SUBJECT LINES ARE HARD

In the world of digital marketing, an often overlooked but highly valuable component is the subject line. Whether it’s an email, a blog, or a website caption, the first thing a user reads is the headline. It holds the power to convince the user to keep reading or simply scroll away…

Your subject line works as a hook point to lay down the central idea in a concise but catchy manner. Here are my top 5 tactics to follow to create the perfect subject line that will yield a high click-through rate:

1. Best practices suggest that subject lines with 17-24 characters have the best email open rate. Keep in mind that a lot of users open their emails on phones nowadays, so you want your titles to fit into one line.
2. Research shows that you should aim for 3–5 words per subject line to increase your chances of seeing high open rates. With few words, they should be chosen carefully.
3. Keep your subject lines simple and conversational in style. Complex titles only confuse your readers and push them away. A great example of a simple-style writer is Netflix. If you are signed up for any of their email communication, you will get eye-catching, action-packed subject lines such as “Come back today.”
4. Testing is critical! Try out different subject lines and conduct A/B testing. You can vary the wording and whether you use upper or lower case to test differences in open and click rates.
5. Leverage words that improve open rates such as “thank you” and “today” and avoid words that discourage users from opening emails such as “urgent” and “etc.”. There are many online resources that provide a list of these words―keep them handy.

Now here’s the thing – as a business owner you may not have time to write catchy subject lines. But when your marketing team puts them together, analyze the subject line according to the 5 pointers I shared above. 

Additionally, think about your end customer. Is the subject line strong enough to speak to their pain points or appeal to their interests? If not, it will be harder to motivate them to act. To succeed in grabbing your readers’ attention with strong subject lines, you must spend time understanding your users’ interests. Use that information to test out different messages and styles to find the equation for the perfect subject line.

Consider these questions: How have your subject line tactics worked for you? How were your open and click rates? And how did they vary across communications – emails, blogs, articles, and websites?

Reach out to our team to discuss or troubleshoot your subject line strategy. We would love to help you.