Your email’s subject lines are often the deciding factor between whether your emails are opened or marked as spam. In fact, 64% of email recipients decide whether or not to open emails based on subject lines, and 69% of email recipients mark emails as spam based on the subject line.
If you want to avoid the dreaded spam folder and improve your email open rate, writing an effective and compelling email subject line is key.
Here are a few tips to help you write email subject lines that your email subscribers will want to open:
Stay relevant
Your current email subscribers opted in to receive your email newsletters for a reason. Make sure your email subject lines show them that you will deliver on what you promised to offer. If your subject lines have nothing to do with your email recipients’ interests, they will start ignoring these emails or marking them as spam.
Segment your email subscribers based on key demographics and metrics so that you can write email content and subject lines that are relevant. Did a subscriber sign up for your email newsletters after reading your blog posts? Tailor your emails and subject lines so that they provide similar value. Did someone subscribe to your emails because they like your content on social media? Try providing similar content in your email newsletters.
Use personalization
Include your subscribers’ names in your email subject lines. Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened, and they show your readers that you care about tailoring their online shopping experience to their personal needs.
Remember, your email subscribers all come from different backgrounds and walks of life, and they have different interests and needs. When you personalize your email subject lines, it indicates that your brand understands the importance of each and every customer and their unique wants and needs.
Create a sense of urgency
When consumers feel like they may miss out on a deal or an opportunity if they don’t open your email, you will significantly boost your open rate. Simple factors like including the word “alert” in your email subject line can increase your open rate by over 60%.
If you have a limited-time deal or discount, let your customers know before they even open your email. Using words like “act now,” “alert,” “limited time,” and “one day left!” can encourage your readers to open your emails immediately so that they don’t miss their chance to get a great deal.
Include strong verbs
Starting your email subject lines with a strong verb that compels readers to act will improve your open rate.
Think about the difference between an email subject line that says, “Save 10% today!” and one that says “We can help you save 10% today!” The former is more compelling and will catch your email subscribers’ attention, and it provides them with a call to action.
Keep it simple
Long email subject lines are likely to be ignored. Remember that many of your email subscribers will be opening your emails on their mobile devices. If your subject lines are more than around 50 characters, they will be too long for your mobile users to scan completely as they scroll through their inboxes.
Instead of saying, “It looks like you left something in your cart,” saying “Forgetting something?” communicates the same message in a much more succinct manner. Instead of saying, “Today is the last day to take 50% off our t-shirts,” saying “Last chance for 50% off!” will be far more compelling and easier to read.
Be honest
Your email subject line should let your email subscribers know what to expect when they open your email. While it might be tempting to create an enticing subject line that is not entirely related to your newsletter content in order to lure in readers, this tactic will not pay off in the long run.
When you make false promises, your email subscribers will learn not to trust your emails, and you will see them unsubscribe from your emails or mark them as spam.
Be clear about what’s inside your email
While you should avoid promising your email subscribers content that they will not receive, you should also be clear about the content that they will receive. If your email contains a discount code or coupon, tell your subscribers! This will increase the chances that they will open your email.
Oftentimes when people ignore emails, it is because they don’t think that email will be of any value. If you let them know that the email contains a free e-book, a code, or an important message, they will be more likely to open it instead of deleting it or scrolling past it in their inbox.
Likewise, you should aim to be as specific as possible in order to entice readers to open your emails. A subject line that reads “Boost your conversion rate by 10% today!” will draw more readers than a subject line that reads “Learn how to boost your conversion rate today!”
Your email newsletters can be a powerful marketing tool, but only if your subscribers read them. By stepping up your subject lines, you can increase the likelihood that your email recipients will open and read your emails.
Avoid sounding like spam
There are certain words, phrases, and punctuation choices that can make readers think your email is spam.
Avoid using a lot of exclamation points, all caps, and words like “freebie,” “giveaway,” “open now,” and “sweepstakes,” that can make your emails sound suspicious.
Chances are your email subscribers will not open an email that says “OPEN FOR A FREE DEMO!!!” or “ENTER OUR SWEEPSTAKES TODAY!!!” Even if they would open an email like this, you are also risking that your email will automatically be marked as spam by automated email spam services.
Be unique
When you send an email to your email subscribers, it is just one of the dozens or even hundreds of emails they will receive that day. You have to make sure your subject line stands out among a sea of other emails so that your subscribers will choose to open your email.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your subject lines to draw your audience and show them that your emails will provide value they won’t be able to get anywhere else.
Monitor your email marketing metrics
One of the main ways to see whether or not your email subject lines are effective is to stay on top of key metrics like your email open rates and your conversion rates.
Try A/B testing your email subject lines and seeing how different types of subject lines affect these metrics. See which types of subject lines your target audience seems to respond to based on your open rates.
When you monitor your email marketing metrics and make changes to your email subject lines accordingly, you will improve your open rates and avoid writing content that is ineffective.