People now get inundated with emails every day and from a wide range of companies. Most people don' read every single one
of those emails and the way people determine which ones to open and which ones to trash is by looking at the subject line.
Sure, who the sender of the email is comes into account but
the subject line is what will grab their attention, or not.
At only around 50 characters, this small component really can be the make or break of any email marketing campaign.
When you're crafting your subject line, keep the following in mind:
Deliverability
Not only do you need to get past the SPAM filters, you also need to get past your readers BS meter. If you're using "spammy"words like "free," "act now," and "limited time only" you're not going to get far at all. Using all caps in your subject lineis also another red flag and IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING AT YOUR READER. This isn't a good thing. Excessive use of dollar/pound signs and exclamation points is also another way to fast track yourself into the junk folder.
Is it actionable?
To have an actionable subject line, ask yourself this: does the reader know what they can do in the email and what they'll get out of it? You also need to create a sense of urgency and excitement when they read your subject line.
For example, "Meet your favourite singer at our new club opening" is much more effective than "Favourite singer at club". In the first exampleyou know that by reading the email you'll know how you're going to meet your faviurite singer at this new club opening.
With the second example it doesn't have that urgency and could just be about the fact that your favourite singer was at a club last night.
Is it personalized?
The only way you can give your readers what they want is to know what they want, even just a little. If you've set up your list properly, you should have your list segmented. Even if it's just by price point. If someone signed up for a freebie and have only purchased a low cost product, you don't want to be sending them emails advertising your high end products.
Is it clear?
You need to be specific with your subject lines. If your subject line is too broad, they'll not know what to expect when they read your email. You want your subject line to be creative but if you're being too obscure this can hurt your click through rates in the long run. Be clear and concise. Put identifying keywords in there.
Is it short and sweet?
Keep the subject line as short as possible. Aim for around 50 characters or less if you can but make sure you keep the above pointer in mind. You want it short so that as much of it as possible is displayed to your recipient and longer subject lines tend to get stick in the spam filter a lot.
Testing your subject lines is key here, as you won't know 100% if it will work on not until yout try, but as long as you have these basic questions covered, you're good to go.