How to write a killer cold email subject line

Regardless of how well-written your cold email is, how enticing your offer may be, or how persuasive your call to action is, if your subject line fails to capture your prospect's attention, your email may never be opened. You risk being lost among the hundreds of unread messages in your prospect's inbox.

But don’t worry—I’m here to help you avoid this fate by sharing three compelling cold email subject lines that get opens, grab attention, and are so good your prospect cannot help but open your email. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

1. Personalize with a Question

Including your prospect's first name along with a thought-provoking question in your subject line can significantly increase the likelihood of your email being opened. Personalization adds a human touch to your outreach, making recipients feel special and understood. Meanwhile, a question makes them curious and encourages them to open your email to find out more.

Here are a few examples of such subject lines:

• "Hey [Prospect's Name], Want to Double Your Sales?"

• "Thoughts, [Prospect's Name]?"

• "Any Ideas, [Prospect's Name]?"

• "Your Opinion, [Prospect's Name]?"

The key here is to make your prospect feel seen while also sparking their curiosity to open your email.

2. Talk Like You're Talking to a Friend

Due to the high volume of cold emails that prospects receive each day, people have developed an internal radar that can immediately detect overly salesy language. Prospects flee from overly salesy emails like the plague, so to avoid being ignored or marked as spam, write your subject lines as if you're writing to a friend.

Instead of using flashy sales language, jargon, or exaggerated promises, keep it casual and write in a friendly, conversational tone. Here are a few examples:

• "Just checking in"

• "Just reconnecting"

• "Just Catching Up"

• "Haven't Heard from You in a While"

• "Wanted to Say Hi"

The idea is to create a sense of familiarity and ease that will encourage your prospect to open your email.

3. Make It Relatable and Point Out a Potential Pain Point

When crafting your cold email subject lines, it's essential to make them relatable by pointing out a potential pain point of your prospect. By addressing a challenge that your prospect may be experiencing, you're showing that you understand their problems and empathize with their situation. This helps to establish a connection right from the start, making them more receptive to your message.

One way to spark your prospect’s curiosity is to point out a frustration your target audience is experiencing. Yes, you do need to research your target audience’s pain points. For example, if you're selling a social media management optimization tool to help companies gain more visibility on social media, you could use subject lines like:

• "Everyone is fed up with Instagram right now..."

• "Sick of the Instagram algorithm?"

• "Not getting views on your YouTube videos?"

• "Is social media eating up all your time?"

By making your subject lines relatable and pointing out potential pain points, you'll make your prospects feel seen and understood, capture their attention, spark curiosity, and increase the likelihood of them opening your cold emails.

Final Tips

When it comes to writing a compelling subject line, you can also use AI tools like ChatGPT to help create and refine your emails by turning these tips into specific prompts. Simply enter the tips as prompts to receive tailored advice and suggestions. Remember to provide context related to your industry or product when using these prompts; incorporating industry-specific details will make your emails more relevant and engaging, increasing the likelihood of getting a response.