One of the most important parts of a successful digital marketing strategy is a strong email marketing campaign. After prospects visit your website, email marketing campaigns can help you reach out and remind prospects of your business while keeping them engaged. However, to have success with your marketing emails, your prospects will need to open them. Creating compelling email subject lines will help entice your prospects to open your emails and interact with your brand. For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you write better email subject lines.

Keep it Short

Longer email subject lines are less likely to be opened. This is especially true if the subject is long enough that it gets cut off. Because 77% of email opens take place on mobile devices, a good subject line should be very short and concise. To maximize your open rates and write enticing headlines, keep your email subject lines short, concise, and to the point.

Personalize it

When your subject lines are personalized for the recipients, your emails are more likely to be opened. Use personalization tokens featuring the recipient’s name or location in the subject line. The more relevant your email is to the recipient, the more likely they will be to open it. You should also segment your email lists to help ensure that every email you send is specifically relevant to its recipient. The more relevant and personal your subject line is, the more likely the recipient will be to open it.

Explain What’s Inside

Your email subject lines should be enticing, but they should also be clear. Don’t make false promises or be misleading about the content in your email. Explain what’s inside your email and be sure to include any offers or value your recipient will receive. Although you should mention the content in your email, don’t include the words “newsletter,” “update,” or other words that will indicate your email is part of a series, as recipients will see it and think that they can just catch the next email.

Make Readers Feel Special

Using the right language is important in encouraging people to open your emails. One great tactic is to choose language that will make your recipient feel special. Use words like “exclusive” and phrases like “for our valued customers only.” When you use language that makes your recipient feel special and exclusive, not only will they be more likely to open your emails, but you will help build a sense of loyalty for your brand.

Use Action Verbs

When crafting your headlines, incorporating action verbs is important. Think of your email subject line similar to a call to action. In both cases, the goal is to compel readers to click. As the name implies, action verbs can help compel readers to take action and click on your email. A subject line that reads “Shop the latest fall trends” will be more likely to click on than a headline that reads “The Latest Fall Trends.”

Don’t Be Afraid to Have Fun

Fun headlines can help engage your audience. Don’t be afraid to use puns and humor in your subject lines. Mention time-relevant things, such as a holiday combing up. You should also consider using emojis, as they lead to higher click through rates. This option is an especially good idea since so many emails are opened on mobile devices. In general, don’t be afraid to have fun with your headlines, as fun headlines will get people more excited about your email and your brand.

Consider Timing

It’s important to send your emails at the right time to maximize their effect. If you’re sending a coupon for a free coffee, send it in the morning, rather than at 6PM. If you’re sending a list of happy hour deals, be sure to send them around happy hour. When you time your emails well, you’ll maximize their relevance, which will lead to higher click through rates. Additionally, you should avoid talking about events or sales that are happening too far in the future, as recipients will not see these events as relevant to them. They’re also likely to forget about the events by the time they’re actually happening.

Don’t Forget the Preview Text

The preview text underneath your subject line provides an additional opportunity to encourage people to click on your email. For this reason, you should make this section of text enticing. If you don’t designate preview text, it will auto populate to the first few lines of your email. However, if you use an email marketing software like Hubspot, you’ll be able to choose your preview text. In either case, use the preview text to give your audience an engaging preview of your email. Because you’re granted a bit more space than your subject line, you should use this opportunity to excite readers and encourage them to click on your valuable content.

ImageWorks, LLC | CT Email Marketing

If you're looking to generate leads, engage with your customers, or promote a brand, service, or product, you may want to develop a strategic email marketing campaign to educate and influence your prospects. ImageWorks, LLC can work with you to improve your current marketing plan, overcome your challenges, achieve your goals, and meet deadlines. By creating content specifically designed to appeal to your dream customers, you can attract qualified prospects to your business and keep them coming back for more. We cover each and every step taken, tool used, and lifecycle stage to help assist the customer, effectively helping to empower marketers to attract visitors, convert leads, close customers, and delight promoters.