Start with a killer subject line

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Once you have a list of targeted recipients for your cold emails, it's time to begin the copywriting.

The first thing your prospects will see is the subject line.

In fact, it's one of the most important factors in defining whether your email gets opened and read, or ignored.

The first thing to know about subject lines: the shorter, the better.

When we analyzed millions of cold payroll directors email list email campaigns, we saw that the emails' success rates dropped with every extra word added to a subject line.

A bar graph with the title "how many words should you put in your cold email subject line?". The bars decrease in size, showing that the email subject lines with the highest reply rates have the smallest word count
So when you're writing your cold email subject lines, aim for 8 words or less.

It helps prospects understand your message as quickly as possible, and won't get cut off on mobile.

Other best practices to keep in mind with your cold email subject lines are:

→ Personalize your subject lines by using text variables like {{painPoint}} or {{Objective}}, or by referencing a detail specific to the prospect.

→ Ask a question if it's actually relevant to your prospects.

→ Add urgency and FOMO by referencing exclusive events or offers (if relevant).

→ A/B test your subject lines to find out what your audience responds to.

To learn more about cold email subject lines, plus examples of 10+ subjects with 80%+ open rates, read our data-based guide on B2B cold email subject lines .