Email marketing is one of the biggest tools business owners can utilize to grow their businesses, but if no one is opening your love letters, your efforts are all in vain. Writing captivating subject lines is key, and it’s something many people find difficult. Check out these tips for composing appealing email subject lines!
When it comes to emails, the subject line is arguably the most important part of the entire operation. Subject lines are your first impression; they will decide if someone opens your email or trashes it without even giving you a chance to wow them.
According to an article from Invesp, 47% of email recipients open email based on the subject line. 69% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.
Pssst! If you haven’t created an email list yet, check out this post first!
You could have the most amazing goodie in the world sitting in my inbox, one that will change my life, but if your email subject line falls flat, I may unsubscribe without realizing what I’m missing!
If you’ve been rocking an email list for a while but you’ve noticed your open rates stink, and people are unsubscribing as fast as people are signing up, your email subject lines may be to blame!
Often, focusing on subject lines is the first place I tell business owners to start when they are trying to improve their email marketing efforts.
But how do you get people excited to open an email in 50 characters or less (according to Mailchimp, this is the optimal email subject line length!)? These tips will have you writing better email subject lines in no time:
- Use the tried and true formula developed by writing genius Gary Bencivenga, Interest = Benefit + Curiosity. When people glance at your subject line, you want them to feel like there’s something great inside. Pique their curiosity enough to want to learn more.
- Use relevant topics. Mention current or trending events that you know your ideal clients care about.
- Appeal to their desire to improve themselves. Most people are vain in some way; try to get them excited because you can give them something that will make them feel good about themselves. The fabulous Kate Hudson’s athletic wear company, Fabletics, nailed this technique with the subject line: “Your Butt Will Look Great in These Workout Pants”. Who doesn’t want a beautiful looking booty? I must see these magical pants!
- Use Emojis. But not too many! Adding one can draw your readers eyes to your subject, but if you use too many people will be turned off.
- Be careful how much you use urgency to cause wonder. Once in a while, it’s great to light a fire under your reader’s butts to get them to pay attention, but do it too often, and people will ignore you. The whole “boy who cried wolf” thing!
- Be timely. Have tips about bedtime? Send them a few hours before people will be putting their little ones to bed.
- Make people laugh. If you can make people laugh, they’ll be more likely to open your email. Laughter truly is the best medicine!
- Think about their needs and wants, and provide solutions to their pain points. If you’re a photographer, and you know your ideal clients are worried about looking their best in photos. Consider something like “Rock your photo session: posing for your body type.”
- Get personal. Consider adding the subscriber’s name to the subject line, or use location specific emails to grab their attention.
- Use your name in the from line. Make sure your name, or your business name, appears in the from line, so people instantly know who sent the email.
- Refrain from the ol’ bait and switch. No one likes being fooled, so be careful you’re not misleading your readers.
My favorite way to train yourself to write more compelling email subject lines? Study the headlines on the covers of juicy gossip magazines while you’re standing in line at the grocery store.
Magazines like US Weekly, In Touch, and People bank on you being so intrigued by their headings, that you can’t help but throw their magazine onto the counter so you can devour it when you get home.
I have a running note on my phone that I use to write headlines that grab my attention so that I can use similar tactics for email subject lines and blog post titles. By studying how copywriters get you to buy their magazines, you can learn a lot about how to better grab the attention of your readers!
The next time you write an email, take extra time putting together your subject. When you truly understand what makes them tick, it will be so much easier to write subject lines that speak to them. Need a little help honing in on your ideal clients and better appealing to them? This will help!
Speaking of newsletters, have you signed up for my bi-weekly love notes? In addition to emails that will help you build an authentic business, you’ll score my Business Blueprint, an extensive guide to setting up a profitable, organized business. Learn more, and sign up here!
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being a freakin’ copywriting guru, how would you rate your email subject lines? Tell me your number in the comments!
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