47% of email recipients open their emails based on the subject line, while 69% of people can report emails as spam based on it alone.
So, how do you pique curiosity and interest while sticking to your email marketing strategy?
Humor. It can bring out the human side of companies.
We’ve rounded up our top picks for funny email subject lines for prospects to help you craft witty subject lines.
1. “The underwear you didn’t know you needed.”
Sender: Smartwool
This witty email subject line is by Smartwool, an apparel, socks and underwear brand. Smartwool successfully manages to catch the eye with a clever subject line and drive clicks.
There is a bit of vagueness in it, which piques curiosity in the receiver, making them think “what underwear?” and click. The humor doesn’t end with the subject, a witty copy awaits the recipient once they click the email.
The email copy starts with another funny line, depicting underwear, “the unsung layer,” and continues with the same tone in the copy. All the humorous tone is designed to get users to click the “Shop” CTAs.
You can draw inspiration from this clever email subject line and write a similar one that evokes interest and curiosity. Just make sure not to be too vague (give a little hint).
If you want to strengthen your marketing efforts you can also try cross-promotion.
- We also have some humorous email examples for better email copies.
2. “Boom shakalak! Let’s get started.”
Sender: TicTail
TicTail, formerly an online store builder app, now a part of Shopify, makes an excellent example of funny emails. If you want to grab attention but don’t want to make risky jokes, play on the safe side with some unusual expression like “Boom Shakalak.”
This funny email subject line aims to onboard new users and to direct them to use the platform.
What’s inside? There’s a simple copy and clear CTA inside the email.
3. “Oops, we got a bit excited”
Sender: GOBE
You can’t always be perfect, and apology emails are the proof of it. However, even apologizing is an art when it comes to getting your email opened.
For the best apology emails, you should:
- Admit your fault
- Explain why it happened
- Come up with a solution
- Carefully choose your tone
When choosing your tone, mild humor can actually smooth things over. Take GOBE’s example; “Oops,., we got a bit excited.” The recipient needs to click on the email to find out why they got excited and the solution.
The email sticks to the funny tone, saying “Our website did it!” Their email copy explains the situation; GOBE sent the wrong email because they just launched a new website with a new brand name.
What’s more? They apologize with a discount code to retain the customer.
4. “It’s a ruff life 🐾”
Sender: Chili Sleep
Your email subject lines don’t need to make people laugh. Writing an email subject line with a bit of wordplay can also go a long way in increasing open rates. For example, Chili Sleep’s subject line uses the word “ruff” and an emoji, which makes it sound sweet and click-worthy.
They stick to the lovely tone inside the email as well. Chili Sleep’s email copy aims to make pet owners relate to a common problem and offers a solution. The solution directs users to click the CTA button. It meets all the elements required for a good email copy:
- Problem
- Solution
- Clear CTA
- Clear copy with a brand tone
Side note: Using emojis is a common tactic for email subject lines for summer, too.
5. “It’s pronounced “craptcha””
Sender: Who Gives A Crap
If your brand tone resonates, you can make jokes to make your email subject lines funnier and more interesting. As the brand name also suggests, Who Gives A Crap, a brand selling toilet papers, uses a humorous tone in its subject lines. Instead of saying “captcha,” they use “crap-tcha.”
It works well to set your brand aside from all the boring emails users see in their inboxes every day. However, your brand voice is serious; that’s not a good idea for your emails.
6. “Fall in love (without the risk).”
Sender: Koala
Most people are naturally drawn to the words “fall in love,” and they also know it’s risky (at least many think that way.) Koala, a brand that sells beds, turns this advantage by adapting the idea onto their funny email subject line.
When recipients click the email, a witty copy awaits them. Koala poses the problem of “uncomfortable experience of shopping for beds” along with their solution; 120-night trial.
Similarly, if you offer one, you can promote your product’s free trial with an amusing subject line that piques curiosity.
7. “Forget your keys.”
Sender: Cowboy
It’s almost inevitable to forget your keys at least once in your life. That’s what Cowboy draws inspiration from for its comical email subject line. It is a brand that sells bikes. The email aims to promote their automatic bike, which senses when you’re nearby and locks itself when locking up.
So, the message is that you can forget your keys in peace of mind. The email recipient can find the answer right away by opening the message.
8. “Should you be afraid of the Dark (Mode)?”
Sender: 1973 Ltd
1973 Ltd, a marketing agency, uses a clever question in their subject line to catch the email recipient’s attention and make them click to find the answer. There’s a little nuance in “dark,” using it in a tech/software context.
When clicked on the email, their customers see an unusual design that correlates with the “darkness” and “horror” ideas suggested in the subject.
Here’s how the agency uses a CTA button inside the email: perfect contrast and clear copy.
9. “Is It Too Late Now to Say Sorry?”
You might recognize this line from the Canadian singer Justin Bieber’s song about wanting to reach out to an ex. If you’re going to apologize to your colleague after a long time without getting in touch, you can try using this subject line.
Hopefully, humor can break the ice and pave the way to put things on track.
10. “Oops: Someone Hadn’t Had Their Coffee Yet This Morning.”
Sender: FilterEasy
Another example of humorous apology emails is by FilterEasy. The company goes for a comical tone to clear the atmosphere and apologize for sending a wrong email with bad timing.
Choosing amusing language in your “sorry” emails can boost your chances of retaining customers.
Conclusion
Using comical subject lines for marketing emails is an underused strategy to engage your audience and multiply your email open rates.
Whether you have an apology to make or a promotion to draw customers in, humor can help you bring your customers’ walls down and keep your email list growing.
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