Playbook · Cold email · craft
Subject lines that don't make you sound like a vendor
The 4 subject-line patterns we use most, the 6 we deleted from every campaign, and how to test new ones without burning a domain. Includes the 7-day rotation schedule we ran across 6 client engagements.
01The play
Summary
The 4 subject-line patterns we use most, the 6 we deleted from every campaign, and how to test new ones without burning a domain. Includes the 7-day rotation schedule we ran across 6 client engagements.
02First-message template
The starting template we use for this play. Open it for the exact wording, the variable list, and the predicted reply rate.
First-message template TPL-001 — "after the series c — data infra ask" →03Expected outcome
Outcome: Subject quality alone shifts open rate by 8-15 percentage points; signal-anchored subjects see 50%+ opens.
Success metric: Open rate above 45% sustained over 200+ sends.
04Anti-patterns · do not run this when
- Do not use 'Re:' or 'Fwd:' tricks — destroys trust on read
- Do not put first name in subject — eats inbox real estate
- Do not test more than 2 variants per 100 sends — sample size too small to learn
Playbook entry · ships as-of {date('M Y')}. Operator-written, no theory inflation. If you've run this play and the numbers don't match yours — or the rhythm needs a tweak — write to [email protected] and we'll revise.
Signal-anchored outbound, no theater
Run this play on every account in your CRM.
Connect a CRM. Mama detects the trigger, scores the fit, and drafts the first message in the rhythm above. Free up to 100 accounts. No card.