The Art of the Subject Line
47% - People who open an email SOLELY based on the subject line
67% - People who mark an email as SPAM based on the subject line
In short, if you want your emails opened, you better make your subject line good!
We know content is king, so many small business owners spend their time on creating compelling material. Compelling content is always informative, provides a new perspective, and positions the author as a subject matter expert.
And then what happens? They are all but ready to hit send after painstakingly creating, editing, and formatting amazing content. However, one task remains: writing the email subject line. So they create a subject line on the fly that summarizes the email in a few brief words.
Examples:
“Learn How to Build an Email Campaign that Works”
“Create a Lead Magnet that Positions You as an Expert”
Informative but not exciting. And subject lines that aren’t exciting experience lower open rates.
When you send emails with boring subject lines, more often than not, they will sit with all the other emails about shipping notifications, upcoming appointments, and can’t miss deals. So if you want your email to stand out from the massive volume we’re bombarded with every day, you have to make your subject line attention-worthy!
Each week Digital RevGen undergoes a process when creating a subject line for our weekly email. And it starts with writing LOTS of subject lines—days before we ever hit send. We like to let them marinate for a while to identify the standouts and the flops. But we always write at least 15-20 PER email—every time.
So, which subject lines have the best open rates? Here are a few of the most popular styles to consider before you send your next email:
FOMO – We all get them. “Final Hours of Our Once Yearly Sale.” “Only a Few Items Left in Stock.” “Discount Pricing Expires at Midnight.” And we keep getting them because they work. Fear of missing out is a great motivator when trying to make a sale. But as we’ve said before, only use it when it’s true.
Emojis – Yep, they catch people’s attention and stand out from the long list of other unopened emails. Emojis that generate the highest open rate? Hearts and smiles. And open rates are also higher when the emoji is placed at the end of the subject line as compared to the beginning.
Data – Statistics are compelling and are a great way to catch a reader’s attention, especially if they’re shocking. Little fact – people see odd numbers as more credible than they do even numbers.
Personalization – People like to see their name, and this includes in the subject line of an email. This form of personalization makes them feel like you are speaking directly to them.
Things that make you go hmm – We like to create subject lines that pique curiosity or make the recipient want to know what’s in the email because the subject line was different than what they often see in their inbox.
Additional Tips About Subject Lines
Make them short. Remember – many people check their email on their phones, and you want an impactful email subject line to be fully readable on a mobile device.
Not sure which subject line to use? Ask a handful of people on your email list you’re close to. Or friends/family with a similar makeup to your email list. Some of our most opened emails have used subject lines selected by past clients.
