Your subject line is the first impression your marketing email makes on a reader—and it has to be a good one. If you’re not getting the open rates you want in your marketing emails, it’s worth it to re-examine the subject lines you’re using and see if there’s room for improvement.
Here are a few tips.
Make it urgent. The ultimate salesy language is the imperative to “Act Now” to buy something “While Supplies Last.” And while we don’t advocate going quite that extreme in your subject line, building a sense of urgency and scarcity does work.
Give the reader a sense that your supply is limited or your club is exclusive, and your open rates may well go up.
When you’re doing this, though, it’s important to avoid the Spam trigger words that can get your email automatically filtered out of inboxes. Here’s an updated list.
Build a sense of mystery. Another thing that works is curiosity. Some subject lines are just a tad enigmatic and this can prompt higher open rates, as well.
It’s important not to get too weird with these, though. You want people to be genuinely curious, but not to automatically filter these emails into the spam folder, as they might with something really nonsensical.
Offer something of value. What’s in it for the reader if they click on your email? Make sure they know exactly what they’re getting—and that it’s something they want. A discount, something free, or some important information they want can all do the trick.
Make it personal. The more personal your subject line, the more likely the reader is to open your email. This could involve using the reader’s name, but it could also involve other things regarding their professions, interests, likes and dislikes, or past purchase history. There are lots of creative ways to personalize.
Make it relevant. Is there a recent news story that’s relevant to your audience and business? Did a major legal or regulatory change just happen that affects your audience’s insurance situation? If so, they’re probably going to be interested in an email that helps shed light on the issue—especially if that topic is aligned with your brand.
Make it short. Email subject lines should ideally be 50 characters or less, so people reading them can see the whole thing, even on a mobile device. It’s also to scan and understand a shorter subject line quickly.
If your email open rates could be better, maybe it’s your subject lines. Use these rules to evaluate what you’ve done before and jazz up the subject lines you send in the future. Test out several different strategies to find out what works best, and your email open rates should go up.
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