7 things you can do to write irresistible email subject lines
Email subject lines are one of the most important parts of an email. If they're not enticing, people will either delete the email or not open it at all. So, how can you write irresistible email subject lines?
There's no doubt that email subject lines are important. After all, they're the first thing your subscribers see when they receive your message. If your subject line doesn't interest them, they're not going to bother opening it. That's why it's so important to write irresistible email subject lines that compel your readers to open them immediately.
1) Understand the purpose of email subject lines
Email subject lines are the first thing your subscribers see when they receive your message. If your subject line doesn't interest them, they're not going to bother opening it. That's why it's so important to write irresistible email subject lines that compel your readers to open them immediately.
You want to hook people. You want it to feel like Christmas morning in their inbox, with an email from you that they didn't know they were waiting for! Remember, something all of us are asking under the surface when we see a proposition ... "what's in it for me?" Maybe your subject line doesn't answer that explicitly, but you want your recipients to be able to tell "there's something in it for me."
So what in your email is going to add value to the life of your customer? Side note: if the answer is nothing, you should reconsider sending the email at all. How can you promise or elude to that promise in your subject? Maybe it's a free download, a discount code, tips to help them succeed, a new product. Consider that your recipients want to know what's in it for them.
Action item: next time you open an email, ask yourself what made you click? Make a note of it and consider that next time you write an email.
2) Know your audience
Sending a message that isn’t relevant to your audience will result in them hitting delete, and then never opening another one of your messages again. That’s why it’s important to understand who they are and what they want before sending an email marketing campaign. What motivates them? What challenge have they been facing? What problem do they need solved? How are you going to bring a solution?
Action item: before writing your subject line, consider which problem they have that your email brings a solution for.
3) Keep it interesting and creative
According to a report from the Harvard Business Review, the average number of emails in an inbox is 200. So if your email is competing with 199 other emails, what are you going to do to make it stand out? Think outside the box. Don't forget strategy, but don't be afraid to try something else. Keep in mind that you don't want to lose your brand voice or personality, but if it's not too far of a stretch, try utilizing emojis or a pun. Something that makes people do a double take.
Action item: force yourself to write out three options for your next subject line and pick the best one.
4) Experiment with different types of subject lines
When every email you send uses the same tactic, it can start to turn into white noise. If they're all promises for a better life, or if they're all dad jokes, it starts to get old quick. So spice it up! Use humor, be direct, use emojis, integrate questions. If it feels too gimmicky or risky, take a step back and try to incorporate it in your subject line the next time around. Some good insight can be found here.
Action item: look at the last 5 email subject lines you sent. Are there commonalities? For your next email, try something different!
5) Keep your subject lines short and sweet
According to the Litmus 2017 Email Subject Line Report, 53% of marketers now use subject lines that are between 5-15 characters. That's because you only have a few words to compel your customer into opening your email. If they can't tell what it is within those few words, they're not going to waste their time digging deeper.
Action item: If your subject line is longer than 15 characters, consider what your readers are going to see when they peek at their inbox. If it doesn't stand out enough, cut some words or abbreviate.
6) Use personalization when possible
Personalization is having the ability to automatically include a person's name or email address in your email subject line. It's said that the sweetest sound in any language is the sound of your own name. Have you ever gotten a piece of mail that's addressed to "our neighbor at (your address)?" I don't know about you, but that usually goes straight to the recycling bin in our house. Keep it personal. If you are able to incorporate their name, do it!
Action item: Before writing your subject line, consider if it's possible to use a customer's name. Think of how you can personalize their experience and make them feel like they're reading an email from a friend, not a robot.
7) Test, test, test!
Almost any platform you use to send your emails makes it relatively easy to get statistics on how your email campaigns are doing. Don't neglect these. Look at what's working, and lean into it! If something isn't performing well, adjust. The more emails you can send out to your audience, the better you'll become at getting responses.
Action item: Of your last five emails, which performed the best? What type of subject line did you use?
Final thoughts
Subject lines are one of the most important parts of your email, but they’re also one of the most challenging to get right. With so much competition for attention, it can be tough to come up with a subject line that stands out and gets your reader to open your email. In this post, we’ve shared some tips on how to write great email subject lines that will capture your audience’s attention and get them excited about opening your message. We hope these tips help you create emails that are both informative and engaging. Need help putting these principles into practice? Our team is here to help! Hit contact us below and let's get the conversation going on how we can give your email email open rate a significant boost!
