Creating an optimized subject line is an important skill for any marketer or communicator. The subject line’s sole purpose is to get your email opened, yet it’s easy to fall into the trap of overloading it with content. Here’s a strategy to ensure your subject lines excel at their primary job: compelling recipients to open your emails.
The importance of focus
It’s tempting to compress the entire email’s content into the subject line. However, the subject line should do one thing and one thing only: get the email opened. To achieve this, I’ve developed a checklist that helps me stay disciplined when creating subject lines. While it’s not feasible to check every item for every subject line, many of these tactics are universally effective.
Tactics for an effective Subject Line
- Keep it concise and clear
- Aim for under 50 characters to ensure readability on mobile devices.
- Personalize when possible
- Use the recipient’s name or reference past behavior to grab attention. For example, “Hey [Name],” can make the email feel more tailored.
- Use emojis
- Emojis can add a fun and eye-catching element to your subject line. 😜
- Resonate emotionally
- Tap into emotions to connect with your audience.
- Create urgency or scarcity
- Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Act Now” prompt immediate action.
- Craft curiosity
- Use intriguing questions or statements to stimulate curiosity, encouraging the recipient to open the email.
- Offer value
- Promise a benefit or tease a solution to spark interest.
- Open a story loop
- Create a sense of an unfinished story that can only be resolved by reading the email.
- Leverage AI Suggestions
- Use AI tools to generate and optimize subject lines.
- Avoid jargon and complexity
- Keep language simple and accessible.
Strategies to improve the subject line copy
- Test variations
- Experiment with different subject lines to see what resonates best with your audience. Keep a tracking file for reference.
- Analyze successful subject lines
- Maintain a file of subject lines that made you open an email and analyze why. Use these insights to improve your own subject lines.
Actions to avoid
- Avoid spam trigger words
- Certain words can cause your email to be filtered into spam.
- Avoid vague language
- Be clear and direct to avoid confusion.
- Avoid spammy tricks
- Tactics like using all caps or excessive emojis can appear spammy and unprofessional.
- Don’t use clickbait
- Misleading subject lines can lead to disappointment and increased unsubscribes.
By applying these guidelines, you can create subject lines that are not only effective in getting your emails opened but also build trust and engagement with your audience.
Remember, the goal is to convince your recipient to open the email, setting the stage for your compelling content within.