The subject line is arguably one of the most important parts of a marketing email. It’s the first thing the recipient sees, after all, making it a vital space for convincing them to click in. On the flip side, a bad subject line may even go straight to the spam folder, bypassing the inbox completely.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help you nail your email marketing. Here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind!
DO use power words.
Power words are words that often evoke a stronger emotional response and can help increase your click rate. In the case of marketing, you usually want to either arouse curiosity, or make the person feel like they would be special by having the information in your email. Later in a campaign, specific word choices can also be used to create a sense of urgency.
Take care to not mislead the user, however. If you lie in your subject line, you may find your emails deleted and the recipient spitefully non-responsive.
DON’T use words commonly used by spammers.
Words and phrases such as “free,” “act now,” “cheap” and “incredible deal” may cause your email to be automatically flagged as spam, even if you’ve never had issues sending your emails before.
Read your subject line back to yourself. Does it sound similar to the spam messages in your junk folder – or even like a clickbait article headline? Eliminate those spammy words and adjust the subject line to your audience and content.
DO take advantage of available space.
Email inboxes often don’t just show you the subject line – they’ll also show you preview text from the email itself. We typically advise including “pre-header text,” which can be used to expand upon the catchier subject line and give more reason to click on the email.
For example, an auto loan marketing email’s pre-header text may include information about the low rate or 90 days no payment. Be creative!
DON’T use subject lines that are too long or too short.
Wordy subject lines are more likely to be cut off in preview text, while too-short subject lines are frequently ignored and may even be flagged as spam right away.
Aim for an average of 5-10 words – according to multiple market studies, emails with subject lines about this length routinely perform better compared to shorter and longer subject lines.
DO personalize the subject line sometimes!
Personalization can sometimes make emails more effective. While using variable data to include the recipient’s actual name is the most obvious choice, you may also want to tailor the subject line to include what else you know about your mailing list, such as the city or state name.
DON’T overuse punctuation, caps and emojis
It may be tempting to use exclamation marks and words in all caps to express excitement in an email, but recipients may feel shouted at instead. Similarly, emojis and special symbols can be a fun way to set your email apart – but it may also come across as unprofessional or similar to a scam. Keep it relevant and use sparingly; when done right, any of these can be the right kind of attention-grabbing!
Ready to create an email? We’re ready, too! We can help you write, design and send emails that stand out. Reach out to us today to get started.