The subject line of any marketing email is often overlooked when it comes to sending out any type of email. This could be a newsletter or cart abandonment email. The subject line is crucial because it gives businesses the opportunity to get recipients to open their messages. The time spent crafting an email is useless if the recipient doesn’t see the value in it, finds it boring or believes that it is spam.
Marketing emails are an integral part of any business strategy. It is therefore crucial to make sure that every subject line stands out in a compelling way. Below are some best practices that businesses can use in order to improve the effectiveness of their email subject line.
1. Keep it short.
Marketo found that a subject line of 41 characters or 7 words leads to the best engagement. However, you can go slightly under or over and still get good results. Although this may not leave you with much space to communicate your message, it forces you to include only the most essential information. Try to reduce as many unnecessary words as possible in order to make your message clearer.
2. Summarize the contents of the email quickly.
The subject line should contain a limited amount of text that tells recipients what is in the email. The subject line should be concise and clear, regardless of whether the message is an announcement about your company or a special offer for a limited time. There’s no need to use puffery. Just tell the recipients what you’re going to be reading so they can make a decision about whether or not it’s worth their time. It is a good rule of thumb to start writing the email content before you write the subject line. This allows you to convey the essence of your message in a clear and persuasive way.
3. Be specific about why the recipient should open the mail.
Ask your recipients why they would read your message. This will allow you to identify the most compelling reason customers should open your email. It will then be used to create your subject line. Are they looking for information about holiday shipping deadlines? Is it a useful article about how to use your product best? Does it alert them to log in? Use language that conveys why they should be concerned.
4. Give the gift recipient a feeling of specialness
Consider the last time that you went through your inbox. What number of emails did you delete because they looked like mass email messages that were sent to 100,000 people? Catch your recipients’ attention by using personalization–like their first name–to show that this message is for them specifically. It is possible to make the email seem exclusive to them or to a selected group of customers. If a recipient feels valued, they will be more inclined to read what you have to offer.
5. Use action-oriented and/or important words to start.
It’s hard to predict how many characters each recipient will see on their device or email client. Therefore, load the subject line at the beginning with the most important words (e.g. “sale,” “action required,” etc.) So that they can see at most a portion of the message. You can make your subject line action-oriented if you have the space. “save,” “open,” etc.) So the recipient feels they have to do something, rather than just scroll past.
6. Communicate urgency using a deadline or another date.
Email subject lines can be a powerful way to encourage action on many initiatives. To make your recipients feel urgency, mention the expiration date or the date in your email. In an email requesting registration for an event, make sure to mention the limited availability so recipients feel compelled by the email to investigate further.
7. Do not make it salesy or spammy.
While you want recipients to be excited about receiving your email, it’s important not to make the subject line too enthusiastic. It’s not a good idea to use all caps (indicates shouting), multiple exclamation marks (indicates despair), or words such as “free” and “act immediately.” These subject lines will remind recipients about the many other sales emails that they have received, but also make it difficult for them to ignore. It increases the likelihood of your email being sent to spam.
8. Marketing emails can be creative.
You don’t want your email looking like any other marketing email you receive in your inbox. So don’t be afraid of making your subject line stand out. Ask questions that make recipients think, and encourage them to find out more. You can also include a pun to add humor to the email and spark interest. Make sure that your tone is consistent with your brand so recipients don’t get confused about who sent the email.
9. Remember to include the preview text!
The subject line is the most important thing in an inbox. However, the preview text can be helpful to provide additional information that will catch the recipients’ attention. Your preview text should follow the same rules as the above: include the most important words first and tell recipients why they should open it. Personalize it, explain why, etc. The subject line is more visible than the body so make sure to include the most important information.
Last Thoughts
If you want your email to reach your target audience, it is important to spend enough time and thought into your subject line. These suggestions will help you ensure that your subject lines are compelling and convince recipients that it is worth their time to read your email.
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By: Elisabeth Newell
Title: How to Write Effective Email Subject Lines for Ecommerce
Sourced From: www.volusion.com/blog/how-to-write-effective-email-subject-lines/
Published Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2022 16:05:00 GMT
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