Your email subject line is the very first impression of your email. One third of email recipients decide if they should open an email based on the subject line. For inspiration, take a look at your own inbox and figure out which emails you choose to open. Put yourself in your contacts' shoes to help you write a subject line that will get your email opened, your business noticed, and boost your business as a result. Take a look at these 6 tips to help you write catchy email subject lines.
Focus on Brevity
When an email subject line is too long, it will get cut off. Now that people often turn to mobile first, it’s even more important to keep the subject lines to 50 characters or fewer so people can view them in their entirety.
If it’s hard for you to keep your subject lines short, figure out which words you can eliminate and still get your point across.
If it’s hard for you to keep your subject lines short, figure out which words you can eliminate and still get your point across.
Personalize Your Message
Chances are you want to know how to keep your business booming in the New Year and all year long. One way to do that is to add some rapport by personalizing the subject line. When the customer’s name is in the subject line, it increases click through rate by 22.2%. Send a personalized email on a birthday really maximizes the chance of the email being opened.
You can also tailor subject lines to the recipient’s location. Location-specific news and offers often result in an increase of open rates.
There can be too much of a good thing, so make sure you personalize selectively. Don’t go overboard and scare your customers off. The right amount of personalized touches can show you care and know more about your recipients than their email address.
You can also tailor subject lines to the recipient’s location. Location-specific news and offers often result in an increase of open rates.
There can be too much of a good thing, so make sure you personalize selectively. Don’t go overboard and scare your customers off. The right amount of personalized touches can show you care and know more about your recipients than their email address.
Don’t Make False Promises
The subject line you use is a promise of what you will share in your message. Always deliver what you commit to. Do not try to get your recipients to open your email by making false promises. This will make people upset and soon they won’t trust your subject lines. Even a single false promise will do the opposite of what you want: you will earn lower open rates and see people unsubscribe.
Time It
There are various ways to create subject lines to get your emails opened, but it can be a struggle until you get the hang of it. The email marketing platform, Campaign Monitor, shares 8 formulas to creating subjects lines that actually work. The subject line will help encourage people to open your email, especially when you send the email at the right time. An impeccably timed email with the right call-to-action will boost the chance of people opening it – and acting on it – giving you just what you’re hoping for. Timing is key.
Use Concise Language
You know how quickly people scan their inbox for new emails. The clearer your subject line is, the better. It’s smarter to be concise than it is to write with extravagant language in most cases.
Think about how your email offering will benefit your recipients. Use that to craft a subject line that encourages people to open it. Focus on the benefit and ensure it’s clear to your audience.
Think about how your email offering will benefit your recipients. Use that to craft a subject line that encourages people to open it. Focus on the benefit and ensure it’s clear to your audience.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Subject lines should make your readers feel the need to take action immediately. Create the sense of urgency to stop busy readers and make them take action. Give deadlines like “today only” to encourage your reader to act immediately so they don’t put off opening the email and wind up forgetting about it.
Remember that email subject lines aren’t a one size fits all approach. There are tactics that work better for some audiences than others. A/B test different subject lines to figure out which are the most effective. Just remember that if your emails aren’t getting opened, they aren’t being read. Make it a point to use the best subject line possible so your readers can see the awesome content you have to share.
What tactics do you swear by when it comes to increasing your open rate?
Remember that email subject lines aren’t a one size fits all approach. There are tactics that work better for some audiences than others. A/B test different subject lines to figure out which are the most effective. Just remember that if your emails aren’t getting opened, they aren’t being read. Make it a point to use the best subject line possible so your readers can see the awesome content you have to share.
What tactics do you swear by when it comes to increasing your open rate?
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. ChamberofCommerce.com’s platinum membership helps small businesses grow their business on the web.