How To Pick Effective Email Subject Lines & Increase Your Email Open Rates

Email subject lines are the gatekeepers of your email campaigns that make a powerful impact on your readers. As they are the first thing your recipients see in their inbox.

Well, no one wants to be a part of deleted or ignored emails in their subscriber’s inbox especially if you are a part of email marketing campaign or someone who sends emails on behalf of your company.

As from recipient’s perspective, it’s the subject line that makes them open an email as it is the very first impression of the email which help them judge the content inside it.

Spending a little extra time on your subject line really does pay off and helps you boost the email open rates, avoid the trash folder, and get your message in front of the right people.

There is no doubt that you want to make sure your emails get read as there is no benefit in sending emails to thousands of people on your email list when only a few of them are going to open them.

So, to avoid the problem on getting your customer’s attention, here are 8 pinches to consider while writing subject lines that will increase your emails open rates and get your readers ultimately converting.

  • Short and Descriptive Subject Lines – Boiled down approach while writing subject lines with humor and creativity is more suitable with notification emails where a user feels more connected with the content you deliver and hence it should be specific:
    1. March Events
    2. Weekly Digest
    3. Payment Alerts
  • Funny Subject Lines – Surprised with the word funny? Well, sometimes a facetious subject line attracts users to open as it stands out among rest ideal emails. Now, Let’s go through some examples:
    1. Customer Surveys: Baby Got (Feed)back.
    2. Benefit Cosmetics: Do you like to watch?
  • Shocking Subject Lines – Using such subject lines really need your attention according to your user’s taste and perception. If done correctly would pay you off greatly. Examples given below will make you more clear on how to use them:
    1. Your Marketing Sucks: Why You Need to Think Local.
    2. You Lost. Will 20% off make it better?
    3. FREE Shipping with ANY Order, Plus Holiday SAVINGS on Kisses.
  • Subject Lines Having Single Word – Sometimes emails having single word as their subject line can increase your open rate as it represents boldness and confidence. Let’s take an example say, Panic – It’s a single word but can make a user think – What’s going on? What should I be panic about? Is there any danger about to happen? So, you can see how an emotionally attach word can make a big impact.
  • Subject Lines With “WHY” Clause – “why” clause convinces user as “why” they should do something which could be based on a number of reasons. Surveys done states that users respond more to emails having “why” clause. Have a look on these examples which pinch user to open emails:
    1. Why Does My Email Bounce Back?
    2. Why Online Template Builder Is Essential For Email Marketing?
    3. Why Embracing Doubt Makes You a Better Leader [Podcast]?
    4. Why Blogs? The Benefits of Blogging for Business & Marketing.
  • Subject Lines With Questions – Having questions in your subject line pulls user’s attention to stay and react to your email. Sometimes the user knows the answer but then they open email to confirm it. So, some or the other way having the right question in your subject line will boost your open rate. Take a look at some examples:
    1. Do You Want More Traffic, Leads & Customers?
    2. Do You Want Me To Personally Help You?
    3. What A Basic Sales Process Looks Like?
  • Subject Lines Having Square Brackets [ ] – You might have noticed some content of subject lines is included within square brackets which do create eagerness in user to open it as square brackets focus on particular words. So, you need to be more creative while placing words within brackets if done correctly will help you increase your reputation of email. Have a look on few subjects line:
    1. What a Basic Sales Process Looks Like [Infographics]
    2. [Tutorial] How To Increase ROI?
    3. [11 Email Subject Ideas] That Can Increase Your Open Rates
  • Urgency Subject Lines – Users respond to these subject lines due to the threat of losing something than to assurance of gaining something. Urgency subject lines create suspense among the users which work quite well when used with cleverness. Words in subject lines as Last Chance, Today Only and Limited Offer sounds the need to react urgently.

Conclusion

You now know how well you can write your subject lines and get your emails open.

Well, don’t rely on these subject lines alone.

Put yourself in testing your email subject lines at your own inbox and see which one got up right away if you’ve been opening is one of the best way to write a subject line that will get you noticed and boost your business.

Share your favorite email subject lines and ways with us in the comments!