Last year, over 2 billion emails were sent on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With this unprecedented volume flooding inboxes, your subject line needs to work harder than ever.

Spark Curiosity, Urgency and Exclusivity 

Given that you only have 1-2 seconds to grab your customer's attention, you need to play into a few psychological aspects to drive opens. The most effective approaches balance immediate benefits with long-term value: spark curiosity ("Unlock Your Year of Premium Access"), create urgency ("⚡ 48 Hours: Annual Subscription at 40% Off"), or offer exclusivity ("VIP Early Access: Lifetime Membership Deal"). These triggers tap into deeper motivations: the need for continuous value, fear of missing out, and the appeal of exclusivity.

Stop the scroll.

What Makes Someone Stop Scrolling? Think about your own inbox during Black Friday. What makes you pause mid-deletion spree? The most effective approaches typically:

1. Solve a specific problem

• "Never run out of your favorite coffee again"
• "Skip the grocery store: Weekly meals solved"
• "Download shows for your next flight"

2. Highlight a personalized benefit

• "Your kind of workouts, all year long"
• "Based on your playlists: Unlimited music + podcasts"
• "Because you love true crime: Your next 6 months of listening"

3. Present clear, immediate value

• "12 months of entertainment for $8/month"
• "First box free, then 40% off all year"
• "Stream everything: Annual plan for only $59"

Notice how none rely on manufactured urgency or hype. They connect your subscription to what shoppers actually want.

Strategic Copy and Prioritization

Focus on front-loading key information (mobile previews cut off around 30-40 characters)

• Example: "3 months free: Premium streaming" works better than "Black Friday Deal: Get 3 months free Premium streaming"

Bookend with eye-catching emojis

• "🎮 3 months of games included" vs "Black Friday Gaming Deal! 🎮"
• "🎵 All music, no ads" vs "Amazing Music Deal! 🎵 🔥 💯"

Optimize for what works with your brand. 

 Test variations like:

Specific vs Broad:

• "Watch on 4 devices, download included" vs "Unlock all premium features"
• "Pick your meals 3 weeks ahead" vs "More flexibility with Premium"

Problem-Solution:

• "No more recipe repeats: 1,000+ meals" vs "Access our recipe collection"
• "Finally organize your photos" vs "Photo storage upgrade"

Direct Value vs Social Proof:

• "$5/month for all premium features" vs "Join millions of subscribers"
• "Annual plan: $59 total" vs "Our most popular plan"

Grab attention amidst this coming email frenzy with subject lines that spark curiosity, create urgency, or highlight exclusive benefits your customers truly want.