Email Copywriting 10 Best Practices For Subject Lines
Are you stuck trying to figure out how to create an effective email subject line that will get your subscribers to open your emails?
You’ve come to the right place! In this blog, I’ll be walking you through the importance of a good email subject line and how to create the best ones for your email marketing campaigns.
You’ll learn about why email subject lines are important, what makes a good subject line, and how to write the best email subject lines that get your subscribers to read your emails. Plus, I’ll provide you with some excellent email subject line examples to help get you started.
So, let’s get started!
What Is The Subject In An Email?
The Subject Line: A Critical Element of Email Communication
We’ve all seen it before: the dreaded subject line in an email that just leaves us scratching our heads. Or worse, the one that sends us to the trash without even opening it. In this digital age, a great subject line can make all the difference in the success of an email.
A well-crafted subject line can help you stand out from the crowd and get your message across in a more effective way. It’s your first impression and you want to make sure it’s a good one. It can be the difference between someone clicking on your email and actually reading it, versus immediately deleting it without a second thought.
When crafting your subject line, use an action-oriented approach and make sure it’s relevant to the content of your email. You also want to be sure to keep it short and sweet. Long subject lines tend to get cut off, which defeats the purpose.
You can also add some personality to your subject line to help it stand out. Try to be unique and add some wit or humor to grab the reader's attention. You can also use emojis or symbols to make your email more eye-catching.
10 Tips To Create Good Email Subject Lines
1. Keep It Short and Sweet
Writing an effective subject line for emails is essential for success in any email campaign. However, if the subject line is too long and gets cut off, it will be of no use.
👉🏻 Keep your subject lines short and sweet, by keeping them to under 40 characters or about five to seven words. This will ensure that your subject line is readable, grabs attention, and encourages people to open and read your email.
2. Avoid Spam/Trigger Words
If you are being overly promotional and aggressive in your subject lines, you run the risk of having your messages sent straight to the spam folder. That’s why it’s important to remember that subject lines should not be overly salesy.
👉🏻 Avoid using loud punctuation like all caps and multiple exclamation points, as well as overtly promotional language like “Buy now” or “Free.”
3. Ask Open-Ended Questions
Questions are an effective way to stimulate curiosity and get your readers thinking about your message. They help create an open dialogue between you and your readers, encouraging them to take action.
👉🏻 By using questions in your subject lines, you can draw your readers in and make them feel part of the conversation.
4. Include A Time-Limited
By creating a sense of urgency and reminding readers of the limited time they have to take advantage of a special offer, you'll be sure to get their attention and drive more conversions.
👉🏻 Just make sure you don't wait too long - phrases like 'now or never' can be super effective and encourage readers to prioritize your emails. Don't let distractions stand in the way of your success - set a deadline and watch the conversions roll in!
5. Try Adding Mystery or Teasers - Like in the movies…
We've all been there, eagerly awaiting a movie trailer, only to be met with an annoying commercial break. But why do people love movie trailers so much and detest commercials?
It's simple - movie trailers are packed with enough intrigue and suspenseful moments to leave us wanting more. They draw us in, making us curious and excited to know what comes next. That's the power of a good trailer, and it's something that can be applied to great subject lines in order to hook readers and spark their interest.
👉🏻 So the next time you're writing an email subject line, take a page from the movie trailer handbook and create something that will leave people wanting more.
6. Be Clear and Concise
If you're looking to get people to take action, then a direct call to action in your email subject line is the way to go!
People respond best to clear instructions and direct instructions, so use this to your advantage to get people to take the desired action.
👉🏻 Make sure to be concise and engaging in your subject line, so that people can quickly and easily understand what you're asking them to do. There's no better way to get people to respond than by making your intent and expectations clear from the start.
7. Share Value
Letting your customers know they’re more than a sale is vitally important. This can be done by ensuring you send valuable content your customers can benefit from.
👉🏻 The best way to do this is to think about what your customers need right now and tease how the content of your email can help them achieve/get what they need.
8. Make Big, Bold, and Beautiful Announcements
By writing an engaging and exciting subject line, you can make sure that your subscribers are amongst the first to know about the offer and get them feeling that sense of personalization.
Not only does this show them that you value them as customers, but it also gives them the chance to be the first to take advantage of your new and exciting offer.
👉🏻 So channel that enthusiasm into your subject line and let your subscribers know that something new and exciting is coming their way!
9. Make Yourself Stand Out
By understanding who your audience is and what your business can offer them that they can’t get anywhere else, you can create a subject line that will make them want to open your email.
👉🏻 Don’t be afraid to use your business’s name in the subject line to help people recognize your brand and know what they can expect from your email. With the right subject line, you can bring your audience closer to your business and ultimately get them more engaged with your products and services.
10. Highlight Videos and Multimedia
Did you know you can double your email open rate just by adding the word "video" to your subject line?
👉🏻 It's true, and it's a great way to make sure your contacts don't miss out on your engaging content. Whether you include a video, a presentation, a podcast, or even a helpful guide, you'll be able to keep your content varied and exciting.
So why not give it a try and see the results for yourself? It could be just the thing you need to get more engagement from your emails.
👉🏻 Lively Bee Studio Subject Lines:
1. "You Won't Believe What Happened Next!"
2. "This Life-Changing Secret Will Blow Your Mind!"
3. "This Time-Saving Trick Will Change Everything!"
4. "This Surprising Discovery Will Make You Rethink Everything!"
5. "The Secret to Success You Need to Know!"
6. "The Shocking Truth About [Topic]!"
7. "The Amazing [Topic] You Never Knew Existed!"
8. "The [Number] Reasons You Need to Try This!"
9. "The [Number] Secrets to [Topic] That Nobody Told You!"
10. "The [Number] Ways to [Topic] That Will Revolutionize Your Life!"
Email marketing subject lines are vitally important to the success of your email marketing because they are the first thing your recipients see when they receive your email. If your subject line fails to grab their attention, they may not even bother to open your email, resulting in a missed opportunity to engage your audience.
Crafting compelling and creative subject lines that are relevant to the content of your emails is essential for effective email marketing. With the right subject line, you can create a powerful connection with your recipients and increase the likelihood of them opening and engaging with your email.
So, put in the extra effort to create eye-catching and effective subject lines for your email marketing campaigns and you just might be rewarded with higher open rates and better engagement!
