Life is about the little things that make a big difference.
The same can be applied to email marketing. Those couple of little words that make up an email subject line are major factors when it comes to whether your recipient will make an effort and open your message or hit the “send to spam” button.
Sure, the email body has to strike the right chord with your audience, too, but its quality won’t be of much help if your subject line, that is the first thing your recipients see, is subpar.
47% of email recipients decide to open an email only because of its subject line. On the other hand, 70% of them conclude that an email isn’t worth opening based on its subject line.
Let’s not forget spam filters that are getting more sophisticated, even as we speak. Certain words and phrases in subject lines will forward your email directly to the spam folder — even before your recipients can see it — hurting your sender reputation in the process.
We’ve decided to share some effective tips with you and help you formulate irresistible and catchy subject lines for sales that your prospects won’t be able to ignore.
1. Personalize
Personalization has become big these days.
Your customers want to receive content that has been tailored to fit their needs and interests. Amazon, Google, and other industry leaders have taken personalization to the next level, and now we have similar and complementary products suggested to us when we make a purchase, and even our daily news feed is designed to serve only the topics and news that we’ve shown an interest in.
Your cold email subject lines are no different, and they need to be highly personalized. Here are some ways you can grab your recipient’s attention and show them you wrote the email with them in mind.
Use their personal or company name:
{Your company name} + {Prospect company name}
{Prospect name}, I have a suggestion…
X ways {Your company name} can help {Prospect company name} grow
Address their pain point:
Tired of high bounce rates, {Prospect name}? Let’s fix that!
Are slow loading times hurting your conversion rates, {Prospect name}?
How to eliminate downtimes?
Mention a mutual connection or shared interest
{Mutual connection name} suggested I reach out
What’s your take on {Topic of mutual interest}?
Let’s catch up at {Converence/Event} next month
2. Be concise
Almost 50% of email opens occur on a mobile device, according to the latest surveys. This means that an elaborate subject line that doesn’t fit into a smartphone screen in its entirety.
Of course, it’s not always possible to condense your message into 10 characters, but you get the point. If your subject lines are longer than 50 characters, there’s a greater chance that you’ll be cut off, as on many mobile devices, they won’t be properly displ-.
Apart from these technical limitations, you should also take into consideration that your prospects are swamped with emails every day.
Stats say that the number of business emails sent and received per day is more than 120.
This email overload means that people want to be able to quickly scan their inboxes and see what these messages are all about.
10X your revenue is a perfect example of a short and straightforward email subject line that spells out exactly what the recipient can expect to find if they open the email.
3. Use numbers
When it comes to numbers in your subject lines, there’s a general rule that they can increase open rates.
However, everybody knows about this rule, so it’s hard to stand out and be unique in the sea of numbers. Having said that, a subject line reading
7 Tips for producing great content âś…
works much better than
Learn how to produce great content ❌
Psychologically speaking, people love lists as the brain processes them more easily, and they promise a more digestible read.
The same applies to highlighting discount percentages in your email subject line.
However, when it comes to promises expressed through percentages, you should also be aware that people are suspicious when they see that you’re promising an 80% discount, so hold your horses and opt for 10-30% off.
4. Ask questions
Although some marketers claim that asking questions won’t make your subject lines better and more clickable, it’s only the case with spammy, promotional examples.
If you manage to naturally incorporate a question that will serve as a good introduction to your email, make sure to do so. Such a linguistic structure tends to seem like a dialogue, and it’s more likely to sound appealing.
Facing customer retention issues? is a compellingly engaging subject line promising that the email body offers a solution.
When we’re talking about question marks, it’s worth noting that other punctuation symbols can be useful, but you need to be careful with them.
Exclamation marks have been so extensively used that they lost their edge. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use them but don’t exaggerate and stick to one per subject line, as using more than one will look like you’re yelling at your prospect.
Emojis can be very efficient additions to your email subject lines, that’s for sure. Even businesspeople positively respond to an occasional emoji in a professional email. But, if you get carried away will make your subject lines a bit too cartoonish and spammy. So, follow that “all things in moderation” proverb, and avoid using an emoji just for the sake of it.
Hashtags in email subject lines are absolutely off-limits, as they practically scream spam inside.
5. Don’t oversell yourself
Be careful with superlatives in subject lines.
Yes, it’s okay that you want to convince your prospect that your product or service is of superior quality, but you’ll admit that using phrases such as “the best,” “the most incredible,” or “absolutely amazing” sounds a bit like you’re blowing your own horn.
Prospects don’t like flashy language, bragging, and exaggerating, so try not to oversell yourself.
On the other hand, you can tap into the power of negativity and play on your recipients’ fear of failure. Using negative superlatives such as
The 5 worst email marketing mistakes you can make
imply that the email is educational and value-packed.
6. Use a familiar sender name and address
This is crucial for maintaining a high open rate.
People don’t like when they’re receiving automated emails, as they remind them of spam.
Autoklose allows you to set up your own personal address, which means that your prospects will receive emails with your address and name next to the subject lines.
Needless to say, an actual email address is much more credible and trustworthy than the generic “no-reply” phrase.
7. Avoid the fake reply tactic
Tricking your prospects into opening your emails by inserting an artificial Re: in your subject lines isn’t a good idea because, you know, they’ll eventually find out (one minute later), and you’ll come off as a deceitful spammer.
Fwd: is a similar abbreviation that you should use only when you’re really forwarding a relevant mail. Don’t ambush your prospects and set traps because they’ll click on the unsubscribe button.
8. Controversial subject lines
While controversial or shocking subject lines might appeal to certain audiences, you should use them extremely carefully because this practice is like treading on thin ice.
It can’t be denied that these subject lines will boost your open rates, but in many cases, they can alienate your prospects. Insulting or vulgar references are an absolute no-no in business emails, but younger audiences get a kick out of such humor.
Nevertheless, you should REALLY know your audience and understand their mentality if you’re toying with the idea of surprising them with some saucy or racy jokes in subject emails.
But bear in mind that no matter how popular they can make your email campaign, you’ll most certainly step on somebody’s toes and lose a few customers in the process.
If you aren’t sure how your prospects will react, stay away from the likes of:
This is why your sales team sucks
Or
Everyone Is Gay: Social Media as Social Action
9. Leverage cliffhangers
If you want to reach your email marketing goals, the mystery is your ally.
Adding cliffhangers to your email subject lines can create enticing suspense that leaves your recipient curious. People will be more likely to open your email when they’re intrigued by an unfinished story or an incomplete idea.
Such email subject lines are great for sales because they play on the human brain’s innate desire for completion. Cryptic phrases, intriguing questions, or tantalizing teasers stimulate curiosity, engaging subscribers on an emotionally charged level that’s difficult to resist.
For instance, subject lines like
Sneak peek of what’s arriving soon
The biggest prospecting mistake you’re making is
What you should know before starting a business
create a sense of imminence and peculiarity, prompting recipients to click on your email and find out what it’s about.
However, while cliffhangers are a powerful tool, ensure you deliver on your promise of intrigue in the body of your email. If the content doesn’t fulfill recipients’ expectations, you can easily lose their trust and be perceived as a spammer.
In conclusion
Crafting a compelling email subject line is a critical step in preventing your communication from being condemned to the spam folder.
Whether personalizing your outreach, employing superlatives, integrating discount percentages, or relying on cliffhangers, successful email marketing is about capturing your recipients’ attention in a crowded inbox.
So, remember that an email subject line is more than a mere collection of words — it’s a code for nailing your open rates.
