We asked our friends in Vertical Response to tell us what their top 50 email marketing subject lines were and these are listed below.

If you are a retailer your email marketing campaigns are probably all about selling. If you sell your own products or products from other manufacturers, you'll be trying to announce new products, new seasons or discounts and sales. You'll want your recipients to act fast, so you may want to try expiration dates in your subject line. We even see businesses using hours in the day in their expiration time periods.

You'll see that some of these subject lines are a bit vague like "An Exclusive Offer for You", however sometimes that might get more opens than if you talk about a specific product. That's something that you need to test for yourself in your own campaigns.

Offer, Offer, Offer

• Enjoy this Special Offer at Our New Location
• 25-40% off - Email-Only Offer - Today Only
• Invitation-Only 2 Hour Event Starts 11:30 AM CT
• Ends Today! 20% Off Friends & Family
• Top 10 under $10
• Free shipping - offer ends in 3 days
• Free product with purchase of [product name]
• [New Product] has arrived. Order now before we run out.
• Earn double points for [insert product or action].
• Last Chance: Get up to $25 now
• Save 10% on your next order
• Enjoy [season] with rates from $65
• Service Notice: Exciting new changes at [your company]
• An Exclusive Offer for You
• [Your company] October Specials
• Last minute deals, special offers, and new [product name]
• Act Now to renew your [subscription name]
• Online only: 25% off friends and family
• Introducing our latest...[product/feature here]
• [Product name] Promotion week. Save 25%
• Extended for a day! Get Free shipping through Friday
• Stock up and save 15%
• Limited Supply: Limit 2 [product name] per customer
• Ho-ho-ho: The [your company] holiday catalog is here!
• Email subscriber exclusive: [Product name] sale is here
• Ends Today: Take 20% off your entire order
• Private Sale Ends Today
• Your choice of amazing items $50 + under
• Great gifts for [Dad, Mom, etc]
• Best Sellers every [girl, boy, man, woman, dog, etc.]
• Everything you need when the temperatures [rise, fall]
• Free Shipping--Limited Time Offer

Catchy & Creative

• Sometimes all you need is a little vase lift (retailer selling vase's)
• We've got you covered from head to toe (retailer selling hats, shirts, pants and boots)
• How La Perla got its name (retailer selling lingerie, telling a story inside the email)
• Temperatures Fall, Style Rises (retailer selling coats)
• Celebrity Favorites (selling accessories that Hollywood is wearing)
• Did you remember to get a gift? It's ok, we did. (retailer wanting to get people to register for gift reminders)
• 10 Gift Ideas for your little ones (retailer listing top 10 suggestions for kids)
• Manhattan View for a Song in the Shower (retailer selling shower curtain with Manhattan skyline on it)
• Take your pick: Our 9 Favorite Dresses (retailer suggesting by popularity)
• Coolest modern desk on the job...for $149 (retailer including price in the subject line)
• Score Great Savings on Game-Time Gear: HDTVs, Furniture & More (retailer selling TV's with a sports slant)
• Party Like it's 1999 Aged Cabernet Special (wine retailer)
• In our store: Last minute Mother's Day combo ready to go (retailer getting the last minute shoppers with a catch "combo to go".)
• Adorn Your Home Now & Through the Holidays (Home decor retailer)
• Mind-Blowing Grenache (wine retailer) Bring this email to a Gap store and win! (retailer trying to get store traffic)

Now, that should get your creative juices flowing!

Anthony Quigley