Follow-up Email Subject Line Examples for Success

As a sales professional, your follow-up emails are crucial for maintaining momentum and closing deals, but are you using subject lines that actually capture your prospect's attention? Have you ever wondered what makes a truly effective follow-up email subject line? 

After all, the follow-up email subject line is one of the things a prospect sees most frequently. That's why it's so important to get it right. But how can you ensure your subject lines stand out in a crowded inbox?

In this article, we'll explore the psychology behind follow-up emails, the importance of persistence, and practical tips for crafting subject lines that boost your open rates. 

Keep reading to learn how to optimize your follow-up email strategy for success.

Understanding the Psychology Behind Follow-Up Emails

Many salespeople feel wary about how and when to send follow-up emails because they fear coming across as pushy or incompetent. In fact, 48% of sales reps never follow-up at all. However, salespeople who avoid following up miss out on significant opportunities. 

Statistics show that 80% of customers say no to four follow-up attempts before saying yes on the fifth. Clearly, follow-up emails need to be a carefully planned part of your overall outreach strategy.

For more insights, explore our article on the Psychology of Subject Lines in Cold Emailing.

Why Does The Follow-Up Email Subject Line Matter?

It's perfectly normal for a prospect not to respond to your first few attempts to reach them. With an estimated 361 billion emails sent and received per day, it's no wonder some messages fall by the wayside. Persistence in follow-ups is key, as the data shows that salespeople who consistently follow-up are more likely to succeed.

However, ensuring that your message gets noticed in a crowded inbox is no small task. Creating an effective subject line is crucial for capturing the reader's attention amidst the competition. By creating compelling and relevant subject lines, you can significantly increase the chances of your follow-up emails being opened and read.

6 Key Elements of Effective Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

Creating effective follow-up email subject lines is crucial to ensure your emails get opened. Here are some subject line best practices and key elements to consider for your follow-up emails:

1. Keep It Concise 

Research found that the ideal length for follow-up email subject lines is 6-10 words. It's also helpful to consider the number of characters, as mobile devices often truncate longer subject lines.

That being said, it's always better to err on the shorter side when it comes to email subject lines. And if it needs to be longer than 10 words, make sure the important content is at the front.

2. Creating a Sense of Urgency

A sense of urgency can encourage recipients to open your email sooner rather than later. Use language that implies time sensitivity or immediate value. For instance, you might reference a limited-time offer, a fast-approaching deadline, or an opportunity they don't want to miss.

Examples:

• "Last Chance: Free Webinar Tomorrow"

• "Urgent: Action Required for Your Account"

3. Providing Value

Effective sales interactions are value-based. The goal is to close the sale and win more clients, but that objective is best achieved by providing value and advising prospects. Consider referencing an unanswered question from your last meeting or sharing a relevant blog post. Make sure the content is personalized and designed to address a specific need.

Examples:

• "John, here's the case study we discussed"

• "Exclusive insights for you, Mary"

4. Personalization: Tailoring to the Recipient

Personalized emails have been found to generate 6x higher transaction rates than generic ones. The same principle applies to subject lines. Many successful subject lines include the name of the reader, like the one shown below. 

You might also reference a specific meeting date. This can jog the reader's memory about the last time you spoke. The goal of a personalized subject line is to grab the recipient's attention among a sea of other messages in a way that makes them think, "This email was written explicitly for me."

Examples:

• "John, quick question about our last meeting"

• "Following up on our call from Monday"

5. Clarity and Directness

While the content of your follow-up email is crucial, the subject line plays an important role too. Anything that's too spammy, too long, too boring, or too irrelevant will dissuade the prospect from opening the email (or, worse, create a bad impression). 

Follow-up email subject lines matter because they help create positive rapport and clear communication with prospects throughout the sales process.

Examples:

• "Scheduling our next meeting"

• "Update on your project status"

6. Politeness and Professionalism

Your subject line should always maintain a tone of politeness and professionalism. A well-crafted, respectful subject line fosters positive rapport and ensures clear communication with your prospects. This approach is essential for maintaining professional relationships and increasing the chances of your email being opened.

Examples:

• "Thank you for your time, [Name]"

• "Appreciate your feedback, [Name]"

To summarize: 

Best Follow-Up Email Subject Line Examples

Creating the perfect subject line for your follow-up email is essential to capture your recipient's attention. Here are some examples tailored to different situations:

Polite Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

These subject lines are polite nudges to remind the recipient of your previous outreach. They convey a warm but professional tone, demonstrating your intent to build a stronger relationship.

• "Just checking in, {Name}"

• "Following up on my last email"

• "Have you had a chance to review my message?"

• "Gentle reminder from {Your Name or Company Name}"

• "Hi {Name}, just following up"

Cold Outreach Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

These subject lines pique the reader's curiosity, increasing the likelihood that they will open the email to learn more.

• "Hey {Prospect's Name}, remember me?"

• "Hi {Name}, it's me {Your Name}..."

• "I've been thinking about what you said, {Name}..."

• "{Name}, quick question from our meeting..."

• "What do you think, {Name}?"

Job Application Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

These subject lines focus on following up after a job application or interview, proposing clear meeting times or follow-up actions to encourage a response.

• "Following up on my application for [Position]"

• "Next steps after our interview on [Date]"

• "Available for a quick call this week?"

• "Can we schedule a follow-up meeting?"

• "Any updates on the [Position] application?"

Networking Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

These subject lines are designed for following up after a networking event or introduction, often referencing a mutual connection or shared experience.

• "Great meeting you at [Event]"

• "Following up from [Event]"

• "Loved our conversation at [Event]"

• "Connecting after [Mutual Acquaintance] introduced us"

• "[Mutual Acquaintance] suggested I reach out"

For more inspiration for introductory email subject lines, read our professional email subject line examples.

Tips for Writing Compelling Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

1.Using Data and Insights to Optimize Subject Lines

Experimenting with your subject lines is essential. Not all subject lines will have the same effect, and small tweaks can significantly improve open rates, responses, and conversions. 

Use email tools to track opens, clicks, replies, and other metrics. Running your own tests, staying updated on the latest email trends, and learning from others' tests are crucial steps in analyzing and optimizing your subject lines.

2. A/B Testing Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

A/B testing is a valuable method for optimizing your subject lines. Keep the sender, snippet, and email content consistent, and send different batches with varying subject lines. This helps you determine which subject lines perform better. 

Use tools like QuickMail to monitor key metrics and leverage A/B testing functionality to identify the most effective subject lines. Track the performance of each version using email marketing tools, and use the insights gained to refine your approach. 

Running A/B tests regularly can lead to higher engagement and better overall email campaign performance.

3. Best Practices for Follow-Up Timing and Frequency

Studies show that 63% of interested prospects will not commit to purchasing for at least 3 months, with 20% taking longer than 12 months. This means that you need to be ready for the long haul and plan your subject lines accordingly. 

You wouldn't, for example, follow-up after a two-month-long hiatus with a subject line like Thanks for our meeting eight weeks ago. Consider the cadence of your follow-up series to help you write the perfect subject lines. 

How frequently you reach out will help you convey the right tone, urgency, and value offering. Email software like QuickMail can also help you automate and personalize this process.

Using QuickMail to Optimize Follow-Up Email Subject Lines

As mentioned, QuickMail can elevate your subject line and follow-up email strategy through automation and analytics. This powerful tool offers automatic follow-ups, prospect import, and to-dos, allowing you to focus on tasks that require a personal touch.

QuickMail allows you to easily import your prospects and manage them efficiently when sending large volumes of emails. You can schedule and automate follow-up emails to ensure timely communication and stay on top of tasks with built-in to-do lists and reminders. Integration with Zapier helps streamline your workflow and automate repetitive tasks.

The advanced analytics in QuickMail track open rates, click-through rates, reply rates, unsubscribe rates, and bounce rates, providing insights to optimize your follow-up strategy. Personalization features enable you to tailor your subject lines at scale, making each message feel unique.

Try QuickMail for free today and see how it can transform your email marketing efforts.