blacklist 😱” (50.26%)
Curiosity is a powerful motivator. HubSpot’s research indicates that subject lines creating curiosity gaps see higher open rates than straightforward ones.
4. Direct Problem-Solution Framing
- “Why your leads don’t convert” (50.25%)
- “How to handle multiple brands” (50.00%)
- “1800+% increase 🤯” (52.90%)
Sometimes, the straightforward approach works best, especially if you know your audience well enough to give them something they want or need. Something else I noticed was that 10 of the 15 emails were part of my 30 days of Branding series. Have you tried a dedicated email series before? I’m definitely going to try this again and see if there are any changes in the open rate.
5. Action-Oriented Energy
- “Dig Deeper” (53.85%)
- “Aaaaaaand Action 🎬” (52.30%)
- “Grow, baby, grow” (52.06%)
Dynamic, action-focused language creates a sense of momentum. Constant Contact suggests using action-oriented subject lines related to a clear CTA in the email itself.
Key Takeaways for Crafting High-Converting Subject Lines
- Keep It Concise The most successful subject lines were typically 2-4 words long. 256 characters is the maximum length of subject the users can see when they open an email and see the full subject line. The inbox view — showing multiple messages on the screen — shows even less. I try to keep the entire subject line visible in the inbox.
- Strategic Emoji Usage Emojis, when used thoughtfully, can add personality and visual interest. They don’t really have an impact on open rate, but I’d be cautious when using them. I like them because they can add extra meaning using very little space. But it also depends on your Brand Persona. A Ruler brand probably shouldn’t use emojis too much.
- Emotional Intelligence Matters The highest-performing subject lines all connected with readers on an emotional level, whether through community, empowerment, or curiosity.
- Authenticity Sells Even seemingly casual or unconventional subject lines (“Be unfuckwithable”) performed well, suggesting that authenticity resonates more than polish.
The Bottom Line
Great subject lines aren’t about tricks or gimmicks – they’re about understanding your audience and connecting with them authentically. Whether through community, empowerment, curiosity, or direct problem-solving, the key is to craft subject lines that resonate with the human behind the screen. Don’t be so business-like and serious. Being real and showing some personality goes a long way.
Take a look at your emails from the past year and pay attention to what’s working best. Start experimenting with these patterns in your own email marketing. Test different approaches, track your results, and refine based on what resonates most with your audience. After all, the best subject line is the one that gets your valuable content in front of the people who need it most.
Need some help getting clarity on your audience, how to best connect with them, or better brand messaging? Let’s have a chat!
0 Comments