The Backstroke Blog
Get the latest tips on writing top-performing email subject lines
Seasonal Email Marketing to Gen Z, Boomers & Everyone In-Between
Nov 20, 2024
Essentially everyone—at every age—uses email. In fact, 95% of Baby Boomers use email, and even 80% of Gen Z do too. And while email’s effectiveness spans across four key generations, each generation has its own preferences on what kinds of email tactics appeal to them. Of course, this is a…
Retail ❤️ Email: How to Build A Revenue-Rich Retail Email Marketing Strategy
Nov 13, 2024
Now’s the time for your retail email marketing strategy to shine! So what’s your game plan? The National Retail Federation forecasts that total holiday sales will grow up to 3.5%, while online sales specifically will grow 8% to 9%, compared to last year. In fact, online sales are expected to…
Q&A: How Does The New Email AI Generator Deliver Results?
Nov 6, 2024
Here at Backstroke, we keep it real when it comes to how marketers can really use AI. Our team of co-founders not only talk the talk about how our email generator AI’s design outputs really look . . . But they also walk the walk, having created a tool with proven real-world value and usability for…
Unlocking the Future of Email Marketing: Watch Backstroke’s AI Email Generator Webinar On-Demand
Oct 30, 2024
The future of email marketing is here, and Backstroke’s new AI-powered email generator is leading the charge. In our recent live webinar, we introduced brand new features that go beyond just creating subject lines—it generates complete emails from start to finish, including layout design,…
10 Questions On Our Email Generator AI, Answered By A Designer
Oct 30, 2024
Backstroke is rolling out our new AI email generator, which creates entire email campaigns with just a few clicks. It goes far beyond our classic content tools, like our email subject line generator, to assemble email layouts and dynamic image placements that can be remixed in a click to fit your…
AI Email Generator: Backstroke's Next Big Thing
Oct 23, 2024
Backstroke’s new AI email generator is about to be released, and we think it’ll be the next big thing in email marketing for brands and retailers. That’s why we’re at Grow LA Fall, introducing online retailers to the tools that make email easier and more lucrative, driving 31% more revenue per…
BFCM Marketing: 5 Charts On Holiday Email Marketing Messaging
Oct 14, 2024
Creating impactful BFCM marketing campaigns that drive subscriber engagement—and most importantly, revenue—is every marketer's goal for the next couple of months. As time leads up to Black Friday though, this gets increasingly difficult. Email marketing will get more and more competitive, as send…
5 Questions for Someone Who Really Uses AI Tools for Marketing
Oct 8, 2024
99% of marketers use AI every day, in some way. Backstroke Co-Founder Egan Montgomery is one of them, of course. In fact, he’s been using AI tools for marketing for quite some time. Considering Egan’s familiarity with marketing strategy, content, and generative AI, we decided to ask him 5 tough…
BFCM Marketing: 5 Surprising Consumer Trends For This Holiday Season
Oct 2, 2024
How we think about holidays is changing. And this goes beyond social media managers’ celebratory posts honoring one-off events like National Hot Dog Day (or whatever). Truly, how we think about The Holiday Season is changing at its core, thanks to a variety of factors like the economy, social…
3 Tips to Improve Email Open Rates (For Black Friday Emails & Beyond!)
Sep 25, 2024
‘Tis the season . . . for high competition, coupled with low open rates. When adding in sweeping changes from iOS18 and shoppers who are slightly more optimistic on spending this year, and it looks like Q4 will be full of opportunities for email marketers. Of course, the holidays also serve as the…
10 Trends for Top-Performing Black Friday Email Subject Lines
Sep 13, 2024
Nailing your Black Friday email subject lines—and, in fact, all of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday messaging—is a fine line to walk. You need to strike a balance between your own creativity with data-powered insights. You need to stand out in inboxes that are flooded with hot deals, special…
Holiday Email Marketing: How to Generate the Best Email Subjects for Any Season
Sep 8, 2024
Don’t freak out . . . but email marketing’s biggest opportunity is on the horizon. Of course, you know the holidays are coming, and you’re likely looking for ways to enhance your personalized email marketing strategy. That’s why you're here, right?! Holiday email marketing is ripe with…
5 Charts On Email Marketing To Different Generations
Sep 3, 2024
Everyone—no matter their age—loves email. It’s true! Half of the world’s population check their inboxes daily. And thanks to advancements in segmentation, reaching your subscribers that fall into this half of humanity is easier than ever, no matter who they are, where they are, or how old they…
6 Charts That Show How to Message iPhone Users vs Android Users
Aug 28, 2024
iPhone Users vs Android users is a rivalry as old as smartphones, themselves. Of course, as with any good old fashioned rivalry, different characteristics, behaviors, and preferences between these two groups have emerged over time. And while we could spend quite some time digging into the memes and…
The Fashion Marketing Guide to Effective Email Subject Lines
Aug 20, 2024
If you’re in the apparel industry and your work focuses on fashion marketing, you know that your outlook is quite bright! The global apparel market is projected to reach $703.11 billion this year, eventually growing to $918.71 billion by 2028. Balancing your own creativity with data-backed…
Email Segmentation Strategy: 5 Ways to Segment Audiences & Create Custom AI Messages
Aug 14, 2024
We’ve very thoroughly covered what makes great email content. But it’s just as important to nail down exactly who you are sending to. After all, step one of connecting with subscribers is showing that you understand their unique perspectives! The practice of dividing your email subscribers into…
AI Messaging Generated for Thrifty vs. Spendy Shoppers
Aug 7, 2024
Inflation. A bear market. Stocks roil. Then they rally. In today’s market, the only thing certain is uncertainty. Interestingly, despite the economic roller coaster we all have a seat on, people are still spending. And they’re not just doom spending. When we segment consumers by age, income,…
3 Brands Whose Messaging Speaks Gen Z (And How You Can Too!)
Jul 31, 2024
From their elusive slang to their unique social media preferences, seemingly everything about Gen Z simply hits different. But even though the second-youngest generation of consumers has their own unique tastes and preferences, brands can still market to them using classic messaging strategies. In…
Understanding the Core of iOS 18: Gen AI Content & Its Impact on Email
Jul 24, 2024
Change is coming to email marketing, as iOS 18 will launch a slew of AI-generated content and email summarization tools. It’s ushered in much debate online, with major updates raising concerns surrounding a potential loss of creativity and nuance across email programs. The good news is that we’ve…
Are We In an AI Bubble? And Will It Burst?
Jul 17, 2024
Rapid growth, large investments, high excitement, and even higher expectations. These last few years have been ripe with these feelings and actions, in regards to AI. Now that it’s long entered the mainstream, and seemingly everyone is using it—or trying it out—people are starting to ask: Are we…
4 Ways to Strike A Balance Between AI Optimization & Creativity
Jul 10, 2024
Can you over-optimize with AI? And can that over optimization kill your messaging’s creative appeal? You may share these concerns, yet choosing to not optimize your email marketing subject lines will leave you in the dust, far behind your competitors. After all, AI is already paying off across…
5 Email Personalization Quick Wins
Jul 3, 2024
Imagine a 760% increase in email revenue. Campaign Monitor states that marketers report a remarkable 760% increase in email revenue when implementing personalized, segmented campaigns. There are several other success metrics surrounding email personalization that marketers can’t afford to overlook…
Backstroke Roadmap: What’s Ahead & A Look at How To Generate Your Best Email Subjects Now
Jun 26, 2024
Backstoke’s launch was of olympic proportions. Literally. Not only was our June 21 launch party sold out, but eleven-time Olympic medalist Matt Biondi joined in on the fun for a fireside chat! The olympic scale of this event makes sense, given marketers’ interest in AI coinciding with the…
Reimagining Messaging in the Generative AI Era, Former ExactTarget Executive Starts Backstroke
Jun 20, 2024
The generative AI messaging platform is announcing its launch and recent funding led by High Alpha Indianapolis, IN – June 20, 2024 – Backstroke is announcing the launch of its generative AI messaging platform that’s set to revolutionize email, SMS, mobile push, and customer marketing for B2C…
Backstroke vs. ChatGPT: Which Delivers Effective Email Subject Lines?
Jun 18, 2024
Generative AI is a groundbreaking technology that has revolutionized our world. And that isn’t an understatement! The most famous generative AI solution—by far—is OpenAI’s ChatGPT. With its 600 million monthly visits, it’s safe to say that OpenAI has captured the world’s attention. And of course…
The Email Marketer’s Guide to iOS 18 (Plus 4 Actionable Takeaways to Use Right Now!)
Jun 12, 2024
Apple just released their new iOS 18 . . . When it goes live this Fall, it’s really going to shake up inboxes! Email marketers fear not though. You already have the tools at your disposal to handle these changes. Here, we’re going to break down exactly what impacts iOS 18 has on email marketing.…
iPhone vs. Android: What Makes Their Best Email Subjects?
Jun 5, 2024
It’s the battle of the ages: iPhone vs. Android! These phones have fostered very distinct cultures that deeply care about their differing price tags, their features, and their memes. While both devices are smartphones that feel similar enough to some, people who use iPhones and Androids can be…
The Beauty Marketing Guide to Gorgeous Email Content
May 29, 2024
If you’re in the beauty marketing space—or even in the cosmetics market—generative AI can enhance your content and craft your most effective email subject lines. As the global beauty industry market size is estimated to be worth $646.2 billion in 2024, it’s expected to grow to 736.8B by 2028. Of…
Introducing 3 Tools to Backstroke’s Sandbox, Your New AI Message Generator
May 22, 2024
Slather your upcoming campaigns with success . . . and keep that momentum going! We’re excited for you to explore the Backstroke Sandbox and its three new tools that will supercharge your creative email content. You can think of Sandbox as your brand new AI email assistant that’s ready to create…
Great Email Subject Lines for Introverts vs. Extroverts
May 14, 2024
Everything from the Myers-Briggs test to a Buzzfeed quiz provides people with insights into their own tastes, preferences, and categories they belong to. Some fun methods of categorization—such as this blog’s introversion vs. extroversion breakdown—give marketers clues into audiences’ likes and…
Rizz It Up for Gen Z: The Best Email Subjects for Today’s Youth
May 8, 2024
Email may not be the #1 platform you think of, when marketing to Gen Z. You likely think of TikTok first, then Instagram or Snapchat, and that’s fair. All of those individual platforms are used by over a third of the Gen Z population. When it comes to shopping, however, email is still critical…
4 Overused Email Offers and Alternative Spins Via AI Email Subject Lines
May 1, 2024
Some subject lines appear in our inboxes a little too often. That repetition could hinder your email’s ability to stand out. Of course, if something you're sending is popular, you’re in good company! However, if subscribers see the same offers in their inboxes again and again, their eyes tend to…
The Perfect Fit: Taking Lyssé’s Email Marketing to the Next Level with Gen AI Powered Audience Insights and Predicted-to-Perform Content
Apr 26, 2024
New York based fashion brand sees 47% lift in revenue per recipient utilizing AI recommendations from Backstroke. In the competitive world of e-commerce, Lyssé New York wanted more from their messaging programs in 2024. Email was making major strides under the leadership of Mahesha De Silva,…
You Don’t Order Tenders At the Taco Place. And You Don’t Use Generic AI for Email.
Apr 24, 2024
“These chicken tenders are garbage!!!!” was a scathing text a friend sent me while he was dining at our local taco shop. His message was accompanied with photographic evidence. In his picture were three or four sad chicken tenders arranged haphazardly on the paper plate before him. Meanwhile, on…
AI Subject Lines Showdown Part 2: East Vs. West
Apr 17, 2024
In Part 1 of this series, we took a deep dive into exploring the preferences of people in the American Midwest and South. Now, let’s look at two regions that get a lot of hype (and rightfully so!) . . . The East and the West. Each of these regions contain massive amounts of people and span across…
AI Subject Lines Showdown: Midwest Vs. South
Apr 11, 2024
We’ve examined what makes catchy subject lines, well, catchy. Or should we say wicked? Or rather, hella good? After all, with today’s access to email data, marketers can examine peoples’ preferences in copywriting and vocabulary. This means that Backstroke can determine your subscribers’ content…
From Oops to Opportunity: How to Fix Common Email Mistakes and Capitalize On Them
Apr 3, 2024
Once in a while, you see a very specific type of email roll into your inbox. Its subject line screams something like “Oops! We made a mistake!” and its contents apologize for whatever was previously sent. Mistakes like this happen to all of us. However, there are many more common, subtle email…
From Boomers to Zoomers: Personalized Subject Lines that Connect with Each Generation
Mar 27, 2024
When it comes to email marketing, personalized subject lines will capture the attention of any person at any age. And that exact type of personalized content sells. The numbers behind this claim don’t lie. In fact: 72% of consumers exclusively engage with personalized messaging, with personalized…
Revolutionizing Email Marketing: Backstroke's Impact on Nathan Sports
Mar 22, 2024
Leading sports hydration brand drives 62% increase in email revenue with creative AI powered by Backstroke In the competitive realm of e-commerce, standing out in a crowded inbox is no small feat. Nathan Sports, under the guidance of Ecommerce Director Doug Bertram, embarked on a boundary-pushing…
How to Write Fun Email Subject Lines for Spring Holidays, Occasions, and Sales
Mar 20, 2024
We’re already in Week 12 of 2024. 77% of the year remains. Of course, the majority of our holidays, vacations, and special occasions happen within that time frame, all of which you will likely prepare multiple email campaigns for. With so many campaigns across the calendar, harnessing industry…
Backstroke’s Email Subject Line Creator: How it Understands Audiences, Emotions, and More
Mar 13, 2024
Could machines ever truly get you? Could algorithms understand what content you’ll click? This form of synthetic empathy certainly exists and it’s helping marketers understand their audiences’ interests. Simply put, AI speaks to them. In fact, Backstroke’s email subject line creator is powered by…
MCL Restaurant & Bakery: Savoring Success with Backstroke's AI Edge
Mar 11, 2024
Classic restaurant drives new-age results, generating a 41% boost in conversions with AI content In the heart of the Midwest, MCL Restaurant & Bakery, a cherished family-owned establishment since 1950, embarked on an innovative endeavor to refine its email marketing strategy. Guided by Dan Fahrner,…
Free Guide: What Are Effective Email Subject Lines Made Of?
Mar 6, 2024
Raise your hand if you enjoyed high school English class! Now raise your hand if you remember anything from high school English class! There were likely fewer metaphorical hands raised for that second question. That’s ok, because you’re about to recall it all. The fundamentals of language, which…
BITCHSTIX's Breakthrough: How Backstroke's AI Transformed Email Engagement
Mar 5, 2024
Natural Beauty brand drives 32% greater revenue using “Predicted to Perform” generative messaging In the competitive digital landscape of beauty and cosmetics, BITCHSTIX, renowned for its commitment to both quality lip care and social advocacy, leaped into the AI unknown to elevate its email…
Backstroke’s Trend Dashboard: Think Of It As a Subject Line Checker
Feb 28, 2024
This is an era when anyone can create sufficient email content, thanks to the popularization of widely-used generative AI tools. But you don’t settle for sufficient, do you? In a time when “good enough” is common, inbox greatness can only be achieved through a blend of personal creativity and…
Never Forget Great Subject Lines: Introducing Historic Filters
Jan 5, 2024
We've all had that moment of creative brilliance when you craft the perfect subject line for your brand . . . And then, you find yourself scratching your head a week later, wondering how you came up with such magic. Now, you can forget about those moments of forgetfulness. With our latest feature,…
It's Like Experimental Jazz for Email
Dec 4, 2023
Jazz up your subject lines! Inject some extra charisma! Toggle Backstroke’s sliders to generate subject lines with the perfect amount of personality for your brand. They can live anywhere between corporate-safe and totally stand-out! You can generate subject lines tailored to your brand’s voice .…
Complete Your Black Friday & Cyber Monday Emails With Ease
Nov 14, 2023
'Tis the season for tons of emails. Are you getting their subject lines right? Did you know that email volume doubles the week of Black Friday? EOY competition for inbox attention is the HIGHEST it ever gets. In fact, 42% of companies send a Black Friday email. Oh, and then, Cyber Monday sales come…
Slang in Subject Lines Hits Different
Oct 27, 2023
Discover the Most Engaging Outdoor Retailer Email Subject Lines
Sep 27, 2023
Are you looking for outdoor outfitter subject lines to stand out? Want to make your next outdoor retailer email marketing campaign eye-catching? How do you stand out in your customers’ inboxes amidst a flood of other promotions and messages? We’ve got 6 tips for your outdoor retail email subject…
Make Your Jewelry Brand’s Emails Shine!
Sep 27, 2023
Jewelry may not be a necessity, but it does add so much beauty to life. With the right email subject lines, your marketing campaign metrics can turn out to be quite beautiful too! Your email subject lines need to add value to peoples’ lives and give them the impulse to click through to see your…
Write the Best Underwear Retail Subject Lines
Sep 27, 2023
Whether you sell men’s underwear, women’s underwear, shapewear, or other “unmentionables”, you need a strong email marketing strategy. You’ll need even stronger email subject lines for underwear retailers. Looking for the best underwear email subject lines for your underwear email marketing…
Footwear Brands: Get Tips to Write Better Subject Lines
Sep 27, 2023
As necessary as footwear, marketers need to send excellent emails. But how will people know your email is excellent? Catchy subject lines are the best way to route customers into your emails, and eventually to your site. Read below to get tips on writing great subject lines. And if you’re looking…
How to Write Subject Lines to Sell Swimwear
Sep 7, 2023
The Best Email Subject Lines for Pet Care Brands
Sep 3, 2023
If you have a furry companion, you know just how much thought and care goes into looking after them. Your customers want the best for their pets too. And they’ve signed up to your newsletter, they’re warm enough for your pet care brand to believe that you may offer the best products for their…
Handbag Stores: Get Tips to Write Your Best Email Subject Lines
Aug 24, 2023
40% of customers said that they have at least 50 unread emails. We know good email subject lines increase open rates. Therefore, we need to learn from other retailers’ subject lines and apply those findings to our own emails. So, how can we maximize your email open rates? Below are some tips for…
Department Stores: Boost Email Open Rate With These Email Subject Line Examples
Aug 24, 2023
Shoppers receive dozens (more like hundreds) of emails every day. Are you in department store marketing and wondering, “How can I make sure these subscribers open my email . . . Then come in and shop?” Well, numbers never lie. Following data-driven trends increases email open rates. Data can also…
