Four Key Tips for Writing Better Subject Lines
If your subject line doesn’t grab attention in your audience’s inbox, they won’t even notice the valuable content you’ve spent so much time creating. The reality is, subject lines are often rushed and treated like an afterthought, when they should be one of the most carefully crafted parts of your email. It’s time to stop neglecting this key aspect of your communication.
Let’s be honest: Writing effective subject lines is challenging. A good subject line needs to grab your audience’s attention and make them want to open the email—ideally in 50 characters or less. At Marketing Vogue, we write thousands of email subject lines each year. Why? Because our business depends on making sure our audience sees the important content we deliver. Over time, we’ve developed a few strategies to consistently write subject lines that boost open rates and improve outreach. Here are four tips we swear by.
1. Variety: One Great Line Isn’t Enough
Getting the perfect subject line can feel like magic, but even the best writers don’t always hit the bullseye on their first try. They know that it often takes several attempts to craft something that really stands out. Even when they find a winner, they know it’ll lose its power quickly. So, it’s important to keep experimenting and testing different approaches.
You can’t just stick with a single formula like “Top 10 Tips” or “The 3 Keys to…”—those work sometimes, but they’ll quickly feel stale, especially in B2B marketing. Your content deserves better, so don’t rely on clickbait or easy shortcuts. Take the time to try different angles, and find subject lines that truly reflect the value of what you’re sharing.
2. Tonality: B2B Doesn’t Have to Be Boring
In B2B marketing, it’s easy to get stuck using stiff, overly formal language. But you don’t have to be dry or robotic. While clarity is important, subject lines are an opportunity to show some personality. Try different tones—whether that’s witty, technical, dramatic, or even humorous. Mix things up over time, and keep experimenting with new styles. What works with one audience today might not work tomorrow, so refreshing your tone can help keep your emails feeling fresh.
Additionally, consider adjusting your tone based on the time of year, holidays, or current events. A little creativity can go a long way in improving open rates and engagement.
3. Think Big and Small: Small Tweaks Can Have a Big Impact
While it’s tempting to steer clear of overused clickbait, small changes to your subject lines can yield surprising results. Just a few adjustments can drastically improve your open rates. For example, using numbers in your subject lines catches the reader’s attention because our brains are naturally drawn to them.
Examples:
- “5 Tips to Master Data-Driven Marketing”
- “7 Common Mistakes in Digital Campaigns (And How to Avoid Them)”
You can also be more specific by mentioning exactly what you’re offering. Whether it’s a webinar, whitepaper, or case study, let your audience know exactly what they can expect from your email.
Examples:
- “Download Our Free Guide: 2025 Digital Marketing Trends”
- “Sign Up for Our Webinar on Content Strategy”
These simple tweaks make a huge difference in whether someone opens your email or not.
4. Revisit, Rework, Resend
To truly master subject lines, you’ll need to get obsessed with tracking your email performance. Start by setting benchmarks based on your past email campaigns—analyzing open rates across different audience segments, topics, and funnel stages. Identify patterns and figure out what works and what doesn’t.
If you notice certain subject lines are underperforming, don’t be afraid to tweak or test them again. If you find high-performing subject lines, consider using them in different campaigns, but don’t overdo it or they’ll lose their power.
Writing great subject lines is both an art and a science. The more time you spend analyzing data, refining your approach, and learning from your colleagues, the better your results will be. And remember, subject lines can make or break your emails—so the more you get it right, the better your engagement will be.
By focusing on variety, tonality, small adjustments, and testing over time, you can craft subject lines that cut through the noise and get your audience to take action. Subject lines are often the most important part of your email—they’re what get people to open your message in the first place. So, don’t take them lightly!
