the saga (finally) comes to a close

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No, no, no. Not the flat tire saga we’ve been unpacking in the last few emails. That lesson’s still in motion.

I’m talking about the actual car chaos that’s been dragging out for the past month. The popped tire? Fixed. The car? Running.

And now (drumroll please) I finally have North Carolina plates. Which means my Michigander days are officially behind me 🥹

But wow, did it take an unnecessarily long and chaotic journey to get here.

First, the check I brought wasn’t accepted because it had my Michigan address.

Then I couldn’t withdraw cash (because I refused to pay an ATM fee, obvi). My bank? Nowhere nearby. So I waited until a Raleigh trip just to pull out the money.

Once I had the cash? Couldn’t get to the DMV during their open hours. And when I did finally go, the lady told me they didn’t take walk-ins until noon… only for me to find out 20 minutes later I was in the wrong line anyway.

You get the point: I did everything I thought I was supposed to do, and it still felt like a never-ending series of delays.

Which brings me to subject lines.

Because sometimes? You think you’ve done everything right (short, snappy, a lil curiosity), but the opens still aren’t there.

And that’s usually the sign to back out and try something new.

So this week, we’re giving your subject lines a little tune-up. Nothing overwhelming, just a few specific tweaks to help you figure out what your audience actually wants to click on.

Your Subject Line Tune-Up (Yes, Keeping Up The Car Analogy)

Need to catch up?

1. ​How to Spot & Solve Deeper Issues in Your Email Marketing​
2. ​How to Peek Under the Hood With Your Emails​
3. ​Are Your Emails Playing Hide & Seek in Spam?​

Which leads us to today! You’re past beginner tips like “use curiosity” or “keep it short,” so let's get into specific strategies you might not be using yet.

What You Can Test Next:

Emotion vs. Logic:​
Test subject lines that trigger emotion VS result-driven logic.
​Ex: “Frustrated by dull skin lately?” VS “3 skincare steps for brighter skin in 7 days”

Real (Not Fake) Urgency:​
Skip the drama. Use urgency that feels grounded and relevant.
​Ex: “Don’t skip this before your next gym session”

By Segmentation: ​
Reference subscriber behavior to write subject lines that feel personal.
​Ex: “Waited to restock your favorites? You’re in luck”

Subject Line Templates to Try:

1. The Real-Life Callout: “Still dealing with [everyday frustration]?”
2. The Quick Win: "[Number] ways to [achieve goal] without [common struggle]"
3. The Soft Reminder: “[Product] is still waiting for you”
4. The This-or-That: “[Struggle]? Or [better alternative]?”
5. The Specific Tease: “What happens when you [do the thing] for [time frame]”

Your 5-Minute Challenge

Choose ONE testing idea above and write two quick subject lines. Run an A/B test on your next send, and you'll instantly get actionable insights into what your subscribers actually respond to.

We’re almost at the end of this little email tune-up series, but we’ve still got a few more bite-sized fixes coming your way.

I’ve loved getting to break these down into things you can actually take action on without needing a three-hour strategy session!

If there’s something specific you’ve been stuck on, curious about, or just want a second opinion on, hit reply and tell me.

Seriously, if it’s something you’ve been too embarrassed to ask, or you’ve been Googling for way too long, I want to hear it!

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Always here when you need me,

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P.S. What did you think about today's subject line?? Sendcheckit.com only scored it an 86/100, but I think it's the perfect amount of silly-ness... Cause what if that was an accident?? And on-purpose-but-looks-like-an-accident are some of my favorite email trends. Sooo, did it work???

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