Trying to grab the reader’s attention in an overflowing inbox is quite the task nowadays. Therefore, email subject lines are crucial to improving open rates. They are the first thing email recipients read when they see your message. Hence, you need to make a lasting first impression.
Mastering the art of writing professional email subject lines that get noticed is the first lesson for budding email marketers. You should learn to clearly communicate the message and encourage readers to open the email. Fail to do so and your email marketing campaigns will die a slow and painful death.
In this article, we explore the fundamentals of a good email subject line and explain the best practices for writing them. So, whether you want to launch a drip campaign, a marketing blast, newsletters, or personalized messages, this guide will empower you with the tools and tricks of the trade.
How to Make a Good Subject Line for Email
Before diving deeper into the best practices for writing catchy email subject lines, let’s understand what makes them stand out.
Urgency
People respond more to urgency. The best email subject lines create a sense of urgency that gets people to take action. Communicating a time frame works wonders for conversion. Experienced email marketers use this technology to promote flash sales.
You can increase the sense of urgency with an email series. However, you should time it right to avoid appearing spammy. You can also create urgency by removing paywalls temporarily or offering exclusive content for a limited time.
Curiosity
Email subject lines that convey a clear message tend to convert better. However, sometimes it’s good to maintain secrecy if the subject piques the recipient’s interest in a natural way. However, this only works for certain businesses. So, test your subject lines to see whether curiosity works for your target audience or not.
Since curiosity subject lines persuade readers to open the email, they can increase your open rates. But make sure your email campaigns align with your brand voice. When you become too obscure, you risk losing your email subscribers permanently.
Personalization
No two email recipients are the same. Therefore, two different subject lines might work better for different audience groups. For best results, you should A/B test different email subject lines to identify what your subscribers like. Remember to personalize the content and see if it helps.
Offers
This is where the benefit of opening an email comes to the forefront. At the end of the day, everyone loves gifts and freebies. So, consider mentioning offers and promotions in the email subject line to generate interest.
Relevance
When people sign up for newsletters, they expect a certain type of content. Deviating from that theme might not be the smartest thing to do. Compelling email subject lines are relevant to the audience’s interests and persuade them to read the contents of the email.
Best Practices for Writing Email Subject Lines That Convert
Using proven strategies can significantly increase your chances of getting read. So, let’s dive straight into the most tried and tested subject line best practices to increase your open rates.
Get to the Point
Long email subject lines will get cut off on mobile devices. With that in mind, it’s advisable to restrict your introduction email subject lines to 50 or fewer characters. If you are struggling to shorten your sentences, think about which words make less sense and remove them. Remember not to alter the meaning of the sentence.
Here are two email subject line examples. Which one do you think looks better?
- Order #19932203 is currently being processed
- Your order is under processing
The same logic applies to other email subject lines. Don’t waste space by writing words like “newsletter” or “update” in the subject line. These words are detrimental to your open rate.
Use a Familiar Sender Name
Brand familiarity is crucial for building loyalty. But people won’t automatically become familiar with the company name. It is crucial to make them trust you. Personalized subject lines will only get you so far if your sender name is difficult to remember.
For example, “oliver@yourcompany.com” is more inviting than “admin”, “newsletter”, “customer support”, etc. If you have already interacted with the recipient, you can use your name as the sender’s address, even when sending marketing emails.
You will make the best impression as an individual. So, if the “from” name doesn’t sound personable, using popular subject line keywords might not work. Remember, people are busy. So, unless you sound like someone who can have an easy conversation, you will have a hard time convincing people to listen to you.
Segment Your Email Lists
While cold email subject lines are great for sending email blasts, they might not work for your other marketing efforts. For example, say you own a restaurant business and want to promote your special steak menu. But if you are writing email subject lines about steaks and sending them to your vegan customers, you risk losing their patronage entirely.
This is why you should personalize email lists using relevant customer data that you can collect during sign-up or by studying behavioral data, purchase history, survey responses, and more. Maintaining good list hygiene is just as crucial as writing a great subject line in email marketing.
Avoid False Promises
Your email subject line is making a promise to the reader about the contents of the email body. Always make good on that promise. Getting someone to read your message under false pretexts can kill your business instantly. They might even report your messages, which could direct all your future emails to the recipient’s spam folder.
Describe the Offer Inside
Descriptive subject lines influence readers to open your email. One of the most effective strategies for grabbing the audience’s attention is to describe the offer waiting in the email. This works well for gifts, discount coupons, and any other freebie.
Let’s assume you want to thank a customer for their patronage by sending them a free shipping offer on their next purchase. So, instead of just saying “Thank you for shopping with us” in the subject line, you can say “Get free shipping on your next purchase”.
Make People Feel Special
Exclusivity is an empowering feeling. When people feel valued, they tend to go above and beyond to reciprocate. They get a sense of belonging, which builds loyalty and brand recognition, ultimately increasing the conversion rate.
Writing email subject lines like “An exclusive offer for you”, “For our beloved customers only”, and ” You’re cordially invited” can significantly increase your click-through rate.
Use Action-oriented Language
The best email subject lines begin with a verb or a call to action. These can be powerful motivators for readers to take action. Email subject lines that begin with an action word are more likely to be read. Using the right call to action creates a sense of urgency, motivating people to act instantly.
For example, when inviting people to the grand opening of your brick-and-mortar store, your email subject line might read, “Visit our store for the grand opening” instead of a generic “Our shop opens on Monday”.
Ask Compelling Questions
Asking a question in your email’s subject line can grab the viewer’s attention, especially if the question is relevant to them. Creating clients’ buyer personas will help you come up with much better subject lines. However, avoid asking rhetorical questions.
For example, your subject line can read, “Do you know these high-converting email marketing strategies?”. Catchy subject lines like this influence readers to open your email. Just make sure your content offers value to the reader.
Don’t Be Afraid of Humor
Funny email subject lines work better than you think, although you might not want to go overboard with the puns. Humor is great for breaking monotony in the inbox and can actually help you stand out in the sea of cutthroat offers.
If you have a good sense of humor, don’t be afraid of slipping them into your emails from time to time. But remember to time your puns correctly. If you are in doubt, always ask a co-worker to proofread the message before sending it to subscribers.
Avoid Spamming
Email spamming is one of the biggest concerns today. As spammers constantly get innovative in their approach, email senders must use strict policies to avoid flooding your inbox. One of the most effective ways to steer clear of spam filters is to avoid spam trigger words when writing email subject lines. They are annoying and devalue your marking efforts.
You should also avoid ALL CAPS entirely. Would you open an email if the subject line read “50% OFF!!! GRAB YOUR OFFER TODAY!!!”? If you think this looks like spam, your subscribers will probably think the same.
Start Writing Email Subject Lines That Get Noticed Now
An email subject line can make or break your marketing campaign. Ensure to follow the best practices to persuade readers to take action and build your brand reputation. Crafting a high-quality subject line takes time and practice. So, be patient as you learn the nuances and employ them in your writing.
Remember to test your email subject lines to see what works for your audience. You might not get it right at first. The key is to keep trying and improving your sentences until you get it right. Book a discovery call today and let our experts craft compelling subject lines for your next email marketing campaign.
Head of Growth at Email Industries