Stop Writing Perfect Emails That Nobody Opens

How to Write Subject Lines That Actually Get Opened

You spend an hour writing the perfect email.

You craft the intro, nail the transition, add the link, drop in that perfectly-placed image, write a clever P.S. and then…

Maybe a handful of opens.

Not because your content sucked.

But because no one saw it.

Your brilliant email died in the inbox, buried under a dozen other unread messages, because your subject line didn’t do its one job: make someone stop scrolling.

Here’s What We’re Fixing Today

You’ll learn how to write subject lines that actually get opened without sounding like clickbait or a wannabe copywriter trying too hard.

By the end, you’ll have a few proven frameworks you can start using right away.

And if you want to go deeper, I’ll show you where to find the full toolkit.

But first, let’s talk about what’s really happening in your reader’s inbox.

The Real Formula Nobody Talks About

Think about your own inbox for a second.

You don’t open every email that lands there. You open the ones that feel familiar or interesting. Usually both.

That’s the real formula:
Recognizable name + irresistible hook.

Your sender name builds trust.

It tells them, “You know this person. They’ve delivered before.”

Your subject line builds curiosity. It whispers, “This one’s worth your time.”

Together, they’re the door handle that invites people in.

The subject line is what they grab.

If it doesn’t hint at something worth opening—a quick win, a useful insight, a story they want to hear—they’ll scroll right past.

And all that work you put into the email body? Wasted.

So let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again.

The 3-Second Test

Your reader scans their inbox like a slot machine. One quick glance per subject line.

You’ve got about three seconds to make them stop.

Maybe less if they’re on their phone, thumb already mid-scroll.

That means two things: keep it short (under 50 characters is the sweet spot), and lead with the strongest word or idea.

Don’t bury the hook at the end of a long sentence. Front-load it.

Here’s what I mean:

Weak: “I wanted to share something I learned this week about email marketing”
Strong: “The email mistake that cost me 2,000 subscribers”

See the difference?

The second one leads with the punch. It makes you want to know what happened.

Your subject line isn’t a complete thought. It’s a trailer.

Give them just enough to want more.

Use Frameworks, Not Luck

Good subject lines aren’t random.

They’re not the result of sitting there thinking really hard until inspiration strikes.

They’re built from tested patterns that trigger curiosity, clarity, or urgency.

Once you know the patterns, writing subject lines becomes way easier. You’re not starting from scratch every time. You’re plugging your idea into a framework that already works.

Here are three to start with:

The Curiosity Gap
Hint at something valuable without revealing it all. Make them click to close the loop.
“The mistake that cost me 2,000 subscribers”
“What I stopped doing (and why my engagement doubled)”

The How-To
Clear, direct, and promise-driven. People love learning how to do something specific.
“How to double your open rate in 10 minutes”
“How I went from 200 to 2,000 subscribers in 90 days”

Number + Benefit
Numbers are specific. Benefits show value. Together, they’re magnetic.
“3 subject lines that always work”
“5 tweaks that fixed my dead email list”

Stack these triggers and you’ll double your odds of an open.

Try combining curiosity with a number.

Or urgency with a how-to. Mix and match until you find what clicks with your audience.

Your Next Step (Do This Today)

Pick one email you’ve already written, or one you’re planning to send soon.

Write three new subject lines for it using the frameworks above.

One curiosity gap. One how-to. One number + benefit.

If you’ve got the time and the list size, send the same email to small segments with different subject lines and see which one wins.

That’s called A/B testing, and it’s how you build your own swipe file of what works for your audience.

If you don’t have segmentation set up yet, just pick the one that feels strongest and send it.

Then pay attention.

Which subject lines get the best response over the next few weeks? Keep those. Kill the rest.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about pattern recognition. The more you test, the better you get.

Want the Full System?

If you’re serious about fixing your subject lines for good I put together a complete Subject-Line Mastery guide.

It’s straightforward pdf packed with examples, breakdowns, and practical steps to help your emails stand out in even the most crowded inbox.

👉 Get the full guide here

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