10 Hard Truths About Email Open Rates (And 10 Surprises)

For the past year, I’ve been really active on Twitter.

Despite its reputation, X has been the best platform for networking.

Sorry, LinkedIn.

LinkedIn feels like a hushed water cooler conversation where everyone’s nervously glancing over their shoulder to see if the boss is listening.

X feels like it’s happy hour after work and your boss is buying you beers. 

I’ve connected with dozens of business owners I now talk to weekly.

One of them is Gabriel.

(HEY GABE!)

He’s launching a swimwear brand called Nordic Dudes.

Do yourself a favor…Google them. Get on their list. The emails are incredible.

What’s interesting is they’re building the product in public. 

Instead of waiting until they have inventory, they’re already growing an email list with a newsletter and lead magnet.

 Genius.

Yesterday, I’m scrolling Twitter and see a post from Gabriel about open rates.

He noticed his open rates trending down and shared a great video on what he was doing to fix it.

I was impressed. 

I started to send him a message back on Twitter, but it turned into this collection of notes.

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on open rates and subject lines…

10 Thoughts on Open Rates and Subject Lines

1. Most of my clients’ open rates stay within a 10% band.
   
   If we see a shift from 56% to 47%, that’s normal. It’s just natural list movement and seasonal behavior. The key is to look for trends over time, not panic at small drops from one send to the next.
   

2. A sudden crash (50% → 10%) is a deliverability issue.
   
   When open rates fall off a cliff overnight, that’s when I investigate. It could be broken authentication, a spam trap issue, or something else in the sending infrastructure. That’s the only time I treat open rates as a serious warning sign.
   

3. Apple Mail auto-load inflates open rates.
   
   With Mail Privacy Protection, Apple often auto-loads pixels, marking emails as “opened” even when they weren’t. A list full of Apple Mail users can look like it’s getting 100% opens. Don’t let this fool you into thinking engagement is better than it really is.
   

4. Gmail placement is personal.
   
   Two subscribers on the same list might see the exact same email land in different tabs. If someone opens, clicks, and replies often, they’ll likely see you in Primary. If they rarely engage, Gmail will filter you into Promotions or Updates.
   

5. Promotions vs Primary is a short-sighted battle.
   
   Chasing the Primary tab is overrated. Some customers want your emails in Promotions because they treat that tab as their “shopping folder.” Trying to game your way into Primary isn’t a long-term strategy worth the effort.
   

6. Benefit + curiosity works for subject lines… but offers win.
   
   You can craft a clever subject all day, but “90% off for the next 12 hours” will beat it if you’re running constant promos. Offers are what drive the biggest spikes—especially in brands where discounts are part of the culture.
   

7. A/B testing subject lines is a battle in futility.
   
   I’ve done it. Clients have asked me to do it. Yes, sometimes the “winner” boosts opens by 2%. But there’s rarely a direct connection between more opens and more revenue. It’s busy work disguised as optimization.
   

8. Segmentation is your foundation.
   
   One of the simplest ways to protect open rates is by only emailing engaged subscribers. Sending to people who’ve opened or clicked within the last 90–180 days keeps list quality high and engagement strong.
   

9. Clean your list.
   
   If someone hasn’t opened, clicked, or purchased in 180–365 days, it’s time to let them go. Keeping unengaged contacts drags down deliverability, hurts open rates, and doesn’t add revenue.
   

10. Study your own inbox.
    
    Create a burner email, subscribe to dozens of lists, and watch what comes in. You’ll quickly notice which subject lines jump out—and which ones blend into the noise. This is one of the easiest ways to get fresh inspiration for your own emails.

The end.

JK….

Keep scrolling….

I put an easter egg down here…

a little further….

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Almost ….

There…….

[Bonus] 10 Subject Lines I’ve Personally Written (And Why They Worked)

1. One tiny swap that changes everything 🍞
   
   Curiosity + relevance. This client is in  a health-conscious market, so “swaps” are familiar language. The bread emoji ties directly to the baked goods product.When used sparingly, emoji's can help stand out.
   

2. Wishing you a happy new year!
   
   The subject line is simple, but the real driver was the sender line. This came from the founder, as part of a cadence where we send 1–2 personal founder messages each month. These emails consistently get the most replies and engagement.
   

3. Did you give up already?
   
   One of our best-performing subject lines ever. Timing was everything — sent late January, when New Year’s resolutions start to fade. It poked at a nerve (even got a couple angry replies), but the email was actually encouraging. Bold questions grab attention.
   

4. Try something new with free shipping on us.
   
   Offers always work. Free shipping is simple, clear, and high-value for this audience.
   

5. Your leads are getting cold… 🥶
   
   Big pain point for this client’s market: they collect leads at events but have no follow-up process. This subject hits them right in the problem, with an emoji for emphasis.
   

6. FYI this e-moto is NOT street legal…
   
   Slightly provocative. We know in this market buyers choose these bikes for speed. Calling out “not street legal” subtly plays into that appeal, creating intrigue and controversy.
   

7. ZzzZzzzzZzzZzzzzZzzzZzzzzZzzz
   
   This was for a supplement company’s sleep product. In a sea of boring, bland inboxes, this stood out instantly — curiosity plus relevance for the market.
   

8. 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
   
   A few times a year I’ll bust out the patented “Orzy Emoji Bomb.” It’s just a total pattern interrupt in a boring inbox. The trick is to have the emoji loosely related to the content of the email. 

9. Did you half-a$$ my sandwich!?
   
   Totally unexpected in an inbox. Pulling a dramatic moment from the story and using it as the subject line creates instant curiosity. People open because they have to know the context.
   

10. “I get a lot of questions because it doesn’t look like a traditional e-bike.”
    
    One of my favorite subject line strategies is using quotes from customer reviews or comments. It has built-in credibility (social proof) and curiosity baked in. This one draws intrigue while hinting at a real customer insight.

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