It, therefore, makes sense that when we encounter a threat, our body does what it’s designed to do, stopping digestion and other less critical bodily processes, like repair and cleanup mechanisms, and funneling its resources to the heart, brain, and muscles. The only problem occurs when stress is chronic. Too much cortisol for too long can lead to chronically high blood sugar, which can contribute to diabetes and insulin resistance.
LDL is “bad” cholesterol: This is the cholesterol that’s potentially depositing in your arteries. You want LDL numbers to be low; the lower, the better. Cardiologists would say that everyone’s LDL should fall below 130 mg/dL. If you have additional risk factors (i.e., if you’re a smoker, have high blood pressure, or have low HDL), LDL should fall below 100 mg/dL. If you’ve had a heart attack, stroke, bypass surgery, or a stent, or if you have diabetes, LDL should fall below 70 mg/dL. LDL well under 50 mg/dL is considered additionally protective2.
And I’m lowering my risk of dementia.
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Discolored feet can be disconcerting. While you may not love the way they look, they’re usually not a danger to your health. Read on to learn the common causes for yellowing feet (spoiler alert: they have nothing to do with your bathing habits), how to get your feet back to their normal color, and when to see a doctor for the discoloration.
There are many possible causes of yellowing feet. Here are the most common:
Your yellow feet could be caused by calluses or corns. “Calluses and corns are thickened skin that form in areas of friction or pressure,” says Nelya Lobkova, DPM, a New York City-based podiatrist at Step Up Footcare. Calluses usually form on the soles of the feet while corns tend to pop up on the top or side of a toe.
“The cornified layer of excess skin looks like different shades of yellow, depending on [your] skin color and the thickness of the callus,” Dr. Lobkova says. Along with yellow, thick, hardened skin, corns and calluses may also be flaky and dry. While you may not be thrilled by their appearance, calluses and corns usually develop to keep your feet safe. “They protect the underlying bone from excess pressure,” Dr. Lobkova says.
“However, corns and calluses could become painful,” Dr. Lobkova says. They may even bleed. If they bother you, she recommends trying an over-the-counter (OTC) urea cream. Here’s how to use it:
Urea cream is a safer option compared to OTC corn or callus pads. “They can macerate normal skin and cause wounds or infections,” Dr. Lobkova says. While you may be successful in treating certain calluses at home, smaller, deeper circular corns, may require a trip to the doctor, she says. A podiatrist can remove the hardened skin safely.
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“Other skin lesions can also appear yellow on the bottom of the feet,” Dr. Lobkova says. Case in point: plantar warts. Like calluses, warts cause a buildup of skin on the bottom of your feet she says. Because they look alike, “warts are commonly mistaken for being a callus or a corn,” she says. “I see this almost daily in clinical practice.”
But there’s a major distinction: “Warts are caused by the HPV [human papillomavirus] virus,” Dr. Lobkova says. This means, unlike all corns and calluses, they can spread throughout the feet and even to the hands.
Keep an eye out for the following plantar wart symptoms, per the Cleveland Clinic:
Plantar warts can be stubborn (they’re rooted deep in your skin), so it’s best to see your podiatrist to treat them. “Warts can be treated through traditional skin ablative techniques, such as scraping, removing, and burning the skin lesions, or non-ablative techniques with microwave therapy,” Dr. Lobkova says.
“Yellowing of the palms and soles of the feet may be a symptom of anemia,” Dr. Lobkova says. Anemia is a condition that happens when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. While there are many types, the most common is iron-deficiency anemia, which develops if you don’t get enough iron from food (or if you lose a lot of blood, say, from an injury).
“The lack of certain minerals [like iron] causes the red blood cells to be mis-shaped and their byproduct to increase in the blood,” Dr. Lobkova says. When these byproducts accumulate in the tissue and skin, they can cause discoloration, she says. Other symptoms of anemia to look out for include the following, per the Mayo Clinic:
If you have any of the above symptoms, see your doctor. They can do a simple blood test to determine whether you’re dealing with anemia. “Once diagnosed, anemia may be treated with appropriate supplementation,” Dr. Lobkova says. Depending on your situation, your doctor may recommend iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 supplements.
Jaundice is a condition that turns your skin yellow—including the skin on your feet. Jaundice “occurs if the liver is not working properly,” Dr. Lobkova says. When the liver can’t properly process blood cells, it leads to a buildup of bilirubin (a yellow compound made when red blood cells break down), she says.
Higher concentrations of bilirubin “leave the blood and enter tissue and skin, thus giving the skin a yellow-toned hue,” Dr. Lobkova says. “Keep in mind, someone with jaundice will have yellow skin throughout the body, not just in the feet,” she says. In fact, a telltale sign of jaundice is yellowing of the whites of your eyes.
Other possible jaundice symptoms include the following, per Mount Sinai:
“To treat jaundice, the underlying cause of the liver dysfunction must be addressed,” Dr. Lobkova says. In many cases, jaundice—and your yellow feet—will clear up once you treat the root cause. “Causes include, but are not limited to, hepatitis infection, cirrhosis, tumor of the liver, and overdose of drugs,” she says. Because some of the causes are potentially life-threatening, you should see your doctor ASAP.
Raynaud’s syndrome might be the reason for your yellow feet. Raynaud’s is a condition that causes spasms in the capillaries (i.e., small blood vessels) in the hands and feet. “What happens is these small vessels that provide blood supply to the toes and fingers contract (or close) in response to cold, stress, or anxiety,” Dr. Lobkova says.
This abrupt change in blood flow can cause a white-yellowish or bluish discoloration in the tips of the fingers and/or toes, she says. Along with skin color changes, other possible signs of Raynaud’s syndrome may include the following, per the Mayo Clinic:
Raynaud’s could be linked to an underlying medical condition, or it can happen idiopathically, meaning it’s unrelated to any other health issues, Dr. Lobkova says.
If you think you’re dealing with Raynaud’s syndrome, speak with your doctor. They can perform tests to diagnose the condition. Treatment will depend on whether it’s caused by another underlying health problem. If it is, managing the root cause will be the first step.
Turmeric is a spice with a rich yellow color that many people use for its anti-inflammatory benefits, Dr. Lobkova says. But as the saying goes, you can have too much of a good thing. When used in excess, turmeric can, well, turn you yellow. For instance, if you apply turmeric powder (with a gel base) topically to the bottom of your feet, “it can temporarily stain the feet yellow,” Dr. Lobkova says.
Likewise, eating too much turmeric can lead to yellowing skin, too. High doses of turmeric supplements have been “linked to a few cases of liver injury, which can cause jaundice,” per Dr. Lobkova and the National Library of Medicine. As we know, jaundice can make your skin yellow.
Try to cut down on the amount of turmeric you use. Over time, the yellow hue of your skin should fade. But you might need to be patient. For example, once you quit applying turmeric topically, “the skin may take a few months to reverse the discoloration,” says Dr. Lobkova.
Crunching on carrots every day? Your diet could be to blame for the bottom of your feet turning yellow. Known as carotenemia, this harmless condition happens when you eat a lot of orange-tinted fruits and vegetables that contain carotenoids (i.e., natural pigments), Dr. Lobkova says. “Studies have found that over 30 milligrams of carotenoids a day can cause carotenemia,” she says.
If there are too many carotenoids in the blood, they enter the urine, stool, tissue, and skin, Dr. Lobkova says. All of these things can become yellow or orange-tinted.
While carotenemia isn’t dangerous, you may not be cool with your new orange hue. Luckily, once you limit your intake of beta-carotene rich foods, your skin should return to normal. Another helpful tip: Focus on getting a greater variety of foods. Try to “eat the whole rainbow” of fruits and vegetables, not just the orange and yellow spectrum.
“Diabetes could cause discoloration in the legs and feet,” Dr. Lobkova says. The skin may darken due to deposits of hemosiderin (i.e., a byproduct of red blood cells), she says. “Diabetes also causes excess dryness throughout the body,” Dr. Lobkova says.
While dry skin won’t turn the soles of the feet yellow, “it can increase the amount of calluses and corns on the bottom of the feet,” she says. And, as we know, callused skin has the tendency to yellow. Dryness can also result in scaling and deep cracks (known as fissures) in the bottom of the feet, she says.
Other foot-related symptoms associated with diabetes may include the following, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Fissures or open wounds on your feet could lead to an infection, Dr. Lobkova says. This can be especially dangerous for someone with diabetes. In severe cases, serious infections can damage your toe, foot, or leg beyond repair, requiring amputation. If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to manage your condition. Keeping it well-managed is essential for your overall health.
Because there’s a plethora of possible causes for yellow feet, “proper diagnosis is the first step to treatment,” Dr. Lobkova says. That means, if you notice discoloration, walk your yellow feet over to your podiatrist who can examine you and determine why. “Without an evaluation, you could be mistreating the yellowing of your skin and making it worse,” Dr. Lobkova says.
Along with seeing a foot specialist, you can also take measures at home to keep your feet healthy. Here are a few tips to try, per the CDC:
Yellow feet are not always serious. “Our feet change color in response to changes in blood supply, changes in climate, as well as in response to what we are doing and what we are eating,” Dr. Lobkova says. Still, “it’s important to note these changes as they happen,” she says.
In some cases, discoloration and blood supply changes may indicate an urgent problem. Blood provides oxygen to the tissue of the feet, so, if it’s lacking, your feet may become damaged, she says.
If your yellow feet come with new onset pain, numbness, or bleeding or an open wound, see your podiatrist right away. These are signs something more is going on and needs attention, Dr. Lobkova says.
There are many possible causes for yellowing feet, and diabetes is one of them. Diabetes can cause discoloration in your feet and thickened, yellow toenails, according to the CDC. People with diabetes can also develop dry, cracked skin on their feet, which can become callused, Dr. Lobkova says. And callused skin tends to have a yellow tint.
Additionally, poorly managed diabetes can lead to nerve damage and poor blood flow in your feet, increasing your risk of a foot ulcer (i.e., a sore), per the CDC. Open wounds can also be dangerous if they get infected. Bottom line: if you have diabetes and notice any changes in your feet, tell your doctor immediately to avoid any serious complications.
“The color varies depending on ethnicity, but it is typically lighter, pinkish-hued compared to the rest of the skin,” Dr. Lobkova says. But why the lighter hue? Like the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet have a thicker layer of skin called glabrous skin.
“This layer of skin is richer in nerve endings, sweat glands, and blood vessels,” she says. That’s why it looks different than skin on other parts of your body.
“It is common for white socks to turn yellow after wear due to sweat stains,” Dr. Lobkova says. Although sweat is mostly water, it’s not 100 percent clear. That’s because it also has a combination of minerals and proteins, including ammonia and urea, and various oils, she says. Your socks turn a yellow shade thanks to these substances.
“Yellow socks could also be from fluid from popped blisters or pus from open wounds,” Dr. Lobkova adds. All the more reason to check your feet daily. A quick scan before your shower will suffice. If you notice any changes—discoloration, dry skin, blisters, or sores—see a podiatrist.
Losing your hair can take a toll on your mental health, no matter the specific cause. While general aging and hormonal shifts are common triggers (plus stress, which can totally lead to hair loss), there’s more to shedding than meets the eye—for some, diet plays a significant role.
Like the rest of the world, I love a good lip product. Lining my lips with lip liner, swiping on lipstick, and topping it all off with lip gloss makes me feel like a painter finishing a work of art. (Just call me Picasso!) As a chronically online Gen Z-er and beauty writer, I have tried many lip products—and I can confidently say the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyls are worth all the viral hype.
The often sold-out, TikTok-beloved lip gloss-balm hybrid was everywhere last year, and its staying power as one of the best on the market is further proof of its allure. Best of all? QVC is offering a Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyl Trio worth $78 for only $40. So you can try (and eventually fall in love with) the juicy, glossy formula for yourself.
Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyl Trio — $40.00
$78 value
Includes: (3) Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyls in the shades Sheer Petal, Sheer Lotus, and Hibiscus
According to Tarte, one Maracuja Lip Vinyl is sold every six seconds (!). In a very saturated world of lip products, what makes Tarte’s Maracuja Lip Vinyls different from the thousands of other lip glosses on the market?
For starters, it combines the ease of applying a lip balm into gloss form. There’s no messy doe-fit applicator, and to apply, you click up the product (the “click, click, click” sounds incredibly satisfying) and swipe or tap on the balm. It immediately melts into the lips, leaving an ultra-glowy refined shine (that’s not sticky) and wash of color that can be built up to be as opaque or sheer as you’d like.
The impressive ingredient call-outs explain how the balmy gloss offers a distinct combination of hydration to the lips, creating that custom mirror-like shine. Packed with hyaluronic acid (a humectant that retains moisture), maracuja oil (an antioxidant that’s rich in vitamin C), and a 10+ superfruit complex that includes vitamin E, acai, and grapeseed oil, the Lip Vinyls fill in those pesky lip lines for smooth and moisturized lips. The added color is a nice touch, too. Sheer Petal is a quintessential rosy pink; Sheer Lotus is a buildable fuchsia hue; and Hibiscus is a mauve berry shade. The sheer-to-full coverage formula means it won’t look out-of-place if applied on its own, but it can act as a perfect finishing touch in your lip liner, lipstick, and gloss trio.
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At just under $40 for the pack of three, each Maracuja Lip Vinyl costs around $13, which normally retails for double. At $26 a pop, it’s safe to say the deal is worth it, especially if you’ve been watching the gloss balm rack up a bevy of positive reviews across social media.
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According to the research, body composition (i.e., as measured by weight, body fat percentage, BMI, and waist circumference) plays a massive role in how much vitamin D1 your body actively circulates—and, subsequently, impacts the cancer research previously determined.
Take it from a retired party girl: There’s nothing worse than waking up the morning after a fun, blurry night with a double shot of guilt and the spins.
Since going sober-curious about a year ago, I now save the tequila sodas for more special occasions, but I have plenty of friends who still imbibe on the reg. So when I heard about how Korean pear juice can supposedly help prevent hangovers, I had to get my hands on some—and, well, hand it over to said friends.
Meet Brett, 26: He drinks alcohol almost every weekend and gets really bad hangovers—the type of hangovers where your head feels like Humpty Dumpty fell down a hill (his words, not mine). Brett eagerly volunteered to be my guinea pig and try Korean pear juice before a night out, hoping it would help ease the aftermath.
But before we get to this little experiment’s results, let’s dive into what Korean pear juice is and why it’s marketed as a way to prevent hangovers.
Korean pear juice is made out of Korean pears, also known as Asian pears, which have a firmer, apple-like texture compared to the pear varietals in most of our grocery stores.
“Unlike the more commonly known European or American pear juices, which can be quite thick and syrupy, Korean pear juice is typically lighter and crisper, like the fruit itself,” says dietitian Lauren Manaker, RDN. “This distinct texture translates into a juice that’s more hydrating and less acidic.”
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Brett likened the pear juice to a fruity sports drink. “I would consider drinking either on a hot day or after a sports activity,” he says.
Nutrition-wise, though, pear juice doesn’t seem to trump tried-and-true sports drinks, which contain much-needed electrolytes. “Pear juice is a source of hydration, but it lacks essential electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which can be heavily depleted following alcohol consumption,” says Claire Rifkin, MS, RDN, an NYC-based women’s health dietitian and founder of the telehealth private practice Claire Rifkin Nutrition. FYI, dehydration is what leads to an electrolyte imbalance, which can contribute to the dreaded headaches and dizziness after a night of drinking.
It turns out that all the hype around Korean pear juice preventing hangovers is based on one very small study.
In an August 2013 study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, 14 young men drank alcohol 30 minutes after consuming either Korean pear juice or a placebo drink. Those who drank the pear juice appeared to have less severe hangover symptoms than those who took the placebo drink, especially among those with certain genotypes. Plus, the pear juice seemed to help lower the participants’ blood alcohol content. The researchers attribute this to the pear juice’s natural enzymes and antioxidants, which help metabolize alcohol.
In addition to this small human study, there’s some limited research in rats that shows Korean pear juice can increase alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, and decrease blood alcohol levels.
Given these results, it makes sense that having a glass of Korean pear juice as a pre-emptive measure can result in a milder hangover the following day, right? Not so fast. You’ll want to take these results like you’d take a tequila shot: with a lot of salt.
“I think I died and went to hell,” Brett texted the group chat on Sunday. Spoiler: Korean pear juice didn’t work on Brett.
Brett tried the juice several times before consuming alcohol. The specific brand he tested, Bae Juice, instructs you to drink it before having your first alcoholic beverage. But unfortunately, the pear juice was no match for multiple rounds of beer, seltzers, and Irish car bombs.
The following day, Brett experienced his usual hangover symptoms—headache, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting—without any noticeable differences.
If you’re keen on pre-gaming with pear juice, there’s likely no harm in doing so. “But I wouldn’t consume this product thinking that it will prevent your hangover or allow you to drink more alcohol than you would if you hadn’t consumed it,” Rifkin says.
Your best bet: Try more reliable hangover prevention methods, such as eating a complete meal before a night of drinking, limiting your alcohol intake, and alternating between one alcoholic drink and one full glass of water, Rifkin recommends.
As for Brett, it’s safe to say that Bae Juice isn’t his forever drinking bae.
Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.
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Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D.
Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, MD, is a neurologist, neuroscientist and an internationally recognized expert in the ancient practice of Ayurvedic medicine. She earned her medical degree at Loma Linda University School of Medicine; completed her internship at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and neurology residency at University of California San Diego (UCSD).
Chaudhary is the author of “The Prime” (Penguin Random House, 2016) and “Sound Medicine” (Harper Collins, 2020); is a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine and is a highly sought-after speaker, researcher and adviser for Healthy Directions. She is the former director of Wellspring Health in Scripps Memorial Hospital, where she successfully combined conventional treatments with Ayurvedic practices of detoxification, diet, and lifestyle management to help patients effectively manage chronic neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and migraine headaches.
Her program was so successful that it is now used for a wide range of health concerns, including weight issues and chronic disease. Through her integrative approach, Chaudhary teaches her patients about the connection between mind, body and spirit, which impacts every aspect of health both physically and mentally. Learn more at www.DrKChaudhary.com.
Advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, “Five times as many people read the headline as the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
Like a headline for a blog post or news article, the subject line for your email needs to capture people’s attention and convince them to open your message. A subject line can make or break the performance of your email, so it’s important to spend extra time crafting one that’s memorable and effective.
Good subject lines get to the point, create a sense of urgency, and are relevant to the subscriber, but it’s easy to make mistakes when writing them.
Committing these subject line sins can drastically reduce your open rates, but avoiding them is easy if you know what to look for.
Here are 11 of the most common mistakes people make when writing email subject lines and tips to improve them and improve your open rates.
When you send an email, you only get one chance for the intended recipient to open it. And most of that is tied to a great subject line. A well-crafted subject line grabs attention and sets the tone for the rest of the email. It can make the difference between your email being opened or ignored, influencing engagement and conversion rates.
Understanding the common pitfalls can help you avoid mistakes and create compelling subject lines that drive results. Here are 11 subject line mistakes that could hurt your open rates and how to avoid them.
Imagine receiving an email with a subject line in your inbox: GET 40% OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE RIGHT NOW.
You would likely take one of three actions: ignore it, delete it, or mark it as spam. And that doesn’t even account for the annoyance you might have felt receiving such an email.
Before pressing send, keep in mind that USING EXCESSIVE CAPITALIZATION CAN SCARE AWAY SUBSCRIBERS AND KILL YOUR OPEN RATES.
It can appear like you are yelling and hurting your email performance. So, you should use caps in subject lines very carefully.
Do this instead:
Using caps in an email can be effective on a single word in a subject line. But it also needs to be the right word.
Dick’s Sporting Goods does a good job subtly calling out “MORE”, “BIG” and “NOW” in the subject line examples below.
Taking the example we used earlier, imagine we added punctuation—a lot of it: GET 40% OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have limited real estate for your subject line, and multiple exclamation marks can come across as spammy. Special characters, such as * % & # and ^, have been known to trigger spam filters, so be sure to use them sparingly.
Do this instead:
Now that we’ve discussed the punctuation mistakes to avoid in your subject line, you may be wondering which characters lead to higher open rates.
The answer? Question marks, exclamation points, and periods. We recommend no more than three punctuation marks per email subject line. When you use too much punctuation, your email looks spammy.
Of course, while this can vary depending on your industry, your audience, and the content of your messages, test multiple subject lines (more on this later) to see which punctuation your subscribers respond to.
Here’s an example of a subject line from Enchanting Marketing:
Using simple language, asking a question, and proper punctuation in her subject line, founder Henneke Duistermaat piques the reader’s interest and entices them to read the message.
Exclamation points, periods, and question marks are all part of a healthy email marketing strategy, so don’t be afraid to mix up the punctuation you use in your subject lines.
Okay, we know you might not agree with this one—but we implore you to use emojis sparingly in your subject lines. Yes, emojis can indeed increase open rates. But not always.
The key is to protect your brand image and avoid coming across as cartoony or unprofessional. Emojis work well for some businesses, but they may not be suitable for everyone.
For example, law firms, financial services, and healthcare providers might want to avoid using emojis altogether to maintain a serious and trustworthy image.
Do this instead:
Match the emoji to your business and use them thoughtfully. If you decide to use emojis, ensure they align with your brand and message.
It’s also a good idea to test different subject lines with and without emojis to see what resonates best with your audience. For instance, try “🌟 Special Offer Inside!” versus “Special Offer Inside!” and compare the results to find what works for you.
Adding certain trigger words to your subject line can activate a recipient’s spam filter, even if your message is legitimate.
To prevent this from happening, avoid certain words, phrases, and symbols like “$$$,” “100% free,” “cash off,” “cheap,” “weight loss,” and “serious cash.” Even if your email makes it into the inbox, it can come across as spammy to your subscribers.
Do this instead:
To ensure your readers take your emails seriously, carefully choose the language in your subject line by avoiding some of the trigger words and symbols listed above.
Finding the right verbiage for your subject line can be tough, especially with the sophisticated spam filters out today. What works for one industry may not work for another. Be sure to try different variations of words to see what resonates best.
I also recommend focusing on specific words that tie back to the content in your email. Check out this example from our friends at Social Media Examiner:
The subject line tells you exactly what you’ll get by opening up the email. And by focusing on that, it eliminates the risk of including words that might appear spammy.
Bonus Tips: Occasionally adding phrases like “Free” or “Act Now” have been shown to improve open rates, but I recommend using them sparingly to avoid diluting their impact.
Have you ever read an email communication with run-on sentences after run-on sentences? It’s annoying, right? And it might even turn you off so much that you stop reading altogether. It’s not all that different with subject lines.
People receive many emails daily and don’t have time to read a novel when skimming their inbox. The average person receives 121 emails per day, so yours needs to stand out in a good way. Long, rambling subject lines can get lost in the clutter, causing your message to be overlooked or ignored.
Do this instead:
Aim to get your message across as quickly as possible and cut any unnecessary terms or phrases. Our AWeber team of email experts analyzed the top marketers’ emails and found their email subject lines averaged slightly under 44 characters.
As important as it is to get your message across quickly and clearly, make sure it expresses a complete thought and offers value to the reader – you don’t want to write a subject line that’s too short, either. Avoid one-word subject lines and strive to be helpful and relevant to your subscribers.
Professional photography blogger Courtney Slazinik conveys her message concisely with the following subject line:
By building a message around a numbered list and including the word “secrets,” Courtney offers value and creates a sense of mystery around her content. As a result, this subject line is easily skimmable and irresistibly clickable.
Being too generic with your subject lines can be a big mistake. Think about it like this: if you were offering vanilla ice cream, it might not catch anyone’s attention. But if you mentioned a unique flavor like “Salted Caramel Swirl with Chocolate Chips,” people would be more likely to notice and get excited.
Generic subject lines often get overlooked because they don’t stand out in a crowded inbox. They fail to give readers a reason to open your email, resulting in lower open rates and engagement.
Do this instead:
Add some flavor to your subject lines. Make them specific and enticing. For example, instead of “Weekly Newsletter,” try “Discover 5 Secret Tips to Boost Your Productivity This Week.” This captures attention and gives readers a clear idea of what they will gain by opening your email.
Let’s say you send an email with the following subject: Get an exclusive 50% discount on our entire inventory! But when the reader opens the email, it’s a pitch to sign up for a webinar or free online class.
Not only is this tactic dishonest, but it also tends to backfire. No one likes to be deceived, especially when they receive an email that promises one thing and delivers another.
You might get people to open your email initially, but this alienates subscribers and can hurt your open and spam rates in the long run. If your subscribers lose trust in your emails, they will ignore future emails and mark you as spam.
Align the content of your email and your subject line to build and maintain trust between you and your subscribers. This is especially important considering Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) philosophy. Even though email is email and Google is Google, misleading subject lines undermine your credibility and can negatively impact your reputation and deliverability.
Avoid using RE: or FW in your headers. These tend to trick the reader into thinking the email was part of another conversation, which doesn’t leave a positive impression with subscribers. In fact, it can cause confusion, leaving consumers to wonder if the email was sent by mistake.
Not including this text also gives you more room to work within your subject line, which can be used to convey helpful and relevant information instead. Adhering to EEAT principles and being transparent with your subject lines can foster a trustworthy relationship with your audience and improve your email performance.
Do you want your readers to open your email now? Or, do you want them to wait for weeks, or months, possibly forgetting they received your email altogether? Subject lines that lack urgency often fall flat because they don’t give your readers a reason to act immediately. Without a sense of urgency, your email can get lost in the shuffle of a busy inbox, reducing your open rates and overall engagement.
Do this instead:
Create a sense of urgency in your subject lines to prompt immediate action. Use phrases like “Limited Time Offer,” “Act Now,” or “Only a Few Spots Left.”
For example, instead of “New Product Available,” try “Exclusive Offer: 20% Off New Product – Today Only!” This encourages readers to open your email immediately, improving your chances of growing engagement.
Subject lines (or any other content in your email) with typos, misspelled words, and misplaced punctuation look unprofessional and can hurt your open rates.
Emails are an opportunity to establish your brand as a helpful source of information. Subject lines with spelling or syntax errors make a bad first impression, and undermine your ability to establish trust with your subscribers.
Do this instead:
To optimize your email open rates, be sure to review your emails for grammar and spelling prior to hitting send. No one will take the time to read your email if the subject line is loaded with grammar mistakes, but basic copy editing can prevent these errors from slipping through the cracks.
Related: How to test emails before you send them
You’ve probably noticed that we have mentioned subject line testing a time or two—or five—throughout this post. And there is a good reason for that—because subject line testing is EASY and COSTS YOU NOTHING. Sorry for the all-caps there, but we want to make sure we hit home on this point.
By skipping out on A/B testing, you miss the opportunity to discover what resonates with your audience. Every email list is different, and what works for one might not work for another. A/B testing allows you to compare different subject lines and determine which one performs better, helping you refine your strategy and improve open rates.
Do this instead:
Make A/B testing a regular part of your email marketing routine. Test variations of your subject lines to see which ones get the most opens and clicks.
For example, you might test “Don’t Miss Our Exclusive Sale!” against “Exclusive Sale – Today Only!” Over time, these insights will help you craft subject lines that are more effective and tailored to your audience’s preferences.
The subject line is one of email’s most important components, so getting it right before you send your emails is a must. And by avoiding the mistakes above, you’ll be well on your way toward improving your email engagement.
Ready to use these tips to write better subject lines? Sign up for AWeber Free today to start writing amazing subject lines.
