How Do I Write an Effective Subject Line?
TIPS & TRICKS FOR SUCCESSFUL SUBJECT LINES
Subject line length
Aim for 49 characters or less including spaces and punctuation
Avoid the following words and characters
Free
Help
Percent off
Reminder
Exclamation points
Don’t use ALL-CAPS
Go local
Including a recipient's first name or last name does not necessarily improve open rates. However, providing localization, such as including a city name, can help.
Repetition does not work in your favor
Repeating the exact same subject line for a newsletter or email campaign accelerates the drop in open rates. While it is important to establish continuity and branding, ideally each new campaign should provide a clear indication in the subject line of what it is inside that is of interest.
The “From” line
The “From” information can be just as important as the subject line and they should work together. The From line should communicate who you are as the sender and typically display your business name. You should keep your from line and email address the same so that readers can add it to their contact list and get accustom to seeing it. Avoid sending email campaigns from multiple From lines/ email addresses. You are also less likely to go in the junk folder this way.
Example
From: Joe’s Seafood Shack (info@joesseafood.com)
Subject: Tonight only, all you can eat crab legs
Don’t over-promise and under-deliver
Don’t sensationalize your offering in an attempt to increase interest. All it does is scare your readers off. You don’t want to come off sounding like a used-car salesmen.
Some examples of what not to do
Boost your income 300% in just 3 days
Look 10 years younger overnight
Tell like it is – Say what’s inside the email
Readers use the subject line to determine whether or not the email is of interest to them. Make sure your subject lines accurately reflect the content of the email. Sometimes this may seem too concise or boring, but short and sweet is best and those subject lines are less likely to get flagged as spam or sent to junk.
Example
$8.99 Dinner Specials this Saturday only
Fall scarves, hats and gloves have arrived
Test, test, test
With our built-in reporting tools, you can see how your subject lines are performing based on open-rates. Try sending your campaigns in two separate sends, with two different subject lines. Over time, you will get a feel for what your customers are most receptive to.
