Crafting Killer Email Subject Lines
There’s almost 350 billion emails sent every day. Email inboxes are more crowded than ever. Getting your email to stand out gets harder and harder. Crafting a killer subject line is an art form that can make or break your email campaign.
A study by Return Path found that 1 out of every 3 recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. This highlights the importance that your email contacts place on the subject line when deciding whether to read your email or delete it.
So how to make sure your emails don't keep getting skipped over? Keep reading. I’ll give you valuable tips on how to write subject lines that grab attention, spark curiosity, and most importantly, get your readers to act.
Whether you're an experienced email copywriter or just starting out, you’re going to get better at crafting killer email subject lines.
The Psychology Behind Email Subject Lines
Back in The Old Days when people still used to read newspapers, the headline made all the difference between reading and ignoring a news article. Master Copywriters learned to perfect the psychology of the perfect headline.
Well, guess what? Email subject lines are now the new headlines.
The email subject line is the first thing that recipients see when they receive your email. It acts as a gatekeeper, determining whether your email will be opened, ignored, or sent straight to the trash. Perry Belcher says that it’s like a handshake. A strong grip or a limp dishrag makes all the difference in a person’s first impression of you.
Elements of an Effective Email Subject Line
If you just scan your own email inbox, you’ll see any of these three categories:
1. The Call-Out: “Attention Entrepreneurs: Avoid These 7 Trademark Mistakes”
2. The Grabber: “This New Discovery Shocks the Medical World”
3. The Promise: “How This 1 Thing Made Me $100,000. It Might Work For You Too”
Here’s some other types of headline categories from Bob Bly, Copywriting Guru:
Direct
No fluff; just get straight to the point. Best used when everyone knows what the product/service is you’re selling.
“Portland Auto Show Tickets – 50% flash sale TODAY ONLY.”
Indirect
Make ‘em curious. Best used when everyone isn’t so familiar with your product/service.
“Here’s why you may not be using the right bait”
News
Useful for new product announcements to an audience well familiar with your product line
“New PLRs Released Today”
How To
One of the most commonly used. Practical and actionable
“How to tell if your favorite goo-roo is a sociopath”
Question:
Builds upon Curiosity, one of our most powerful core emotions. To be effective, it needs to be relatable. Obviously, you want a “Yes” answer. So, you got to be careful that your question isn’t more easily answered “No.”
“Are You Still Struggling to Save For Your Retirement?”
Command:
You’re the expert, so tell ‘em what to do.
“Download my swipe file and start crushing your sales goals”
Reasons Why
We all love lists. Include a number and make it an odd number; don’t make it an even number.
“7 Reasons Why Getting Out of Bed in the Morning Is So Hard.”
Testimonials
Testimonials are always powerful. They work in Church; they work in business. It’s the ONE subject that you’re an absolute expert on.
“How I made $11,035 in 11 days (while vacationing in Cabo)”
Tips for Crafting Killer Email Subject Lines
- Relevance: Make it relevant to the recipient's interests or needs. It should clearly communicate the value or benefit they will gain by opening your email.
- Clarity: A clear and concise subject line is essential to grab attention quickly. Avoid using vague or confusing lingo.
- Conciseness: Less is more. Keep in mind that mobile users may only see a portion of your subject line, so make it count.
- Emotional appeal: We decide with our emotions. We justify our decisions with our intellect. By evoking the right emotions, you’ll grab attention and compel recipients to act. Play around with excitement, curiosity, urgency, outrage, and humor.
- Power words: Words like "exclusive," "limited time," "free," "new," and "urgent" can create a sense of urgency or exclusivity.
By incorporating these elements into your subject lines, you can create compelling and effective messages that stand out in a crowded inbox.
Avoid These Mistakes
While it's important to focus on crafting effective subject lines, it's equally important to avoid these common mistakes:
- Too vague: A vague subject line leaves the recipient unsure of what to expect.
- Misleading or clickbait subject lines: While it may be tempting to use clickbait tactics to increase open rates, it can damage your brand reputation and result in recipients unsubscribing -- or worse, flagging your email as spam.
- Overusing capitalization and exclamation marks: Excessive capitalization and exclamation marks can come across as spammy and unprofessional.
- Neglecting mobile optimization: With most emails being opened on mobile devices, it's crucial to optimize your subject lines for mobile. Keep them concise and ensure they are fully visible on smaller screens.
Tools for Creating Killer Subject Lines
CoSchedule's Email Subject Line Tester: This tool analyzes the effectiveness of your subject lines based on factors like length, word balance, and emotional appeal. It provides a score and recommendations to help you improve your subject lines.
SubjectLine.com: With this tool, you can test the deliverability and effectiveness of your subject lines. It provides a comprehensive analysis and offers suggestions to enhance your subject lines and increase open rates.
Litmus' Subject Line Checker: This tool allows you to preview how your subject line will appear on different email clients and devices. It helps ensure that your subject lines are optimized for all recipients, regardless of their email client preferences.
HubSpot's Blog: HubSpot's blog offers valuable resources and tips on email marketing, including subject line best practices and examples. Explore their blog to gain insights and inspiration for crafting compelling subject lines.
Add these tools and resources to your email marketing toolbox They'll help you create killer subject lines that convince your recipients why they need to read your email.
REMEMBER! You have less than 3 seconds to convince your readers why they should open your email. Follow these tips and make it count!
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