7 Tips on How to write a email subject line

How to Write Email Subject Lines That Get Opened

Email marketing remains a powerful tool, but its effectiveness hinges on one critical element: the subject line. A compelling subject line is the gateway to your message, determining whether your carefully crafted content gets seen, ignored, or even marked as spam. In this article, we’ll delve into the art of crafting subject lines that capture attention, spark curiosity, and ultimately drive higher open rates, transforming your email campaigns from overlooked messages into engaging conversations.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Your Audience
• The Power of Urgency and Scarcity
• Personalization and Segmentation
• Testing and Optimization
• Avoiding Spam Triggers

Understanding Your Audience

Before you even begin brainstorming subject lines, it’s crucial to deeply understand your audience. What are their pain points, interests, and motivations? What kind of language resonates with them? Without this foundation, your subject lines will be generic and ineffective. Understanding your audience’s demographics, psychographics, and past interactions with your brand is key to crafting compelling subject lines. This involves analyzing data, conducting surveys, and actively engaging with your audience on social media to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs and preferences. Knowing Your Audience’s Pain Points Address your audience’s problems directly in the subject line. This can be a highly effective way to grab their attention, as it demonstrates that you understand their needs and have a potential solution. Example 1: Subject line: “Struggling with lead generation? We can help.” Explanation: This subject line directly addresses a common pain point for businesses – the difficulty of generating leads. It immediately signals that the email contains information relevant to solving that problem. This works best if your product or service truly solves that pain point. Don’t make empty promises. Example 2: Subject line: “Tired of endless meetings? Reclaim your time.” Explanation: This highlights the frustration of excessive meetings and promises a way to alleviate that issue. It resonates with professionals who feel overwhelmed by their schedules. It’s important that the body of your email then follows through with practical advice or tools to reduce meeting time. Leveraging Audience Interests Tailor subject lines to align with specific interests that you know your audience possesses. This shows that you’re paying attention and provides genuinely valuable content. Example 1: Subject line: “Exclusive Sneak Peek: New features coming to [Software Name]” Explanation: If you know your audience uses a particular software, showcasing new features is a relevant and engaging subject line. Users of the software will be naturally curious about updates and improvements. This also creates a sense of exclusivity. Example 2: Subject line: “5 Tips for Mastering Python for Data Science” Explanation: This targets individuals interested in data science and Python programming. The numbered list format also adds a sense of structure and value. It implies that the email will contain actionable advice. Using Data to Understand Your Audience Dig into your existing data to uncover patterns and insights. Analyze past email campaigns to see which subject lines performed best with different segments of your audience. Example: Using a marketing automation platform like Mailchimp or HubSpot, analyze the open rates of previous campaigns. Identify which segments responded most positively to certain types of subject lines (e.g., questions, offers, announcements). For instance, you might find that subject lines containing emojis have a higher open rate with younger demographics. Actionable Step: Export your email campaign data into a CSV file. Import this file into a spreadsheet program like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. Use pivot tables or filters to analyze open rates by segment and subject line type. This will give you concrete data to inform your future subject line strategies.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek. This applies to email marketing. Understand your audience’s ‘why’ and tailor your subject lines accordingly.

Simon Sinek

By understanding your audience’s motivations, interests, and pain points, you can create subject lines that are more relevant, engaging, and ultimately, more effective at driving opens and clicks. Remember that this is an ongoing process. Continuously analyze your data and refine your understanding of your audience to stay ahead of the curve.

The Power of Urgency and Scarcity

Creating a sense of urgency or scarcity can be a powerful motivator for email recipients to open and act on your message. These techniques tap into the psychological principles of FOMO (fear of missing out) and loss aversion, compelling people to take immediate action. However, it’s crucial to use these tactics ethically and responsibly, avoiding misleading or deceptive claims. Overusing urgency and scarcity can also desensitize your audience. Creating a Sense of Urgency Urgency implies a limited timeframe for an offer or opportunity. This can encourage recipients to open the email and take action before it’s too late. Example 1: Subject line: “Flash Sale Ends Tonight! Up to 50% Off” Explanation: This subject line clearly states that the sale is ending soon, creating a sense of urgency. The discount percentage adds an extra incentive to open the email and take advantage of the offer. Ensure that the time limit is accurate and prominently displayed within the email body. Example 2: Subject line: “Limited Time Offer: Free Shipping on All Orders” Explanation: This highlights a limited-time benefit, encouraging recipients to act quickly to avoid missing out on free shipping. Adding a specific end date to the subject line (e.g., “Free Shipping Ends Friday!”) can further amplify the urgency. Highlighting Scarcity Scarcity suggests that the availability of a product or service is limited. This can create a sense of exclusivity and drive demand. Example 1: Subject line: “Only 10 Spots Left! [Workshop Name]” Explanation: This subject line clearly indicates that there are a limited number of spaces available for a workshop. This scarcity can motivate interested individuals to register quickly before it’s too late. Make sure to update the number of spots remaining regularly. Example 2: Subject line: “Exclusive Access: Limited Edition [Product Name]” Explanation: This subject line emphasizes the exclusivity and limited availability of a product, making it more desirable. Highlight the unique features or benefits of the limited-edition product to further entice recipients. Ethical Considerations and Best Practices It’s important to use urgency and scarcity tactics ethically and avoid misleading your audience.

• Be truthful: Don’t create false urgency or scarcity. If a sale truly ends at midnight, make sure it does.
• Don’t overuse: Too many emails with urgent or scarce offers can desensitize your audience and make them less likely to respond.
• Provide value: Ensure that your offers are genuinely valuable to your audience. Don’t use urgency and scarcity to push low-quality products or services.

Example of unethical use: A subject line stating “Last Chance! 75% Off!” when the sale is actually extended indefinitely. Example of ethical use: A subject line stating “Final Hours! 20% Off All Shoes” with a clearly displayed countdown timer in the email body, and the sale genuinely ending at the stated time. By using urgency and scarcity responsibly and ethically, you can create compelling subject lines that drive higher open rates and conversions without damaging your brand’s reputation. Remember to always prioritize transparency and provide genuine value to your audience.

Personalization and Segmentation

Personalization and segmentation are powerful techniques for crafting subject lines that resonate with individual recipients and specific groups within your audience. Generic subject lines often fail to capture attention because they don’t speak directly to the reader’s needs or interests. By personalizing your subject lines, you can demonstrate that you understand your audience and are providing relevant content. Segmentation allows you to group your audience based on shared characteristics and tailor your messaging accordingly. Personalization: Using Individual Data Personalization involves using data specific to each recipient to create a more relevant subject line. This can include their name, location, past purchases, or other information you’ve collected. Example 1: Subject line: “John, Your Exclusive Discount Awaits!” Explanation: Using the recipient’s first name immediately grabs their attention and creates a sense of personal connection. The “Exclusive Discount” adds an extra incentive to open the email. Ensure that you have the recipient’s name accurately stored in your email marketing platform. Example 2: Subject line: “Happy Birthday, Sarah! Here’s a Gift Just for You” Explanation: This subject line is highly personalized and relevant, as it’s triggered by the recipient’s birthday. Offering a gift further enhances the positive impact. This requires collecting birthday information from your subscribers during signup or through preference updates. Segmentation: Targeting Specific Groups Segmentation involves dividing your audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, such as demographics, interests, purchase history, or engagement level. This allows you to create subject lines that are more targeted and relevant to each group. Example 1: Segment: Customers who purchased running shoes in the past. Subject line: “New Arrivals: The Latest Running Shoes for [City Name] Marathon” Explanation: This subject line targets customers who have previously shown an interest in running shoes. Mentioning a specific marathon in their city makes the message even more relevant. Location personalization can be a very powerful tool. Example 2: Segment: Subscribers who haven’t opened an email in the past 3 months. Subject line: “We Miss You! Come Back and Get 25% Off” Explanation: This subject line targets inactive subscribers with a re-engagement offer. The “We Miss You!” message can help to rekindle their interest. This is a good way to clean your email list and remove unengaged subscribers. Implementing Personalization and Segmentation Most email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, HubSpot, Klaviyo) offer robust features for personalization and segmentation.

• Data collection: Gather as much relevant data as possible about your subscribers during signup and through ongoing engagement.
• Segmentation criteria: Define clear criteria for segmenting your audience based on demographics, interests, behavior, and purchase history.
• Dynamic content: Use dynamic content features to insert personalized information into your subject lines based on subscriber data.
• A/B testing: Test different personalization and segmentation strategies to see what works best for your audience.

Example: In Mailchimp, you can use merge tags to insert personalized information into your subject lines. For example, `*|FNAME|*` will insert the recipient’s first name. You can also create segments based on various criteria, such as purchase history or email engagement. By leveraging personalization and segmentation, you can create subject lines that are more relevant, engaging, and effective at driving opens and clicks. Remember to prioritize data privacy and obtain consent before collecting and using personal information.

Testing and Optimization

Writing effective email subject lines is not a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process of testing, analyzing, and optimizing. What works today might not work tomorrow, as audience preferences and email marketing trends evolve. A/B testing is a crucial technique for comparing different subject lines and identifying which ones perform best with your audience. Optimization involves using the data from your tests to refine your subject line strategy and improve your results over time. A/B Testing: Comparing Different Subject Lines A/B testing (also known as split testing) involves creating two or more variations of a subject line and sending them to different segments of your audience. By tracking the open rates and click-through rates for each variation, you can determine which subject line is most effective. Example Scenario: You want to promote a new product launch. You create two subject line variations: Variation A: “Introducing the New [Product Name]!” Variation B: “Revolutionizing [Industry]: The [Product Name] is Here” You send Variation A to 50% of your audience and Variation B to the other 50%. After a set period (e.g., 24 hours), you analyze the results to see which subject line had a higher open rate. Key Elements to Test

• Length: Test different subject line lengths to see what resonates best with your audience. Short and concise subject lines might be more effective on mobile devices, while longer subject lines might provide more context.
• Keywords: Experiment with different keywords and phrases to see which ones attract the most attention. Use keyword research tools to identify relevant and high-performing keywords in your industry.
• Personalization: Test the impact of personalization by including the recipient’s name or other personalized information in the subject line.
• Emojis: Experiment with using emojis in your subject lines to see if they increase engagement. However, be mindful of your audience and brand image, as emojis might not be appropriate for all situations.
• Urgency and scarcity: Test the effectiveness of using urgency and scarcity tactics in your subject lines. However, be sure to use these tactics ethically and avoid misleading claims.

Example: You could test using the word “Free” versus “Complimentary” in your subject lines to see which one drives higher open rates. Analyzing Results and Optimizing Your Strategy Once you’ve completed your A/B tests, carefully analyze the results to identify which subject lines performed best. Look for patterns and trends that can inform your future subject line strategy.

• Open rates: Track the open rates for each subject line variation to see which ones were most effective at capturing attention.
• Click-through rates: Track the click-through rates to see which subject lines drove the most engagement.
• Conversion rates: If possible, track the conversion rates to see which subject lines ultimately led to the most sales or desired actions.

Based on your analysis, refine your subject line strategy to incorporate the elements that have proven to be most effective. Continuously test and optimize your subject lines to stay ahead of the curve and improve your email marketing results over time. Actionable Step: Create a spreadsheet to track your A/B testing results. Include columns for the subject line variation, open rate, click-through rate, and any other relevant metrics. This will help you to analyze your data and identify trends. Remember that testing and optimization are ongoing processes. Continuously experiment with different subject line elements and analyze your results to refine your strategy and improve your email marketing performance.

Avoiding Spam Triggers

Even the most compelling subject line is useless if your email ends up in the spam folder. Spam filters are constantly evolving, and it’s crucial to understand what triggers them to ensure your emails reach your audience’s inbox. Avoiding spam triggers involves both the content of your subject line and the overall structure and reputation of your email program. A good sender reputation is built over time by sending valuable content to engaged subscribers. Common Spam Trigger Words and Phrases Certain words and phrases are commonly associated with spam and can trigger spam filters. While there’s no definitive list, here are some examples to avoid:

• Overly promotional language: “Free,” “Guaranteed,” “Limited Time Offer,” “Act Now!”
• Misleading claims: “You’ve Won!”, “Urgent Response Required” (when it’s not)
• Excessive capitalization and punctuation: “GET RICH QUICK!!!”, “Sale!!! Sale!!!”
• Suspicious offers: “Work from Home,” “Make Money Online” (often associated with scams)

These words and phrases are often used in spam emails to lure recipients into opening the message. While using them occasionally might not automatically land you in the spam folder, it’s best to avoid them whenever possible. Example: Instead of “Free Gift!”, try “A special thank you gift inside.” Technical Considerations to Avoid Spam Filters Beyond the content of your subject line, several technical factors can affect your email deliverability.

• Sender authentication: Implement SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) to verify your email’s authenticity. These protocols help to prevent spammers from forging your email address.
• Clean email list: Regularly remove inactive or invalid email addresses from your list. Sending emails to non-existent addresses can damage your sender reputation.
• Dedicated IP address: Consider using a dedicated IP address for sending your emails, especially if you send a large volume of emails. This gives you more control over your sender reputation.
• Avoid URL shorteners: URL shorteners can be used to mask malicious links, so spam filters are often suspicious of them. Use full URLs whenever possible.

Example: To configure SPF, you need to add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings. This record specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. A typical SPF record might look like this:

v=spf1 mx a ip4:192.0.2.0/24 -all

Explanation: This record allows emails to be sent from the mail servers specified in the MX records, the A record, and the IP address range 192.0.2.0/24. The `-all` at the end indicates that any emails not sent from these authorized sources should be rejected. Best Practices for Avoiding Spam Filters

• Get permission: Only send emails to people who have explicitly given you permission to do so. Use a double opt-in process to confirm their subscription.
• Provide value: Make sure your emails provide valuable content to your subscribers. Don’t just send promotional messages.
• Segment your audience: Send targeted emails to specific segments of your audience based on their interests and preferences.
• Monitor your sender reputation: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your sender reputation and identify any potential problems.
• Make it easy to unsubscribe: Include a clear and easy-to-find unsubscribe link in every email.

By following these best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam and ensure that they reach your audience’s inbox. Remember that maintaining a good sender reputation is an ongoing effort that requires attention to detail and a commitment to providing value to your subscribers. Writing great email subject lines is a blend of art and science. By understanding your audience, using urgency and scarcity ethically, personalizing your messages, and continuously testing and optimizing, you can create subject lines that capture attention, drive opens, and ultimately achieve your email marketing goals. Don’t forget the importance of avoiding spam triggers to ensure your messages reach their intended recipients.