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 glaze over. Your email offers will therefore be lumped in with everyone else’s. In a world where 55% of consumers say that they prefer more targeted promotions and discounts in emails, sending too generic of email content just isn’t an option. 

Here, we’ll take you through four very commonly sent subject line tactics. And because we don’t want to leave you high and dry without inspiration, we’ve provided some interesting alternatives created by Backstroke’s AI subject line generator, as well as tips on how to use it to customize your email content.

1. Commonly Used Offer: Spring Sales & Mothers Day Deals

‘Tis the season of warmer weather and getting gifts for your mom! When examining data on the Backstroke Trends Dashboard and Swipe File, today’s top three trending subject line phrases are: 

1. Spring Summer 2024
2. Mother’s Day Gifts
3. Spring Sale

This checks out, as now is the peak time to spend on both Spring- and Mom-focused marketing content. But adding a little more flavor to your copywriting will work wonders. So let’s look at some example subject lines for emails that do that.

Alternative, Interesting Email Subject Lines

To add a bit of fun to our springtime subject lines, we selected “Promotion/Newsletter” as the Campaign type and adjusted the Tone filters to include emojis and a riskier voice. The AI subject line generator turned out some fun, all-caps, and emoji-filled subject lines that celebrate seasonality in a way that won’t blend into the inbox!

2. Commonly Used Offer: Social Proof & Testimonials 

84% of people say that they trust online reviews as much as their friends . . . and 91% of people read online product reviews regularly. Clearly, including social proof in your messaging can really pack a punch. We suggest amping up the slang in your subject lines when sending social proof content, for authenticity’s sake. Here’s how . . . 

Alternative, Interesting Email Subject Lines

We recently took a deep dive into how AI technology understands sentiment, and therefore can generate effective email subject lines based on your audience’s age, preferences, locations, and more. When showing off social proof for your products, make the most of this technology’s capabilities. Select the “Yep!” option to include slang. 

Social selling is all about authenticity. So if your subscribers are Gen Z and super into their generation’s very unique way of speaking, this is the time to amp up the humor in your AI email subject lines as well. Toggle the Risk and Brand Voice filters to the right, to make things a little more fun.

3. Commonly Used Offer:  Limited Time Only

Don’t miss out! Limited time offer! Hurry! Urgency in email marketing can be a powerful psychological trigger that influences consumers to act now. They don’t want to miss out. They can no longer procrastinate. Their decisions need to be made promptly. 

If everyone is having an “end of Spring sale” or discounting products this week only, you wouldn’t want to say you’re doing that exact same thing. But you can generate AI email subject lines that communicate the urgency behind your campaign using a more unique approach. 

Generate Effective Email Subject Lines With AI

You can—and should— make your subscribers feel a little bit of fomo. With the right selections applied, AI generates some interesting subject lines with stand-out spins that make your subscribers feel as if they need to act now. 

To do this, select Specific Sale under Campaign. Choose which type of Promotion you’re running. In this case, we suggest you select Limited Time Sale or Last Chance Sale. Then select the timing in which you’ll send. With these settings, and your brand voice preferences applied in the Adjust Tone settings, you’ll receive AI email subject lines that go beyond the basic don’t-miss-out style of messaging.

4. Commonly Used Offer:  20% Off

Communicating discounts is a blend of art and science. It sometimes takes a ton of trial and error—and actual science—to deliver optimized, discount-focused, and actually effective email subject lines. 

The perceived value behind a 20% discount can be quite compelling, hence its popularity. In addition to including this offer in your subject line repertoire, we suggest experimenting with different ways to communicate your discounts.

Alternative, Interesting Email Subject Lines

It may be advantageous to list a product’s actual price tag in your subject line. If something typically costs $120, and you’re selling it for 20% off, a simple double-digit $96 price tag can make your sale feel like a steal. Experiment with alternative ways to communicate discounted offerings by listing lower prices, discounted shipping, and any freebies you’ll include.

Whether you’re using your email program to send regular newsletters, promote products, or sell with social proof backing your offerings, Backstroke’s email subject line generator will use a blend of AI and machine learning to help your content stand out in inboxes. Go ahead and try it for free to generate the most effective email subject lines for your brand.

Try it now, for free.