Trying to get your emails opened? It’s a tough job. Inboxes are crowded, and no one is fazed by 437 unread messages anymore.
Sprinkling your subject lines with a dash of curiosity isn’t enough. It won’t get more clicks, amp up the intrigue, and skyrocket open rates. The good news? I have a strategy to make your subject lines as tempting as new Ben & Jerry’s flavors.
Curiosity sundae
Irresistible emails? They're kind of like building the perfect sundae. Take a scoop of vanilla, pretty easy to resist, right? But let's dress it up. Drown it in a chocolatey fudge waterfall, dust it with cookie crumble, add some Oreo accents, and a cherry on top. Suddenly, saying 'no' just got a whole lot harder.
That's the deal with subject lines, too. The more they make your reader go, "Wait, what?" the more they'll want to click.
Want see how it's done? Check out these examples where I've cranked up plain curiosity into a full-blown curiosity sundae:
Swipe this
- The $10,000 Mistake → This Is How Much One Wrong Decision Cost Me
- My Writing Secrets → The Time I Almost Quit
- 6 Books I’m Reading Right Now → This Book Shocked Me
- The Most Challenging Client Ever → I Wanted To Slap Her
- My Top Productivity Hack → My Egg Timer Turned Me Into A Money Machine
- The Game-Changing Marketing Tip → This Tip Saved Fido’s Tail Last Week
- The Budgeting Trick No One Talks About → How Did They Keep This Trick Secret?
- This Business Strategy Will Blow Your Mind → The Lunch That Turned My Business Upside Down
W.W.R.D.?
- Think of your next subject line like an ice cream sundae. One topping? Meh. Several toppings? Yes, please! It's the same with questions. Pile them on: Who? Why? Where? How? What's going on?
- Single scoop curiosity: The Most Challenging Client Ever (What’s the story?)
- Curiosity sundae: I Wanted To Slap Her (Who? Why? What’s the story?)
About Susan Rov
Susan traded cocktails and lattes for words that move. As a copywriter on a mission to end boring, she brightens brands and makes an impact. Number 463 on the list of fiction readers left standing, you'll find Susan at sunrise—running, writing, and wondering how to change the world next. That drive led her to become a founding team member of BRIL.LA.