Marketing emails are no good if the subject line doesn’t convince an audience to click and read. You have less than five seconds to convince your recipient not to delete the email you worked so hard on – in other words: the subject lines matters.
Similar to training for a marathon, or creating a strong business Facebook presence, it’s key to have a strategy in place for every aspect of running your business if you want to succeed.
While the goal of an email subject line is to get someone to open your email, remember that one message does not fit all – there are many reasons why you need an email plan. Take a look at these four tips for writing an irresistible email subject line.
Choose clarity over cleverness.
One of many mistakes small businesses make while trying to grow is constantly trying to come up with something catchy and memorable in order to stand out – but the subject line of an email isn’t the best time to go this route. Your email recipients want to know what to expect when they open your email. No one wants surprises, they aren’t hoping for entertainment, and definitely don’t want you to waste a moment of their time.
The subject line is the deciding factor of whether or not opening the message is worthwhile. This means it’s essential to ensure your recipients clearly understand the content of the email – a clear subject line will result in at least five times the number of clicks and likely more business for your company.
Follow length guidelines.
While clarity in your subject line is important, it’s also essential to keep them brief. Ideally, make sure your subject line is equal to or less than 50 characters. Longer subject lines are risky – you don’t want the end cut off. Keep in mind many people are reading their emails using a mobile device.
Create a sense of urgency.
An effective technique to increase your open rates is to give your recipients that sense of urgency they need to go ahead and click on the email. Make the recipient feel like they have to open your email the very moment they see it in their Inbox. Excite and entice them. Use phrases that show special offers are good today only.
Personalize the message.
Everyone is fighting the battle of too much information. A fast way to filter your messages is by discarding the ones that feel generic. Make sure to personalize your subject line to increase your open rates – try using the word “you.”
If you are sending the email to a specific audience or organization, use words that show your recipient he or she will gain value from reading your email or are familiar. A good way to make the message familiar is to use information from an industry ambassador. This makes it relevant and authoritative.
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind as you compose emails for your marketing strategy is to pretend that you are the recipient. Think about which subject lines would make you want to click on the email, and which words would turn you off. Strive to entice and engage email recipients with clear, personalized subject lines that effectively communicate that the information they need is just a click away.
While the goal of an email subject line is to get someone to open your email, remember that one message does not fit all – there are many reasons why you need an email plan. Take a look at these four tips for writing an irresistible email subject line.
Choose clarity over cleverness.
One of many mistakes small businesses make while trying to grow is constantly trying to come up with something catchy and memorable in order to stand out – but the subject line of an email isn’t the best time to go this route. Your email recipients want to know what to expect when they open your email. No one wants surprises, they aren’t hoping for entertainment, and definitely don’t want you to waste a moment of their time.
The subject line is the deciding factor of whether or not opening the message is worthwhile. This means it’s essential to ensure your recipients clearly understand the content of the email – a clear subject line will result in at least five times the number of clicks and likely more business for your company.
Follow length guidelines.
While clarity in your subject line is important, it’s also essential to keep them brief. Ideally, make sure your subject line is equal to or less than 50 characters. Longer subject lines are risky – you don’t want the end cut off. Keep in mind many people are reading their emails using a mobile device.
Create a sense of urgency.
An effective technique to increase your open rates is to give your recipients that sense of urgency they need to go ahead and click on the email. Make the recipient feel like they have to open your email the very moment they see it in their Inbox. Excite and entice them. Use phrases that show special offers are good today only.
Personalize the message.
Everyone is fighting the battle of too much information. A fast way to filter your messages is by discarding the ones that feel generic. Make sure to personalize your subject line to increase your open rates – try using the word “you.”
If you are sending the email to a specific audience or organization, use words that show your recipient he or she will gain value from reading your email or are familiar. A good way to make the message familiar is to use information from an industry ambassador. This makes it relevant and authoritative.
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind as you compose emails for your marketing strategy is to pretend that you are the recipient. Think about which subject lines would make you want to click on the email, and which words would turn you off. Strive to entice and engage email recipients with clear, personalized subject lines that effectively communicate that the information they need is just a click away.
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. ChamberofCommerce.com’s platinum membership helps small businesses grow their business on the web.
