How many times have we heard the phrase "The first impression is the one that counts"? When we think of Email Marketing, this phrase becomes very important. When it comes to the Subject of the Email, you could say it is as important as the content of the message that you deliver to your subscribers. A single line of text with the right words and a precise message, can make a big difference in steering your subscribers to open the message, increasing your opening rates.
Why is the Subject Line so important?
The subject line of the Email is that brief description that will show the user the content of the email without them needing to open it. Its main task is to give subscribers or customers a preview of the message’s content. Within Email Marketing, it holds the weight of being the first contact with the reader to convince them to open the message.
Every day, you probably receive a good amount of emails in your inbox. Newsletters, promotions, follow-up emails for purchases, invitations, office emails. We receive hundreds of emails daily… promotional emails, emails from the office, emails from family members; so many emails that it is easy to lose track of everything we receive. Amongst so many emails, that short and accurate Email Subject Line is the first impression that can capture your customer's attention and make them decide to open it. In general, hours are spent deciding the type of content and the design of the newsletter but not enough time is devoted to those first words that the client or subscriber will receive in their inbox. The subject line of the Email is like a store showcase, if your customers like what they see, they will take a look inside or in the worst case scenario, they will pass on by.
What should you keep in mind to create a good Email Subject Line?
The subject line of the Email is responsible for creating empathy with the user, so it must be approached with care. Crafting an attractive and clear message, adapted to clearly convey the content, you are paving the way to increasing the opening rate.
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Maintain an adequate length
Each email provider has a character limit when displaying the subject line, around 46 to 70 characters, depending on the type of screen on which the email is opened. To prevent the text from being cut, it is crucial to stick to 50 characters or less, and thus guarantee optimal reading on any device.
With a short and concise subject line, you are able to attract the reader's attention more, at the risk of excluding relevant information.
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Add the additional information in the Pre-Header
If you have left valuable information out of the Email Subject, the Pre-Header can be used to supplement the subject line with extra information about the content of the email. In the same way that it is important that you keep the length, try not to pass the amount of words so you can take advantage of these lines, always remembering the mobile device users.
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Precise and Direct
The main mission of the email subject line is to create an introduction to the content of the message. If you have a subject line that is hard to understand or suggests content that does not exist within the message, you will be losing credibility. Customize your subject line, create segmented lists and add dynamic fields in the mail subject so that it arrives in a personalized and direct way to your client.
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Do not be afraid to use Emojis
The emojis in the email subject line generate immediate attention and create empathy. You must choose them well because they could potentially have the opposite effect, taking away the seriousness of your message. Keep in mind that not all email clients interpret them in the same way. Use them when you have messages with fun, fresh content and don’t forget to test them out on the different device you have available before sending, so you can see how they look on different screens.
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Avoid SPAM Words
Take care of the words you are going to use in the subject of your email marketing campaign. Try to use normal and common words. Words like "Free", "Urgent", "Cheap" could push your message directly into the SPAM folder. If you add symbols to messages already containing these Spam trigger words, you are delivering the perfect combination for being blocked by Anti-Spam filters.
Learn how to avoid falling into this detestable folder by reading our article on the blog. We also show you a complete list of words that you shouldn’t use, to avoid your messages becoming Spam.
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Test and test
Create lists with examples of Spam folder trigger words and go discarding those that you don’t think will summon your client’s attention. It’s good to do segmented tests, sending trigger words to a specific number of your customers and checking how this affects the opening statistics.
Ideas to create an attractive email subject
Create Expectation
Use the word game to create a sense of expectation within your client. It’s good to get creative, but always take care to keep your messages consistent and maintain their style and to avoid announcing promises that you can’t fulfill. This would only be negatively affecting the reputation of your brand.
Example: The offer of the week is waiting for you
Appeals to the wishes of your users
Emotions, instincts and desires will always be a trigger between human beings. Invite your subscribers to feel that they should open the email using phrases that make them feel identified with what they need.
Example: The vacation you deserve at the price you always dreamed of
Use a question
A question will always need an answer. The intention is to give the reader a reason to find the answer or solution. This way, readers can discover how the product or service you offer can help them.
Example: Do you think you know your ideal client?
Some good humor always does well
Humor and creativity can make a big difference. For this, it is important that you know your audience or are willing to take a little risk, a joke that is soft and will not hurt any of your users can be a message that captures the attention and leads them to open the mail.
Instill a sense of urgency
A subject line that has a sense of urgency, that presents something that is only available for a short amount of time or something which makes readers count down the days until the end of the offer, could have good results. Nobody likes to let an opportunity pass them by.
Example: This offer is about to end!!!
The purpose of any Email Marketing strategy, is to motivate people to open mail, to stimulate them with good content and to generate opening conversions. For this reason, the subject of the email is of great importance. We hope that after reading these tips, the task of writing a subject line is not a difficult mission to fulfill.
Get to work, access your Mailpro account and start doing tests to create email subjects and successful email marketing campaigns.