What Gets Private Equity Decision-Makers to Open
A data-backed look at what drives engagement among capital allocators
1. The Traits of High-Performing Content
The top-performing subject lines across the dataset shared three consistent characteristics:
A clear capital deployment angle — who’s investing, how much, and why now.
Exposure to tangible assets or infrastructure — real estate, data centers, furniture, energy.
A direct link between market trends and actionable deal flow — sector stories with measurable upside.
High-Performing Examples
“M&A Sector Trends, $700B NAV Boom, Blackstone’s $4B Deal” — 84.16% open rate
“Private Credit Boom, Space Race Investments, $8B Bet on Subs” — 82.24%
“PE Bets on AI Infrastructure and Data Centers” — 75.68%
“PE Eyes $1T Furniture Market: Steady Growth, Cash Flow, Add-Ons” — 74.03%
“T-Mobile’s $600M Bet, PE Real Estate Reset, and the Co-Investing Surge” — 72.39%
Each combines specificity, scale, and urgency — the core ingredients of newsletter performance in financial audiences.
2. What Themes Work Best
1. Private Equity & M&A Trends
Seven of the ten best-performing newsletters fall into this category. They work best when they highlight named deals, large capital flows, and strategic rationale.
Example: “$700B NAV Boom” — 84.16% open rate
2. Sector-Specific Deep Dives
Perform strongest when anchored in macro shifts or cyclical market pressure.
Example: “Construction: Navigating the 2024 Slowdown” — 57.79% open rate
3. Technology & Innovation in PE
Outperform when innovation is operational and asset-backed rather than abstract.
Example: “AI Infrastructure and Data Centers” — 75.68% open rate
4. Capital & Investment Flows
Content covering credit markets, fund structures, or liquidity consistently performs above average.
Example: “Family Offices Surge to $5.5T…” — 64.96% open rate
5. Market Outlooks & Thematic Issues
More variable, but effective when linked to growth drivers or contrarian perspectives.
Example: “Where Energy Capital Stops, PE Starts” — 45.85% open rate
3. The Strategic Takeaway
To capture attention in the inboxes of investors and dealmakers, speak the language of capital movement:
How much money is in play
Who’s deploying it
What asset, market, or opportunity it’s targeting
From there, the theme only matters if it’s investable, urgent, and specific
