Undeniably, next to the sender's address, the subject line has a major impact on the opening rate of an email. There are several things to consider when drafting the subject line. Find out what exactly.
Why is the email subject line so important?
Regardless of whether it is an acquisition mail, an important round mail to employees or electronic product information for existing customers. Emails can be very essential to your business. This is only possible if they are actually read. Every day countless spam and advertising mails end up in your inbox. Recipients decide in a matter of milliseconds which message is worth opening and which one will end up unread in the trash with only a click or a swipe.
The most important factor here is the subject line! If you have an optimized email subject, for example with a Call-to-Action (CTA), it will help attract the readers' attention in their inbox. With the following tips and hints you will be able to create the perfect subject line and thus increase your click-through rate (CTR), your conversion rate and thereby your success.
1. Arouse curiosity in your subject line
The subject line should be concise, informative and, above all, arouse the curiosity of your target group. To achieve this, please observe the following instructions:
- The benefit of the matter should be apparent. Communicate the real added value for the recipient. How does the user profit from opening your e-mail. You should place the most important aspects at the beginning. The essential keywords of your subject should ideally be among the first three or four words.
- The email subject should sound relevant. Respond to the specific interests and needs of your target group. Relevant and interesting content is much more likely to be clicked on. You should clarify what your email contains and not beat about the bush. But the most important thing is to be honest and not to make any promises. You should also not bait your customers with promises that you cannot keep.
- Ensure Uniqueness. Your subject must be one of a kind. Present something new or original that only you offer. Strive to stand out from your competitors. For example, also use the benefit of mystery, because it makes people listen and arouses curiosity. Don't give it all away at once. Lure your recipients.
- Make use of urgency! Convey an immediate and temporary benefit. Apply the "Fear Of Missing Out" concept, which means feeling afraid of being left out of something. This method makes use of one of the oldest and most efficient tricks of marketing - shortage. For example, the subject line could be: "Don't miss it: 20 % discount only until tomorrow" or "Your desired item only has 2 available in stock". The recipient is thus alerted that he could miss a great offer if he does not open the email immediately. This method can increase the click rate of your email by up to 22 percent. Furthermore, this method will make your recipients feel privileged.
2. Use technology, assistive devices and Call-to-Action (CTA) as reinforcement!
For example, you can use a Call-to-Action (CTA) to phrase an activating subject line. In combination with other tools and techniques to encourage users to click, this will result in an increase in the click rate and click-through rate (CTR). To get more from users than just reading the email, such as registering for a workshop, encourage the recipient to think more proactively about your message. Position activating verbs at the beginning of your subject line to express concrete requests for action - this stimulates the Customer Journey.
- Use accelerators: e.g. "Now"; "Today"; "Direct"
- Try "Call-to-Action" (CTA): e.g. "Use that“; "Test this“
- Ask interesting questions like: "Do you want to take your online marketing to the next level?"
- Use the „how-to" technique to explain, for instance, a particular problem: "How to increase your click-through rate..."
- Apply the "way out" technique, like "Are you hungry? Our pizza will make you happy..."
- Take the "factual method", e.g.: "Our new racing bike: the only one with heated seats".
- The "friend technique", is a very simple trick to express trust and distinguish yourself from others. "Here's a great offer for you" or "I have discovered something for you“.
3. Use a maximum of 49 characters in the subject line!
Keep it short - subject lines that are too long are often not displayed completely. In many cases the important information is not visible to the user because it is at the end of the message and the sentence is cut off. The subject line should not exceed 49 characters (about 6-10 words). This problem is even more severe when emails are displayed on smartphones and tablets. More than half of all sent emails are nowadays accessed via mobile devices rather than via the desktop.
If you keep in mind the 49 characters, you can be sure that your email subject is correctly and fully visible. Focus on the essential keywords, eliminate unnecessary filler words and your click-through rate (CTR) will improve as a result.
4. Do not use SPAM language in the email subject line
To avoid emails being rejected by SPAM filters of email programs due to the subject line, you should follow these rules:
- Do not write words entirely in capital letters
- Do not place exclamation or question marks repeatedly in a row
- Do not compose a text with lots of digits
- No Euro or Dollar signs
- Avoid typical SPAM phrases like "cheap" or "free“
- Stay away from everything that sounds blatant, exaggerated or dubious
5. Personalize your email subject lines!
By personalizing the subject line, you can establish a relationship with your customer at the initial contact and over time strengthen your loyalty with them. The advantages of personalization include a higher opening rate or fewer unsubscriptions to the newsletter. Address the recipient directly and, if it is useful and possible, use personal information of the recipient in the subject line (such as name, location or an individualized purchase recommendation). Nevertheless, especially during the first contact, if the recipient can not trace where you got the relevant information from, too many details seem rather uncanny. With long-term existing customers however, details can create a more personal and familiar environment.
By now, recipients have become accustomed to being addressed by their names. But this is also a popular tool used by spammers. Consequently, too clumsy personalization can even be counterproductive. For instance, how about a special offer for all women who have bought one particular t-shirt? In the subject line you can point out that there are shoes matching this t-shirt which the recipient can now purchase at a special price. This can also increase your conversion. For unfiltered bulk mailings it is better to leave out personalization.
6. Do not forget the preheader
Depending on the e-mail client, the preheader contains up to 100 additional characters with which the sender can convince the recipient to click on your mail immediately. The preheader is a kind of preview column, which is in most cases positioned above the actual message, often in color. Use this option to expand your subject line or to indicate further offers. The same tools and instructions apply to the preheader as to the email subject line.
7. Testing - Perform A/B tests!
A/B tests are also used in online marketing, although Google, for example, features different buttons. With A/B testing you can send different versions of email subjects lines to your users and check which version your target audience would rather click on. In A/B tests, two versions are sent to two groups of recipients. You can then see which of the two variants was more successful and send it to the remaining contacts. Create multiple versions of your subject line, use synonyms and run A/B tests. For example, ask your colleagues which subject is most suitable. Finally, choose the version that performs best, because the A/B test is a very practical tool to ensure that you decide on the more successful alternative. Include testing in your ideas for improvement.
8. Make use of icons in the email subject line!
Emojis and icons are still used quite rarely nowadays. This is why they still attract the attention of the readers, as they stand out from other emails in the inbox. You can furthermore substitute words completely with icons. This gives you the advantage of using fewer characters and allows you to keep it short. Make sure not to overdo it, otherwise it will quickly become tacky and cheap. Again, this would be counterproductive. Therefore, use icons only to reinforce and emphasize your subject line.
9. Make time for your subject line!
Mostly a lot of work is invested in writing the actual email but almost no time is spent on the subject line. As a comparison we can use the structure of a book. How do you decide whether to read a book? On the title much often! If it sounds interesting, you may want to learn more about it and next you will probably read the short summary on the back of the book. As soon as the actual content of the message is completely edited and corrected, we feel most of the work is done and that only a few details are missing.
In fact, we even get impatient and wish to finally click on the "Send" button. Suddenly, the wording of the subject line turns into a small detail, which needs to be done quickly. Yet it is probably the most important element of your entire campaign. For example, first compose your subject line and afterwards the actual email. You can still optimize the subject line after you have finished writing the email. The result will show you that it is worth it.
