Reply rate climbs from 4% to 11% once the subject line drops below 6 words

Reply rate climbs from 4% to 11% once the subject line drops below 6 words

Sample: 1,200 outreach campaigns (n=1,200, 12-month window). A quietly common error is writing descriptive, pitch-loaded subject lines.

Reply rate by subject length:
— 10+ words: 4.0%
— 7-9 words: 6.5%
— 4-6 words: 11.0%
— 1-3 words: 8.2%

The curve peaks at 4-6 words, then dips — too short reads as spam, too long reads as a sales blast. The sweet spot looks like a colleague's note.

Hold subject lines to 4-6 plain words; drop the pitch and the keywords from the subject entirely.