This Inbox + ChatGPT Exercise Can Help You Write Better Subject Lines (Promise!)
When it comes to email marketing, your subject line is often the difference between being opened or ignored. But how do you know which styles work best — and how can you find fresh ideas when you’re stuck?
In one of my love, email actually podcast episodes, I shared an easy, eye-opening exercise I learned from email marketing pro Jay Schwedelson. It’s a method you can try in just a few minutes using your own inbox — and it might completely change the way you approach subject lines.
Why Your Inbox Holds the Clues
Think about it: every day, your inbox fills up with dozens (if not hundreds) of emails from retailers, newsletters, SaaS companies, and maybe even your local vet. Each of those subject lines is fighting for your attention. Some succeed. Most fail.
Instead of guessing what works, you can actually analyze your own inbox for patterns — then turn those insights into tests for your next email campaign.
How the Exercise Works
The process is simple:
Look at your inbox in a way that lets you see lots of subject lines at once.
Take a quick snapshot of what you see.
Run a little experiment using ChatGPT and this exact prompt that shows you which emails are most likely to get opened — and why.
Want the exact prompt I use? Listen to the full episode below (just a couple of minutes long) to grab the exact ChatGPT prompt and see how to put this exercise into action.
What You’ll Take Away
Once you try this, you’ll:
Spot subject line patterns you never noticed before.
Generate new A/B testing ideas for your next email campaign.
Learn how to use AI as a brainstorming partner without losing your voice.
And the best part? You can repeat this exercise with different inboxes (personal, work, or even family members’) to uncover even more angles. Give it a try! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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