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In the previous issue, I mentioned how I analyzed 3221 subject lines manually to identify patterns based on ‘What are newsletter creators doing to stand out in the inbox?’

The issue has got a lot of love from readers like you. I have got messages in the community, replies to emails, etc. It means the world. Thank you <3

This issue is the Part 2 of the same topic - and please read Part 1 if you haven’t already.

We spoke about how emojis, numbers, classic questions, and singular themes create Brand Identifiers - and how they make us open emails regularly. Today, we will explore how brand names, personalization, abstract sentences, etc., improve email engagement.

We’ll get started in a second; before we do, say hello to our sponsors:

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Let’s get nerdy!… and the show resumes 👇️ 

6. The Occasional References

Tweaked famous movie dialogues, quotes, characters, abbreviations, or anything pop culture grabs my occasion at times.

The reason I mentioned ‘occasional’ is I believe it doesn’t work on every email you send. Getting cheeky once every seven emails is good frequency (if you want me to give you a number) but honestly, all I know is it doesn’t work if you do this repeatedly.

The technique works even better if you run a business newsletter (think niches like finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, product, etc.)

My thesis is: You’re always used to the technical terms and ‘all work’ talk with them. The tweaked references catch your eye—because these are similar to the surprise magic show at your school when you expect a day full of classes.

On the other hand, it might not be as effective for personal newsletters like Vikra’s Café. But a well-tweaked fun subject line will grab the attention nonetheless.

Some lines I liked:

• Be like Angelina from the movies

• Lights, Camera, Watches! ⌚️ 

• Muggles & Mudbloods

• Steve Jobs Storytelling Framework

• Powerful lesson on framing from Lord of the Rings

7. Brand Names as Prefixes

I have a love-hate relationship with this technique. Mainly because the results are extreme. It works superbly for some creators and kills curiosity + wastes space for others.

What are brand names as prefixes? It’s when all your subject lines start with the same 1-2 words. It can be the name of your newsletter series, what you call your content, or just your brand name.

Whenever a reader sees ‘Maker Mind,’ they immediately know it is from Ness Labs without reading the subject line or seeing the sender’s name. If you are a Ness Labs fan, you won’t even take a second to click on the email.

That’s how a Brand Identifier works.

Some folks even tie the brand name to the issue number, which only makes readers think, “Oh wow this person has published 100+ pieces.”

The downside is - If you don’t create a good identifier or if your branding is not consistent, it’s a waste of 15-20 characters in your subject line. You could have used it much more effectively.

Some brands/creators that do this really well:

There is more to it.

While most newsletters use brand names as prefixes, some newsletters use consistent copy as prefixes. This has nothing to do with the brand directly but makes you click EVERY SINGLE TIME.

8. Sciencify you!

Weird title, never mind.

I don’t know if it’s a me thing or if others feel the same - I hope they do because these newsletters consistently use this technique - I get curious when someone mentions a theory name in the subject line with zero to little context.

There is something about these nerdy terms that keeps me hooked.

9. Another old-school hack that never gets old!

Any guesses? Personalization it is.

The easiest and most effective way to do this is with first names. You might already know this, but there is this really cool phenomenon called The Cocktail Party Effect:

It doesn’t matter if you have 1000 unread emails. There will always be special attention to your name, even after being aware of the cocktail party effect.

In my opinion, this works best if you smoothly integrate the first name in the subject line, like a dialogue.

Do it once every four issues, or at least not on every email you send. People might see through the fact that you’re using their name only because it grabs their attention, and there’s nothing personal about them.

That’s something you never want as a creator.

10. Abstract Sentences

Abstract sentences are non-contextual sentences (sometimes even 1-2 words) that give you no clarity about what’s inside the email, yet they look glamorous on the outside - so you click.

My take is this won’t work for early-stage creators. It only works for writers who you view as authorities, so you know that whatever clarity is missing, they’ll back it up with value and eventually make sense.

11. Lowercase

Lowercase subject lines are a thing now. It works okayish for business newsletters but it looks sooooooo good on personal newsletters. I do it sometimes for Vikra’s Café. Chelsi is more consistent than me:

That’s everything I have on newsletter subject lines (for now :p)

If you like this issue, please share Cognition with your friends and ask them to subscribe. It will make me happy.

Have a great weekend!

Love,
Vikra