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34 headline formulae that work .

1. Ask a question (people are accustomed to answering questions, and may be intrigued)
2. Begin your headline with the word "Introducing."
3. Begin your headline with the word "Announcing."
4. Use words that have an announcement quality.
5. Begin your headline with the word "New."
6. Begin your headline with the word "Now."
7. Begin your headline with the words "At last."
8. Put a date into your headline.
9. Write your headline in news style.
10. Feature the price in your headline.
11. Feature reduced price.
12. Feature a special merchandising offer.
13. Feature an easy-payment plan.
14. Feature a free offer.
15. Offer information of value.
16. Tell a story.
17. Begin your headline with the words "How To."
18. Begin your headline with the word "How."
19. Begin your headline with the word "Why."
20. Begin your headline with the word "Which?"
21. Begin your headline with the words "Who else."
22. Begin your headline with the word "Wanted."
23. Begin your headline with the word "This."
24. Begin your headline with the word "Because."
25. Begin your headline with the word "If."
26. Begin your headline with the word "Advice."
27. Use a testimonial-style headline.
28. Offer the reader a test.
29. Use a one-word headline.
30. Use a two-word headline.
31. Use a three-word headline.
32. Warn the reader not to delay buying.
33. Address your headline to a specific person or group.
34. Offer benefits through facts and figures.

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Have you ever seen a bald-headed sheep?

In the classic book ‘Ogilvy on Advertising’ David Ogilvy said that it was his favourite headline.

He used it to sell lanolin as a cure for baldness.

Written way before we all started using email it would be a highly effective Subject Line too.  Why?

1. At 40 characters long, so you will see the whole line in full.
2. It asks a question, and people instinctively search out the answer to questions.
3. It's quirky and arouses interest, and will stand out from the rest of your inbox.
4. It's relevant and surprising.

   (Although it doesn't include a customer benefit, which would improve it)

   
   
   

More guidance

We all get email and so understand just how quickly we make the decision to read or delete what appears in our inbox (a second or two is typical). So if you can’t get your reader past your subject line, then nothing else matters. How you segment your list, how you personalize your message, the content you create, and the offer you craft is irrelevant if your subject line doesn’t work.

To increase your chances of getting your email read:

1. Check that your subject line includes the three critical elements of an email value proposition
2. Use this ‘subject’ line checklist.
3. Use one or more of these 'magic' marketing words.
4. Test.  The most effective subject line will always be the one that has been tested the most.

See also

Does the ‘from’ field help ensure that the email is opened?

How easy is your email to read?

How personalised (and therefore how relevant) is the message?