Your subject line is the first impression you make on your email recipients. It can determine whether they open, ignore, or delete your message. How can you write subject lines that convey value and relevance to your audience and persuade them to click through? Here are some tips to help you craft effective subject lines for your email content marketing campaigns.
Before you write your subject line, you need to know who you are writing for. What are their pain points, interests, goals, and preferences? How can you address them in a way that resonates with them and shows that you understand their needs? Use language that matches their tone and level of formality. Segment your email list based on relevant criteria, such as demographics, behavior, or stage in the buyer's journey, and tailor your subject lines accordingly.
Why did an audience sign up for your email? Did they sign up as part of the buyer's journey? Or did they sign up because they enjoy valuable and relavant content from you? Or did they not sign up at all? Which one of these questions answers "yes" determines what should go in an email subject line.
The subject-line should in some way, always, reflect the content of the email. What is the point of clickbait anyway? - If it's a formal email, think of it as a heading describing the content. Be very clear. - In my experience, marking the CTA or main takeaway in the subject-line itself works great. Internal email example, "[Review Needed] V2 Draft for K's Press Release". Business email example, "[Exclusive Invite] TestOS Demo | Truly Codeless Test Automation at {company_name}" It also helps in accommodating the needed information without making it too lengthy. - If it's a B2C email, then depending on your audience and brand, you can try something quirky, but like I said it should still in some way correctly link to the email content.
Your subject line should answer the question: what's in it for me? Why should your recipients care about your email and what value will they get from it? Instead of describing the features of your offer, emphasize the benefits and outcomes that your audience can expect. Use words that convey urgency, curiosity, or emotion, such as "how to", "save", "discover", "avoid", or "guaranteed". For example, instead of "Our latest ebook is out", try "How to boost your conversion rate in 10 easy steps".
The easiest way to come up with subject lines that show benefits is to; 1. Include the most significant value proposition. – "Unlock 30% Savings on Your Next Purchase!". 2.Employ verbs that prompt action. – "Upgrade Your Experience: Exclusive Access Inside!" 3.Instill a sense of urgency or scarcity by indicating limited time or availability. – "Last Chance: 24 Hours Left to Claim Your Free Trial!. 4. If the offer addresses specific pain points or provides solutions, mention them in the subject line. – "Say Goodbye to Stress with Our Relaxation Kit."
Always include your main benefit in the subject-line itself. - If you're offering a coupon code, mention that. - If it's a product pitch, describe the product in 2-5 words with the benefit - "Truly Codeless", "100% Self-Serviced", "Generative AI" - If it's a newsletter, mention the top highlights. - Avoid over-the-top adjectives. People receive too many emails to know better.
Your subject line should be clear and concise, without misleading or confusing your recipients. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, or vague terms that might not be understood by your audience. Use specific and concrete words that communicate your message clearly and directly. Keep your subject line short and simple, ideally between six and 10 words, or 50 characters or less. This will ensure that your subject line is readable and visible on most devices and email clients.
In my experience, perfecting marketing subject lines demands finesse. Keep it concise, ignite curiosity with questions, and employ eye-catching numbers like "100 xxx vs. 5 xx." Add a personal touch with phrases such as "Elevate Your Team's Performance." Enhance interest with contrasting elements, like "From this To that." Infuse a sense of innovation with terms like "Revolutionize" and "Discover." Sustain relevance and allure with "Cutting-edge" and "Transformative." Boost credibility by incorporating trusted names. In essence, the winning formula comprises simplicity, curiosity, impactful numbers, personalization, contrast, innovation, and credibility – ensuring subject lines that captivate and resonate.
The best way to find out what subject lines work for your audience is to test and optimize them. Use tools like A/B testing, analytics, or feedback surveys to measure the performance of your subject lines based on metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, or conversion rate. Experiment with different elements of your subject line, such as word choice, length, punctuation, personalization, or emojis, and see what generates the best results. Keep track of your data and learn from your successes and failures.
It's not what looks good to you, it's what looks good to your audience. Testing always makes sense. I once ran an email marketing campaign to announce a product, and worked with 2 subject-lines. - One describing the overall product - One positioning it around just one feature I wasn't expecting it but the specific positioning worked much better.
I would even say further - it's not what looks good, it’s what really resonates with your audience. Segmentation, gathering feedback, testing and optimizing are the key steps for me.
Your subject line should be consistent and relevant with the content and purpose of your email. Don't use deceptive or spammy subject lines that promise something that you can't deliver or that don't match the expectations of your recipients. Make sure that your subject line aligns with the tone, style, and voice of your brand and your email content. Don't use subject lines that are too generic or irrelevant to your audience or your offer. For example, don't use "You won't believe this" if your email is about a new product launch.
I don't see any point in clickbaity subject-lines. You will get the email opened, and then get reported as spam. Be clear and give a real idea about the email content. If you're trying something funny or quirky, make sure it works in a good flow with the email content.
Your email subject line is a direct reflection of your brand and is the difference between a subscriber engaging with your message or disregarding it. Deceptive tactics like using 'Re:' falsely might boost open rates temporarily but won't nurture lasting subscriber loyalty. Additionally, steer clear of spammy terms like 'Free,' 'Buy now,' or 'Urgent' to avoid the spam folder. Always test your email with tools like Mail Tester to check for potential spam triggers, ensuring your subject line accurately represents your content and respects your audience's trust
Invoke curiosity with teasers: Rather than revealing everything, use subject lines that tease a specific, intriguing detail, prompting readers to open the email for more. Examples: "You won't believe what we found in your city!" "Our experiment had a surprising outcome – See what happened! "How I turned $100 into $10,000 – read my secret inside!"