Email Subject Lines that Work
To many people the subject line of a newsletter is an afterthought and is only considered when preparing the email prior to being sent. With the amount of email in our inbox, how can you guarantee that your newsletter will be read? The only way to do it is to “Write a great subject line”.
Keep it short and simple
Subject lines with fewer words than 10 are best while less than 5 words are ideal. Keeping your subject line down to a few words will make your email seem more credible.
Give them what they want
Your clients are interested in what’s in it for them. Tell them about the benefits that matters to them and not the features that matter to you.
You Who?
While it’s generally a good thing to use the word “you” in persuasive copy, it’s a spam predictor in subject lines. Few people use the word “you” in emails to colleagues; spam uses it frequently. The closer your subject line comes to the tone of ordinary email, the more likely it is that your message will be opened.
Don’t Do It!!!
Don’t use exclamation points at the end of the subject line. Rarely do you see personal emails that need that kind of “noise” to grab your attention. Do use question marks, if doing so makes sense. Questions are much more engaging than statements.
Avoid Sales Language
We have been so inundated with slick sales stuff that it now is an automatic turnoff. Avoid words like “limited time,” “free,” “opportunity,” and “only.” Doing so may hook some; it will turn off many more.
Extracts of this tip have been taken from Bryan Eisenberg’s great article on ClickZ.