I Analyzed 573 Email Subject Lines So You Don’t Have To

Morning Brew uses 100% emojis. James Clear uses zero. Both make millions. Explain that.

You can’t.

Because here’s what nobody tells you: The best-performing subject lines are wildly different depending on who’s sending them.

I’ve been watching this play out for months. People obsess over subject lines like they’re the secret sauce to email success. They read listicles. Copy swipe files. Test emojis vs. no emojis. Short vs. long. Questions vs. statements.

And they’re asking the wrong question.

Everyone wants to know “what makes a good subject line?”

Wrong question.

Ask this instead: “What makes a subject line work for your brand?”

I pulled 573 emails from our The Inbox. Brands ranging from Morning Brew to Miss Excel to random creator newsletters you’ve never heard of.

And the patterns were fascinating.

Here’s what I found:

But here’s where it gets really interesting...

Morning Brew uses emojis in 100% of their subject lines.

Every. Single. One.

☕ Fuzzy data ☕ Cold pizza ☕ Computer on your face

Their average subject line? 18 characters.

Now look at James Clear (3-2-1 Newsletter).

0% emoji usage.

His average subject line? 42 characters.

“3-2-1: On finding your desired lifestyle, a simple rule for life, and working with what you have”

Both crushing it. Both making millions. Completely opposite strategies.

Why?

Because Morning Brew’s brand is “quick, punchy, visual news you can scan in 30 seconds.”

James Clear’s brand is “thoughtful wisdom you can apply immediately.”

The brand is the strategy.

Here’s what I found across different types of brands:

See the pattern?

Your subject line should sound like your brand, not like a “best practices” blog post.

Here are 3 principles I use when writing subject lines:

You can create curiosity without being vague.

Specific curiosity: “I see 6 red flags in their spending. Can you spot them?” “🤿 This 2x’d their daily subscriber rate” “Can I ask you an awkward question?”

Vague curiosity: “Nobody’s even trying.” “Wait for it…” “You won’t believe this”

Specific curiosity gives context. You know what you’re curious about.

Vague curiosity can drive confusion instead of clicks.

Only 6.8% of emails I analyzed used question marks.

That’s a massive opportunity.

“Can I ask you an awkward question?” “Are you stuck on one of these 4 questions?” “New year, same stress?”

Questions create an opportunity to engage. They put your reader in the subject line.

31.6% of emails use “you” or “your.”

Not “we” or “our” or “I.”

You.

“Your problem (and opportunity):” “You forgot something......” “A discount just for YOU! 🎁”

It’s basic. It works. You’re probably not doing it enough.

I’m not telling you to copy Morning Brew’s emoji strategy.

I’m not telling you James Clear’s long-form subject lines are “the answer.”

I’m not giving you “the ultimate template” or a formula or 47 subject lines you can swipe.

Because that’s not the point.

The point is this:

The brands crushing it have created brand-specific patterns their audience recognizes instantly.

When you see ☕, you know it’s Morning Brew. When you see “3-2-1:” you know it’s James Clear. When you see ⚡” you know it’s Future Party.

Subject line strategy? No. Brand recognition strategy.

Stop optimizing your open rates with someone else’s playbook.

Ask yourself:

Then test within your brand voice.

Test your version of curiosity. Your version of personalization. Your version of questions.