Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson SPECIAL SERIES ==> Subject Line TESTS You Haven’t Tried! <== | BATHROOM Break #96 COLLAB: The Marketing Millennials + Do This, Not That
Feb 23, 2026
Daniel Murray, co‑host of The Marketing Millennials and sharp email marketer, shares quick subject line experiments. He covers surprising wins for ALL CAPS, using a consistent emoji as an inbox anchor, pattern-interrupt phrases like "Wait...", accidental insider reveals, and reverse-psychology lines that tell certain readers to skip the message.
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Test All Caps Subject Lines
- Try using ALL CAPS for entire subject lines as a test because it can boost open rates by ~3–4 percentage points.
- Daniel Murray reports all-caps subject lines have beaten standard text in his tests, despite sounding “scary” in the inbox.
Use One Emoji As An Inbox Anchor
- Use a consistent emoji in every email to create a visual anchor so recipients recognize your brand in the inbox.
- Daniel suggests an emoji repeated across sends builds inbox recognition for newsletters and recurring sends.
Do What AI Wouldn't Suggest
- AI subject line suggestions often avoid unconventional formats like no capitalization or all caps, so testing those can yield unique results.
- Jay notes using styles AI wouldn't recommend creates distinctiveness in inboxes.
