Picture this: you open your inbox, scroll through dozens of emails, and open maybe five or six emails. What’s the one thing that made you open those emails? Maybe it was the sender, or perhaps it was a running thread with a colleague. But other than that, it comes down to the email’s subject line.
Your email open rates and other engagement metrics hinge on the subject line. If you don’t write a compelling email, the receiver will probably not open it, rendering the entire email useless.
That’s why, as a marketer, learning how to craft enticing subject lines is not just a nice-to-have; it’s an absolute must these days. GetResponse’s recent study found that the average open rate for newsletters is 40.08%, and for triggered emails, it’s 45.38%. This means more than half of your readers will never open your emails unless you pique their interest.
In this article, we’ll offer seven tips to create click-worthy subject lines to increase your open rates.
Why it’s crucial to nail the email subject line
Your subject line does two things: it tells the reader what to expect and whether it’s relevant to them. But there are several other benefits of writing a good subject line and knowing how to start an email properly:
- Create a good first impression: If you’re sending an email to a subscriber or recipient for the first time, you want to create a good impression. Saying something off-brand or irrelevant could turn them off and make them rethink whether the email/newsletter is relevant. It also sets the tone for what’s inside the email—so a poorly written one could either result in a deleted email or one that’s marked as spam.
- Increase open rates: A good subject line gets even a cold recipient to open your email. For example, if you’re selling a lead scoring software and notice that a potential lead is hiring an SDR, a relevant subject line like “Enable your first SDR” would get you a click at the very least. So, as long as the subject line is relevant and specific, it works.
- Better email deliverability: A Litmus report found that 46% of email marketing teams are tasked with improving deliverability. A huge part of that is getting email recipients to click on your email. Since email service providers (ESPs) measure sender reputation and inbox placement using open rates as a signal, these teams are often tasked with ensuring subject lines actually meet quality criteria like relevance and personalization.
- Stay out of the spam folder: These days, ESPs are cracking down on every sender that shows even a modicum of spamming or phishing capabilities. That’s why you need to make sure your subject line stays relevant and avoids spam words like “100% free,” “act now,” or “see for yourself.” These instantly put your email into the spam folder—never to be seen in your recipient’s inbox again.
- Brand recognition: Your subject lines are another place to show off your brand’s voice and tone. If you’re known for a quirky tone and use the same in your subject lines, it creates a sense of brand recall for your subscribers/recipients. They’ll know it’s from you and will be more likely to open and read your email. So, use it as an opportunity to stand out in the recipient’s inbox.
7 tips for creating click-worthy email subject lines
Interest in email marketing has only increased in the past few years. A Content Marketing Institute report found that 67% of B2B marketers use email as a distribution channel, while 83% use email engagement as a metric to measure content performance.
When you consider that email engagement starts with the subject line, it contextualizes the importance of using the right one at the right time. Let’s look at how you can do that:
1. Keep it short and sweet
Brevity isn’t just the soul of wit—it’s the key to higher open rates. The ideal length for an email subject line is just under 70 characters, according to GetResponse’s study. In the graph below, you can clearly see that as the subject line’s length increases, the open rates decrease.
Shorter subject lines mean:
- There’s a lesser cognitive load to read them
- It doesn’t truncate on mobile devices
- It’s easier to grasp the context
Everything’s visible from the get-go, which makes it easier for the reader to click the email. That said, it doesn’t mean you sacrifice substance for brevity. Just make sure you provide context with fewer characters.
For example, instead of “Our Annual Summer Sale is Now Happening,” try “Summer Savings: Up to 50% Off.”
You can also use the preheader area to add more context, just as Senja does in this subject line:
2. Personalize it for the reader
Litmus’s State of Design report found that almost three-quarters of marketers agree that personalization in subject lines improves email performance. And for good reason. Adding a personal touch makes the reader feel like the email was written only for them, in turn encouraging them to open it.
Don’t just add someone’s first name and call it a day. Take it a step further by doing the following:
- Segment your email list based on criteria like purchase history or demographics
- Review your campaign or newsletter’s goal
- Craft 5-10 subject lines that are personalized
For instance, in the Duolingo subject line example, the subject line was “🔇 These reminders don’t seem to be working.” This is perfect as it’s a behavior-based trigger that starts when the user isn’t responding to the app reminders.
The subject line encourages the reader to open the letter because they know it’s meant for them, and the content inside shows their progress.
3. Include keywords or identifiers
Relevant keywords help readers search for your emails within their inbox. If you’re writing a newsletter about revenue operations, consider using terms like “RevOps” or “revenue operations” in your subject line.
You could use your branded name and an emoji or something like “Issue #1” to stand out for newsletters. Creators like Amanda Goetz use the puzzle emoji at the beginning of their subject line, and that does two things. It tells the reader it’s an email from her (brand recall) and helps them search those newsletters with that specific emoji.
You could also use brackets or parentheses to set apart certain information. For example, “[WEBINAR]” at the beginning of a subject line clearly identifies the nature of the email, while “(Limited Time Offer)” at the end creates a sense of urgency.
4. Add urgency for promotional emails
When you create a sense of urgency, you tap into FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), a psychological principle that capitalizes on the reader’s motivation to lose an opportunity.
It’s an excellent way to get more clicks as if you’re offering something of value to the right person, and they’re highly likely to convert.
Here’s an example of a subject line from Bubbles. Since they’ve reduced the recording limit on free plans, users will now have to subscribe to the Pro plan to access it. Before implementing this rule, Bubbles gives the reader 24 hours to use a $30 discount on its annual Pro plan, encouraging users to upgrade.
They also nail the specificity aspect of the subject line. Instead of just saying “$30 discount,” they offer context within the subject line to add credibility to the email. Make sure you use this tactic only for truly time-sensitive offers—or else you’ll lose credibility and your reader’s intrinsic motivation to buy from you in the long run.
5. Open the curiosity gap
The curiosity gap refers to the gap between what we know and what we want to know. When you create a subject line that teases out the information, readers are more likely to open your email.
Magic Hour does this really well. They know that most people are curious to read their horoscope. So, to promote their relaxing tea blends, they use the subject line “Unveil your August horoscope 💫” to get more clicks. Based on the reader’s horoscope, they offer a matching blend—encouraging them to buy the product.
Start by identifying something your audience is likely to find intriguing or valuable. If you’re writing a newsletter about email marketing tips, do this instead:
NOT: 10 tips to increase open rates
BUT: A surprising tip that gets more email opens 👀
6. Avoid the bait-and-switch method
While using a sensational headline to get more clicks might seem tempting, it only alienates the reader. People feel like they’ve been deceived, and this breach of trust results in more:
- Spam complaints
- Blocked users
- Unsubscribes
Instead of resorting to bait-and-switch tactics, create subject lines that reflect the content of your emails. Don’t promise random offers or lie within the subject line, and then change the email content entirely.
7. Use action-oriented language
If you want your readers to take a specific action, tell them. For example, use words like:
- Introducing
- Open this
- Read this
- Discover
- Increase
- Improve
- Offer
- Join
In this example from Calendly, the subject line is “Want to hit your pipeline goal? Read this…” giving a clear call to action to open the email. This piques curiosity while telling the reader where the solution is (in the email).
Tip: Use the Headline Studio to improve your subject lines.
Properly using this technique leads to higher open rates and, importantly, better engagement with the content of your emails.
Reel your readers in with the perfect subject line
An email subject line does more than increase open rates—it sets the tone for current and future engagement with your emails. It’s an opportunity to build resonance and show your readers you care about what they want.
It’s also not a one-time thing that you can templatize. As your audience grows and evolves, it’ll require continuous testing, learning, and refinement. So, keep trying things out and learning from your ESP data.
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