Best Subject Lines of 2021

Best Subject Lines of 2021

For the fifth year in a row, I have compiled the Best Email Subject Lines of the year! You can read the Best Email Subject Lines of 2017, the Ā Best Email Subject Lines of 2018,Ā theĀ Best Email Subject Lines of 2019 and the Best Email Subject Lines of 2020 to see previous winners winners.

Every year, I listed the best email subject linesĀ according to my personal email inbox.

My Totally Biased Judging Methodology

 

  • 3rd place – You are on the list. Sometime in the past year, I opened one of your emails and thought, ‘Hey, that got my attention.’ I put a label on your email so you would be on this list when it came out.
  • 2nd place – You are on this list more than once.
  • 1st place – You have written more subject lines on this list than anyone else.

Since I subscribe to digital marketers and sales leaders, the content of the subject line skews to that school of thought. But I follow these people the most because they write the best email subject lines, and are more likely to contribute to my swipe files.

3RD PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2021

    Ā 2ND PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2021

    Those who earn 2nd Place in this annual contest make it on the best subject line list more than once.

    • [FREE] Download my Cheat Sheet – Pat Flynn
    • Learn these powerful email marketing strategies – Pat Flynn

     


    1st Place – Best Email Subject Lines of 2021

    Yael Bendahan

    Yael Bendahan is an online marketing and growth strategist, and specializes in training women to grow their business.

    Yael’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2021

    1. can I promote you in Q1? – Yael Bendahan
    2. do you see that elephant in the corner? – Yael Bendahan
    3. want to hit your income goals this month? (and next?) – Yael Bendahan
    4. the daily affirmation that changed everything for me – Yael Bendahan

    MAP workbook coverI’ve been collecting the best subject lines from my inbox every year for a while (see previous yearly roundups here). Feel free to review these subject lines, click through to the authors, and subscribe to their email newsletters (if someone is on this list, they are worthy to follow).

    Once you learn about writing better email subject lines, it’s time to automate your marketing! My Marketing Automation Planner takes you step-by-step through the process to create a lead generation machine. Get all my best tools, templates, and workbooks here:

    https://MarketingAutomationPlanner.com

    About The Author

    Caelan Huntress is the father of 3 kids, and in his spare time serves as creative director of Stellar Platforms. He is also a writer, digital marketer, multimedia producer, and a retired superhero. He blogs about his adventures onĀ https://caelanhuntress.com.

    Email Autoresponders

    Email Autoresponders

    Intelligent autoresponder email marketing campaigns can save you lots of time, while creating a solid engagement process for prospective customers just as they begin engaging with you. Your autoresponder emails are crucial for converting strangers into customers.

    Your weekly email newsletter is time-sensitive, and trapped in the present moment. Your autoresponder campaigns are eternal, and progress at the pace of your prospect’s knowledge of you, and is not limited by what you happen to be saying, writing, and sending right now.

    Autoresponder Example

    Out of Office Autoresponder Message

    You’ve surely received an autoresponder like this before. You email someone, and you instantly receive a reply, telling you about the details of their vacation and when they expect to be back.

    They don’t take the time to send you this email as soon as you hit their inbox. The entire purpose is that the autoresponder communicates what you need to know, in your timeframe, with total disregard of the sender’s timeframe.

    For converting strangers into customers on your website, an autoresponder email sequence is typically used in concert with the stages of your sales funnel.

    Consider how someone is feeling and thinking, just after they have subscribed to your list, and write your email to the customer avatar as they exist in that specific moment.

    Typical Autoresponder Email Sequence

    • Thank you for subscribing! Here is your lead magnet. Follow me on social media.
    • Did you like the lead magnet? Here’s a story of someone who had a transformation because of it.
    • Here’s another story, of someone who faced my customer avatar’s main problems, and how they were transformed.
    • Brief mention of services.
    • Educational email about the industry or current environment.
    • People with this big problem seek a solution. I have a solution, and I will tell you next time.
    • Hard sell of services.
    • Educational email.
    • Survey request.

    The better ESPs (Email Service Providers) will allow you to segment your lists based on their activities. If someone subscribes to your list after becoming your customer, for example, you don’t want to send them the ‘hard sell’ email – they should be left out of that step in the autoresponder sequence.

    Autoresponder Email MarketingĀ Platforms

    • ConvertKit
    • Aweber
    • Mailchimp
    • Constant Contact
    • InfusionSoft

    There are plenty of others available to choose from, but these are the ones that we typically work with and recommend to our clients.

    Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    For the fourth year in a row, I am am bringing you theĀ Best Email Subject Lines of the year! You can read the Best Email Subject Lines of 2017, the Ā Best Email Subject Lines of 2018and the Ā Best Email Subject Lines of 2019 to see the winners of previous years.This year, I’ve listed the best subject lines for emails according to my personal email inbox.

    How I Judge The Best Email Subject Lines of the Year

    • 3rd place – You make it on the list. Sometime over the last 12 months, I opened an email from you and said, ‘Hey, wow. Good work.’ I popped a label on it so you would be on this list when it came out.
    • 2nd place – You are on this list three times.
    • 1st place – You have written more subject lines on this list than anyone else.
    It’s true, this list is subjective, and I subscribe to more digital marketers and sales trainers than most people – however, I follow these people the most, because they are the best at writing subject lines that capture attention and get opened.

    3RD PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    2ND PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    David Newman

    The author ofĀ Do It! SpeakingĀ is a CSP and member of theĀ member of the NSA Million Dollar Speaker Group.

    David’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • [Online Workshop] 7 Association Trends that will Impact your Business in 2020
    • You + me + 2 days together
    • our call tomorrow

    Ryan Deiss

    Ryan was the 1st place winner of 2019’s Best Email Subject Lines contest. He is the founder of digitalmarketer.com.

    Ryan’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • diagnose āž”ļø execute āž”ļø measure āž”ļø repeat āž”ļø
    • This 1 skill can šŸš€LAUNCHšŸš€ your company+career
    • Re: the GREAT deal you just missed…

    Steph Crowder

    Steph is the host of theĀ Courage & Clarity Podcast, and is a sales trainer and business strategist.

    Steph’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • Omg did you see this? [REPLAY!]
    • Stop dreaming so big
    • Quiz: Where will you be in 3 months? šŸ¤”

    Marquel Russell

    Marquel is the founder of Client Attraction University and works with coaches and consultants to scale their business.

    Marquel’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • $97 Today, $197 Tomorrow
    • 5 Reasons Your Facebook Ads Are Failing
    • Listen Up, This Is Important…

    Stefan James

    Stefan is an internet entrepreneur and business coach and is the founder of Project Life Mastery.

    Stefan’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • Read this if you want to start a YouTube Channel in 2021
    • If I had to start over again, this is what Iā€™d do
    • Here’s why you’re STRUGGLING as an entrepreneur

    Allie Bjerk

    Allie is a digital marketer and the creator of the Tiny Offer Lab.

    Allie’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • Re: Denied Refund Request – [Course]
    • The questions everyone is asking me. Finally answered publicly.
    • Re: Unethical Price Change

    Jay Baer

    Jay is an emcee and keynote speaker and the founder of Convince And Convert.

    Jay’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    • join me in 60 minutes
    • Need Your Help
    • how a community manager became global VP at PatrĆ³n Tequila

    1st Place – Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    Donald Miller, Storybrand

    Donald is the author of Building A Story Brand, and trains entrepreneurs and marketers in the Storybrand framework.

    Donald’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2020

    1. we have a problem
    2. Real results from the StoryBrand Marketing LiveStream
    3. A better website in 60 minutes
    4. What your marketing is missing
    5. What the highest-paid people have in common…
    6. ignore your other emails and open this one
    7. What if you could read your customersā€™ minds?
    8. The 6-part checklist every business needs right now

    What was your fave subject line in this list?

    Click here and tell me on Twitter!

    About The Author

    Caelan Huntress is the father of 3 kids, and in his spare time serves as creative director of Stellar Platforms. He is also a writer, digital marketer, multimedia producer, and a retired superhero. He blogs about his adventures onĀ https://caelanhuntress.com.

    77 Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    77 Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    For the third year in a row, I am happy to bring you the Best Email Subject Lines of the year! You can read the Best Email Subject Lines of 2017 and the Best Email Subject Lines of 2018 if you’d like to take a look. But these, right here, are the freshest good subject lines for emails.

    How I Judge The Best Email Subject Lines of the Year

    • 3rd place – You make this list. Sometime over the last year, I opened an email from you and said, ‘Hey, wow. Good work.’ I popped a label on it so you would be on this list when it came out.
    • 2nd place – You make this list more than twice.
    • 1st place – You have subject lines in this list more than anyone else.
    It’s true, this list is subjective, and I subscribe to more digital marketers and sales trainers than most people – however, I follow these people the most, because they are the best at writing subject lines that capture attention and get opened.

    3RD PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    2ND PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    Marisa Murgatroyd headshot

    Marisa Murgatroyd

    Marisa Murgatroyd provides done-for-you branding, website design, and training.

    Marisa’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    • $297 today, $497 tomorrow
    • We could really use your sick dance moves
    • how to tell an awesome mastermind from one that sucks

    Erin Flynn headshot

    Erin Flynn

    Erin Flynn is a digital strategist and website designer.Ā 

    Erin’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    • Have a second to help me out?
    • It’s time to make emails as easy as copy + paste
    • Where do you find web design clients?

    Susan Pierce Thompson

    Susan is an author, speaker, and trainer at Bright Line Eating.

    Susan’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    • 70 percent? Can this be true?
    • Can I ask you something?
    • Do this one thing, today, for me.

    1st Place – Best Email Subject Lines of 2019
    Ryan Deiss headshot

    Ryan Deiss, Digital Marketer

    Ryan Deiss is the creator of DigitalMarketer.com, and provides some of the best training tools and digital marketing certification programs on the web. It’s no wonder he is this year’s winner – this is exactly the kind of material he teaches.

    Ryan’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2019

    1. [CLOSING] Unicorns pooping rainbows?
    2. I proposed on the first date
    3. This is awkward, but…
    4. I noticed your name still isn’t on the list, CAELAN
    You may have noticed, when Ryan’s final subject line landed in my inbox, it displayed my name in all CAPS. This is because whenever I subscribe to newsletters…I always put my name in all CAPS. This way, I can immediately differentiate between automated and personal emails. When you have 395,911 unread emails in your inbox (like I do) you find some quirky ways to manage the volume, and this is one of them. What was your fave subject line in this list? Click here and tell me on Twitter!

    About The Author

    Caelan Huntress is the father of 3 kids, and in his spare time serves as creative director of Stellar Platforms. He is also a writer, digital marketer, multimedia producer, and a retired superhero. He blogs about his adventures onĀ https://caelanhuntress.com.

    Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    The awards for this contest, the Best Email Subject Lines of 2018, is totally biased and skewed. To even be considered for this award, you have to:

    1. Publish a newsletter regularly, to which
    2. I happen to be subscribed, and
    3. One or more of your subject lines has to make me go, ‘Wow!’

    Last year I did a round-up of the 170 best email subject lines from 2017. Now that we’ve faced another New Year, I clicked the same Gmail label in my inbox to pull up a list of all the best emails that got my attention in 2018.

    Email Subject Line Contest Judging Criteria

    • 3rd place – You show up in this list. Sometime, in 2018, you sent me an email with a subject line that made me say, ‘Wow, that’s good.’
    • 2nd place – You show up in this list more than once.
    • 1st place – You show up in this list more than anyone else.

    Again, this is a highly subjective list, and it’s skewed towards digital marketers and salespeople (since they are the content creators I like to follow the most, and they are usually the best at writing subject lines that make you want to open the email) and the joy of having your own award show is that you get to award them however you please, so without further ado, here is…

    3RD PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    I kept this secret way too long – Mira Kelly

    I never wanted to be an entrepreneur – Stu McLaren

    DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT – Kartra

    Can we talk about getting you leads? – Dan Faber

    Announcing major new services for your site. – Jetpack

    How I Generated 800 Booked Calls With A Four Page Website – James Kemp

    So, stop me if you’ve heard this one – Joseph Michael

    How to get 10 paying Clients Now – Ted McGrath

    New for you. The Mozart Pack is now ready. – Divi Den

    The bad advice I followed at the start of my business – Melyssa Griffin

    Full-time author within 12 months (how she did it) – Nick Stephenson

    Question – Holden Qigong

    did you miss it? – Jill Knouse

    You are guest speaking on TED in 3 days (you’re ready, right?) – Dominika

    Write me back if you want one of 7 test drives – Amber McCue

    I know Keto is hot. Here’s a simple way to do it. – Pedram Shojai

    Surprise! Unlock a Free Membership Upgrade When You Join Today – Trusted Housesitters

    [pdf download] Get paid to share your message – Ben Kniffen

    Why I love it when my clients are afraid – Laura Simms

    Steal this sales email – Shenee Howard

    You won’t believe who just joined the Naturopathic CE Faculty! – Naturopathic CE

    I recorded a video for you – Fab Mancini

    “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard” – Vishen Lakhiani

    You’ve acquired FIFTY PERCENT OFF šŸ˜‰ It’s confirmed, CAELAN – Expedia

    Can we put your name in the raffle? – Danny Iny

    Day Six – “ABANDON SHIP!” (and other launch lies your brain tells you) – Kyla Roma

    [Explosion noises] – Digg

    Don’t buy this course! Guerilla Publishing is NOT for you if… – Derek Murphy

    Your “Start Here ” Page – Pat Flynn

    REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN – Susan Peirce Thompson

    Now I’m obsessed. – Nick Stephenson

    Changes – SARK

    do you believe me yet?- Cory Huff

    Announcement : Introducing Unstoppable with Kerwin Rae – Kerwin Rae

    You have a $603 credit – Michelle Shaeffer

    The Productivity Hack That’s Made Me Millions – Bob Allen

    Can I give you $1000? Two people are going to winā€¦might as well be you. – Kelly Poelker

    You’ve always wondered ā€¦.Now you can find out for yourself – Team Tony Robbins

    The ultimate list building short-cut (PDF DOWNLOAD Inside) – Navid Moazzez

    BOOM! This is how you make money from a tiny list – Meera Kothand

    Something BIG is coming – Steph Crowder

    Write better emails TODAY-Here’s how – Derek Halpern

    You’re not in yet šŸ™‚ last chance today! – Aaron Morin

    Can you come as my guest? (VIP invite) – John Assaraf

    did you hear the news? – Dustin W. Stout

    Why do customers really buy? – Donald Miller

    Did you see this? – Andrea Leda

    10x your book revenue without selling another book – Ty Ward

    Get my best speaker training tips! Here’s how… – Sage Lavine

    do you need a raise? – Lisa Sasevich

    The hardest decision I’ve made in my business this year. – Caleb Wojcik

    Make Your Website a Well-Oiled Machine – Pia Larson


    While some of these subject lines look like they were addressed to me personally, or seem to be a personal request, I can assure you, they are not. Some of these were so good because they insinuated a personal connection so well, but these were really all mass emails.

    The email subject lines in this list – these are examples of really good mass emails.

    2ND PLACE – Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    These authors showed up multiple times in my inbox this year, and more than once I said, ‘Hey, that’s a really good subject line.’


    Wendy Weiss

    Wendy Weiss, the Queen of Cold Calling

    Wendy Weiss runs a sales training and coaching consultancy, with an expertise in new business development.

    Wendy’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • Your message = your money
    • This will be your last chance

    Eben Pagan headshot

    Eben Pagan, Entrepreneur & Teacher

    Eben Pagan teaches advanced strategies to grow your business to the 6 and 7 figure per year level.

    Eben’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • Email me back
    • Did you still want this?

    Jon Morrow, 7-Figure Blogger

    Jon Morrow gives cutting edge advice about blogging to smart bloggers.

    Jon’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • [Blog Launch Tookit] Please don’t pay full price for this
    • [FLASH SALE] The Ultimate Training Library for Beginning Bloggers

    Benji Bruce headshot

    Benji Bruce, Motivational Keynote Speaker

    Benji Bruce shows an audience how to create a psychological advantage so they stay sharp and stay ahead.

    Benji’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • Send me your pitch
    • Cancel my membership

    John Lee Dumas headshot

    John Lee Dumas, Podcaster

    John Lee Dumas hosts the daily business podcast EOFire for the Fire Nation.

    John’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • Secrets to selling from pages, stages, and webinars
    • Get ready to learn Facebook Ads!

    Alan McKenna, Business Strategist

    Alan McKenna is a sales & marketing strategist with over 20 years experience in turning companies around and exploding their growth

    Alan’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • Can I send you $3000?
    • Wednesday March 21st-Add to your calendar
    • I changed the date of the meeting

    David Siteman Garland headshot

    David Siteman Garland, Online Course Creator

    David Siteman Garland helps experts create and sell online courses.

    David’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    • (super time sensitive) Create Awesome Online Course is open
    • The biggest mistake I made in my business (plus deadline)

    1st Place – Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    Marisa Murgatroyd headshot

    Marisa Murgatroyd, Brand Builder and Marketing Strategist

    Marisa Murgatroyd provides done-for-you branding, website design, and training on becoming the most bold, colorful, vibrant expression of who you are online.

    Marisa also has one of the best platforms on the internet, IMHO. She’s got crystal-clear messaging, top-notch website design, excellent sales funnels and creates a TON of content. So it’s no big surprise that she showed up in this (highly subjective) list a total of NINE times.

    Marisa’s Best Email Subject Lines of 2018

    1. Can we work together on your business?
    2. I hit 7-figures because I did this…
    3. what Luke Skywalker can do for your business
    4. this common product creation mistake can lead to zero sales
    5. this is not a trick question
    6. I’ve got an idea for you!
    7. {true story} How I hit zeroā€¦.
    8. 2 inconvenient fact that should disqualify me as a coach
    9. {urgent} change of plansā€¦.

    About The Author

    Caelan Huntress is the father of 3 kids, and in his spare time serves as creative director of Stellar Platforms. He is also a writer, digital marketer, multimedia producer, and a retired superhero. He blogs about his adventures on https://caelanhuntress.com.

    Follow Caelan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Youtube.

    170 Best Email Subject Lines of 2017

    170 Best Email Subject Lines of 2017

    I subscribe to a lot of email newsletters. (As of this writing, I have 256,918 unread emails in my inbox.) While I don’t read all of these emails, I do scan them all, so I can find the best email subject lines. As a digital marketer, it is really useful to listen to what the masters of content marketing are doing, en masse. Every day as I sift through my email, I notice what grabs my attention. When an email subject line stands out in my inbox, I know there is something that it can teach me.

    All year, I have been tagging the best email subject lines that catch my attention, and below is a list of the 170 best email subject lines that I saved. The author of the subject line is linked next to each one, so if you like, you can subscribe to their email newsletters, and follow the masters that I follow.

    Table of Contents

    22 Webinar Invitation Subject Lines

    These subject lines ask your email subscriber to register for an upcoming webinar. Webinars are fantastic for creating rapport and delivering mini-campaigns that increase engagement.

    8 Best Customer Survey Email Subject Line Examples

    Getting feedback from your customers gives you invaluable marketing intelligence. (If you’ve got a website, btw, I’d love to know your thoughts in this 2-minute survey.) Getting your list to open the survey request is step 1, and a few different techniques are shown below. Coupons work well.

    12 Good Email Subject Lines for Lead Magnets

    These are the best email subject lines for getting opt-ins for a new list. If you want to develop a segment of your existing list, or clean your list so you can identify the people who are willing to re-subscribe, these subject lines will get your existing subscribers to opt-in again.

    9 Re-Engagement Email Subject Lines

    Sometimes, your open rate lies to you. Open rates are notoriously inaccurate, but they are still used to determine the level of engagement of your list – which can be factored into the likelihood you will land in Gmail’s Propmotions tab, or in the Spam folder. To keep your list engaged, you need to both produce compelling content, and check in with your subscribers regularly to see if they still want to be on your list.

    21 Best Email Subject Lines for Sales

    Email is for selling. Out of every method of selling things on the Internet, email is still the #1 driver of sales. Improving your open rate on your sales emails through a good subject line is probably the most granular thing you could improve to increase your revenue. Pay special attention to how people are selling with the best email subject lines, and you can increase your own sales as a result.

    16 Post-Product Launch Email Subject Lines

    These emails are sent after a product launch. If your product launch has a sales funnel, with a lead magnet at the top of it, or if you had a waitlist, then you have an additional group of people to market your product to during launch.  After launching your product, it’s good to keep communicating to this hot list with all the benefits of your product – the extra bonuses, the expiring offer, and the testimonials of people whose lives have been changed because of what you’re launching. The best email subject lines will help get those emails opened.

    10 Subject Lines For Affiliate Offers

    These emails were sent to promote another person’s product (or lead magnet) and they do a good job of creating interest, offering solutions to a pressing problem, and standing out in the inbox.

    9 Great Blog Post Announcements

    Announcing a blog post can get very pedestrian – or it could be an opportunity to showcase your great headline writing skills.

    • New post: 47 Resources for People Who Love to Write but Can Never Find the Time – Jon Morrow
    • What my vacation face-plant can teach you about success  – Marie Forleo
    • Are successful people crazy? Benji Bruce – Speaking Lifestyle
    • āœŖ The Cardinal Sin of Self-publishing āœŖ – Derek Murphy
    • 7 Questions You Have About RE-Launching a Product – Answered! – Bailey Richert
    • Did you miss this episode? Tim Ferriss
    • 5 Unusual Ways to Get Paid Doing What You Love (Even If You’re Not an Expert Yet!) – Live Your Legend Team
    • New Episode: Do you want to hear a joke? – Dr. Fab Mancini
    • My podcast launches today! – Noah Kagan

    38 Email Subject Lines That Intrigue

    The best emails in a crowded inbox can create a ‘pattern interrupt’ – something that makes you curious enough to stop what you are doing and actually pay attention. The best pattern interrupts are usually shocking in some way, making them stand out from the noise. These are the ones that caught my attention this year.

    16 Email Marketing Subject Lines for Email Marketers

    Many of the lists I subscribe to are about email marketing, since I spend a lot of my time marketing through email. These are the best email subject lines that don’t fit in the other categories on this page, but are of particular interest to people who work with email as their craft.

    9 Welcome Email Subject Lines For New Customers

    When engaging new clients on your list, getting them involved immediately is a great way to increase retention. A good onboarding sequence starts with an introductory email that gets opened.

    Bonus Tip: Subscribe to Email Newsletters in ALL CAPS

    You may have noticed that some of the best email subject lines listed above address the name CAELAN in all caps.

    This is because I make it a practice to always subscribe for newsletters with CAELAN as my first name. I can easily pick out who is using a first-name parameter in their email, and who is actually addressing me personally, by the capitalization of my first name in the email.

    Some people have a specific email address they use for email subscriptions, so they can corral them all into one inbox, and only check it when they want to. Personally, I like having everyone’s email newsletters crowding my personal inbox. I even disabled the ‘Promotions’ tab in Gmail so I can get an unfiltered firehose of communication anytime I check my inbox.

    Whenever something stands out from that noise, I know that it matters.

    About The Author

    Caelan Huntress is the father of 3 kids, and in his spare time serves as creative director of Stellar Platforms. He is also a writer, digital marketer, multimedia producer, and a retired superhero. He blogs about his adventures onĀ https://caelanhuntress.com.

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