More and more, companies are relying on creative email marketing subject lines to reach their audience. Here are some tips we put together on writing email subject lines:
Offer Something for Free
Everyone loves getting something for free! Free information is always appealing to people, as many people are always looking to learn something new or aquire mor information on a topic they are interested in. You can also offer a coupon, trial, or download. These types of offers often perform well and produce a high click rate. Including this offer in your subject line will increase your chances of having your email read rather than being deleted.
Avoid Looking Like Spam
There are several ways that your email can look like spam if you don't go about it the right way. The biggest sign that an email is spam if the subject line makes an offer that sounds too good to be true. For example, "Sign up now for a free iPhone!". Even if you are giving away an iPhone, it's unlikely that you are offering it to everyone who "signs up". For that reason, your offer seems unbelievable and many people will automatically view it as spam. Another way to appear as if your email is spam is by sending your message an a non-targeted list. Most companies send emails to a very targeted list, so your message will seem suspicious if you are promoting something to people who have no interest or are not relevant.
Use a Quantifier
Using a quantifier, such as "5 ways to…" or "Top 10 tips for…" will give your audience more information as to what they will find in your message. It also defines how long or little it will take to read your email, or how much useful information you are including.
DO NOT WRITE IN CAPS
Writing in CAPS is considered yelling. You do not want your message to come off offensive or intimidating. Writing in caps will not increase the chances of your email being read or benefit you in any other way.
Keep your Subject Line Short
It is best to keep your subject line short for several reasons. The main reason is most email platforms do not display many characters before cutting off your subject line. If you have a long subject line, the reader may only see the first half of it when they open their inbox. A good number to aim for is 50 characters. You can fit the most important information in a subject line of 50 characters or less, and get your message across effectively.
Use Questions
Using questions is a good way to grab the attention of your audience. Subject lines starting with "How to…" or "What are…" will get your reader thinking, especially if they are interested in the answers to the question you pose in your subject line.