Email is still one of the most effective ways to promote products and services, but getting people to open your email is a challenge. That’s why crafting the perfect email subject line should be a top priority for any marketer. Fortunately, there are some simple rules to follow that can help you write killer email subject lines.
The average person gets over 120 emails per day. To stand out from the crowd, it’s essential to write eye-catching email subject lines that draw readers in and urge them to open your message. Not only does this improve your chances of getting better engagement with subscribers, it also helps drive more sales and leads.
In this blog post, I’ll look at some proven techniques for writing killer email subject lines that will get more people opening your emails and engaging with your content.
Measure and evaluate your email open rates
Before I reveal how to write a killer email subject line, I wanted to remind you of the importance of tracking and measuring your email activity. You can do this by measuring and evaluating your open rates.
The email open rate is a key metric in measuring the success of any email campaign. By tracking open rates, you can understand how effective your campaigns are at reaching and connecting with your target audience.
This also provides insight into what types of subject lines work best, which topics and calls to actions resonate with people, and how to optimise content for better engagement.
When analysing open rates, keep an eye on unsubscribes as well. If too many people unsubscribe after opening your emails, it’s likely that the messages weren’t relevant or intriguing enough. This could mean a change in direction may boost engagement and increase retention.
Finally, tracking open rates helps inform decisions about timing emails for maximum effectiveness and lead nurturing strategies to keep prospects engaged down the line. Knowing when customers typically interact with emails gives you greater opportunities to capitalise on those timing windows by providing content or offers tailored to each individual recipient’s behaviour.
How to craft exceptional subject lines that guarantee top open rates
Mastering the art of creating captivating subject lines can make or break your business. It’s essential to craft concise, eye-catching titles that pique the interest of your readers and guarantee top open rates. But crafting captivating and converting titles can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you unlock the secrets to writing great email subject lines:
- Start by understanding your reader’s needs and desires. What do they care about? And what’s the most effective way to talk to them through a title?
- Next, choose words that pack a punch. Substitute more powerful synonyms for overused words, and use active verbs whenever possible. Ensure your words are succinct yet meaningful, distinct from repetitive phrases and topics.
- Your titles should be short, ideally no more than 10 words, and include keywords that evoke emotion. Don’t forget that many email clients won’t display more than a few words of the title in the inbox view.
- Use action verbs that compel people to click on your emails. Keep it personal by inserting a recipient’s name if possible.
- Employ creative headlines like questions, surprises or teasers to grab attention. And don’t forget the importance of testing!
- Try A/B testing different subject lines and tracking the results to continuously refine your techniques for success. This will give you insight into which headlines resonate with different audiences and help you write even better ones in the future.
And remember, the goal of a subject line should always be to create curiosity, anticipation, and interest in the email content for increased open rates.
Related: Writing killer email subject lines is just one of the ways to make your copy more reader-friendly. Find out what else you can do.
What makes a subject line truly attention-grabbing?
A subject line is a crucial element of any communication piece. It’s the first thing that viewers will see and it’s what catches people’s attention.
For a subject line to truly be attention-grabbing, it needs to be specific, creative, and unique. It should give an idea as to what the message is about without being vague or generic. A good subject line should stand out from the rest and draw readers in. But how do you achieve that?
- Subject lines that stand out in a crowded inbox need to be clear, engaging and directly related to the content of the email.
- Include keywords and phrases that are eye-catching and make sure to avoid overly long titles as reader’s attention spans typically tend to be limited.
- Using emoticons or relevant emoji can also help to ensure that your subject line stands out from the crowd.
- Creating curiosity around the email is key; ask questions or add intriguing statements which will draw readers in.
- Use actionable words, such as “Learn”, “Discover” or “Grow”. These bid readers into taking an interest in what your message provides while guaranteeing they don’t skim over it.
- If applicable, include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your subject lines so readers know what you expect them to do when they open your email.
- Adjectives are useful too; precise adjectives add another layer of flavour while providing additional information to the reader who may now better decide if the content is relevant for them or not.
- It also needs to be concise; don’t use long phrases or jargon that could confuse or hinder readers from understanding the purpose of your message. Furthermore, avoid any words or phrases with negative connotations, as this may turn potential readers away.
- Finally, make sure you keep your subject line relevant to the content of your message and ensure proper grammar and punctuation, so as not to put off viewers who have high expectations when reading emails.
How to optimise email subject lines for the best open rates
When crafting your email subject lines, it’s important to make sure that they’re short, clear, and relevant to the content inside. Don’t make the subject line vague or too general — your audience should get an idea of what they’ll find in the email when they read it.
But how do you grab attention and encourage someone to open your message?
To maximise your open rate, focus on clarity: keep it short and relevant to your message. Don’t promise something you can’t deliver or make claims that sound too good to be true.
Instead, use language that shows how this email will help solve their problem, save them money, or give them more of what they want from you.
Make sure the subject line reflects the body of your email — so recipients don’t feel cheated when they finally open it.
Have a goal in mind for each email: inform subscribers instead of selling them to boost engagement and trust with your readership on an ongoing basis.
Segmenting your list into smaller groups according to interests helps tailor a specific message that resonates with people individually rather than sending the same generic email to everyone on your list. This makes them more likely to click “open,” increasing overall conversions from emails in the process.
Avoiding these common mistakes in your copywriting can help you write killer email subject lines.
Aim for short & concise titles
Subject lines are the first thing your recipient sees before they even open their email. Therefore, it’s essential to carefully craft these messages to ensure that the reader knows what the message is about at a glance. This helps ensure your message will be seen by the recipient quickly before they move on to the next email.
A short, descriptive subject line also ensures that recipients will remember what the email is about when they see it in their inbox. If the subject line is too long or misleading, it may discourage people from reading further.
A long, ambiguous subject line can lead to confusion and missed opportunities. Your readers may not open the email if it isn’t clear what it includes or why they should read it. Keep your subject lines concise and relevant – using fewer than ten words is ideal – so that readers understand exactly what you’re sending them in just a glance.
Furthermore, keeping emails to a concise length reduces time spent sorting through all incoming messages as well as improves searchability. When searching for specific emails, most people are only interested in seeing results that accurately describe what’s inside them, so accuracy in a subject line is key.
Additionally, adding an emoji or two, personalised for the reader, helps draw attention to your email and encourage more people to open them. This can help build relationships with clients, partners and colleagues and make emails stand out in a crowded inbox.
The secrets to writing killer email subject lines can be found by learning to craft effective titles.
Why it’s important to use actionable language in subject lines
Using actionable language in subject lines is an important aspect of email marketing campaigns. It helps to draw the reader’s attention and increases the chances of them opening the email. It also helps readers to understand quickly what they are going to get from reading the message.
Actionable language can be used to set expectations, make offers and highlight urgency. An effective subject line will motivate people to open the email and act on the message. When done correctly, it can help increase engagement, generate leads, and drive conversions.
Did you know: writing killer email subject lines is part of conversion-focused copywriting that influences your target audience.
Subject lines should use clear and concise language that describes exactly what the recipient will gain by taking action on your message or offer. Words such as “Download”, “Learn”, “Discover” can also encourage recipients to open your emails as these suggest potential value for them if they take action on your message.
For example, if you’re writing an article about marketing strategies you could use a phrase like “5 Secrets To Boost Your Sales Now” as a subject line instead of “Marketing Strategies Update”.
You should also avoid generic terms and phrases such as “important message” or “please read” when crafting your subject line because they can come across as too pushy and won’t grab the attention of your readers. Instead, be specific with details that will make people want more information from your email. This kind of direct yet descriptive language can motivate people to click through and learn more from what you have to say.
Use urgency in subject lines to increase open rates
Using urgency in your email subject lines is an effective way to increase open rates for your ecommerce business. It makes the customer feel like they have to act now and take advantage of the deal or risk losing it.
Urgency should be used strategically to communicate the importance and value of taking action on the email itself.
The key is to create intrigue and drive anticipation for what is inside the email. For example, you could use phrases like “You won’t want to miss this!” or “Last chance to get…” in the subject line to draw attention and elicit an immediate response from your subscribers. You may also include numbers or deadlines like “48 hours left…” or “Today only!”
Here are a few tips you can try to create a sense of urgency in your subject lines:
- Emphasise time-sensitive offers – Use words like “now” or “today” to create a sense of urgency and make people want to act now before it’s too late
- Create deadlines – Include specific deadlines, such as by adding phrases like “Ends tonight at 11pm EST” so customers can see how much time they have left.
- Highlight discounts – Show them what they will get from taking advantage of the offer – let them know that if don’t respond today, then they won’t be able to get the special deal you are offering
- Make sure it looks professional – Use clean, clear language without typos or misspellings that could reflect badly on your brand
- You can also try using personalization, such as adding the recipient’s name, location or other information that can show relevance. This can demonstrate that the email was sent directly to them as an individual, rather than a generic message going out to every subscriber on your list.
Ultimately, when crafting email subject lines, it’s important to aim for balance — find a way to inject enough urgency without seeming too desperate or contrived.
Tips for crafting funny and clever subject lines
Humour can be a great tool when it comes to increasing engagement in your subject lines. It’s important to use humour strategically, however, as it can easily be misconstrued and used against you.
Before getting started, ask yourself a few questions: What kind of audience am I writing for? What is the goal of this message?
Once you have your answers, here are some tips on how to use jokes and humour effectively:
- Craft a clever play on words: If a well-known phrase or saying fits with what you’re trying to communicate, use it in your subject line! This allows readers to make an immediate connection.
- Use puns: Puns can be lighthearted and add laughter to an otherwise dull subject line.
- Tell a joke: Telling a joke in the subject line encourages readers to click through for the punchline.
- Keep it clean: Use caution when dabbling in controversial topics; stick with universal topics that everyone can laugh at without feeling slighted or uncomfortable.
- Consider timing: Make sure the content of your email matches up with current events and holidays so that the message retains its relevance and impact.
Examples of different types of subject lines that have been successful in the past
- Get Ready for Summer Early – 50% off Now!
- It’s Here! Unveiling Our Brand New Product
- Time Is Running Out – Last Chance To Act Now
- This Can’t Wait: Transformational Opportunities are HERE!
- Down the Rabbit Hole: Discover the Power of Your Imagination.
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road and Find What You’re Looking For.
- Unleash Your Potential to Do Amazing Things!
Conclusion
The success of an email heavily depends on the subject line and so it’s worth spending some extra time crafting them. Use power words, experiment with personalization, be creative, and A/B test your results.
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