When it comes to email marketing one of the best things you can do is learn how to create email subject lines that get opened. What good is an email if it doesn’t get opened? In today’s video I cover 5 tips for improving your email subject lines.

Here are a few things mentioned in the video (plus a few other tips):

  • Be specific and find a way to include your brand or company name in the subject line, especially if the “From:” line does not contain your brand.  For example, a email subject line that says “Save 85% on SimplyInk Printer Ink” is more powerful than “Save 85%.”
  • Keep it short and simple.  The Email Marketing Metrics Report (July 2011 edition) stated that email messages with shorter subject lines are more likely to be opened than those with longer lines.  Subject lines with 4-15 characters had an open rate of 14.1%.  Those containing 51 or more characters were opened the least.  A simple message outperforms a complicated one.
  •  Ask a question.  Subject lines that are written in the form of a question tend to work well, such as “Do You Qualify for a College Grant?”  It piques the recipient’s curiosity and invites them to open the email.
  • Inform before you sell.  Give the recipient an idea of what the email is all about, and they’ll be more likely to open it.  Also, if they open the email because they’re interested in your offer, they’ll probably follow through on your call to action.
  • Take the recipient into account. When creating a subject line, make sure it tells the recipient what they can get out of it.  A subject line that announces “We’re Having a Sale” is not as compelling as one that says “Get 50% Off on Selected Items.”

So next time you are out of ideas on what to include in the subject line try using a number, creating a sense of urgency, or invoking curiosity.  Over time you’ll get better and better at it.

I want to hear from you! What do you do to get your emails opened? Let me know in the comments below!