This article was published 9 yearsago

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The subject line of your email is more than just a string of words that will appear in your customers’ inbox. It is the first impression of your entire email. Your customers most likely have more marketing centric emails than they’d like.

This means that just another email with a generic subject line is susceptible to complete lack of attention and maybe even instant deletion. This string of words is the make or break point which decides if your email will be opened and read or just ignored and sidestepped. Here are 9 tips that will help you write the perfectly eye-catching subject line.

Deliberate While You Create:

The subject line is the first thing the consumer will see. Therefore, it is more than obvious that deciding on a good one should be one of your top priorities. Do not make the mistake of leaving it for the end. Start planning the subject line right from the beginning. Continue to brainstorm over it for a while until you arrive at one that is equal parts intriguing and informative. A little deliberation will go a long way.

Short And Sweet Does The Trick:

Make sure that your subject line does not go beyond 6-10 words. Get your point across in a succinct yet clear manner. Long-winded statements will come across as boring. Statements that are too short will not be informative enough. Strike a balance between too long and too short to create a flawless and effective subject line.

Personalize To Impress:

Consumer is king, goes the age old marketing mantra. Make your king feel special by personalizing the subject line. Add the recipient’s name to the subject line. Just a simple Hello “First Name” will make the reader of the email feel like he means something to the company. Building relationships with the customers is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Call To Action:

At the end of the day, the email is all about getting your customer to react. The whole process is a failure unless the email generates sales.  Start urging the reader to act right off the bat. Add phrases like “Act Now,” “Today Only” and “Limited-Time Offer” to your subject line to inculcate a sense of urgency. Entice the customer and make him feel that he NEEDS to have the product or service you’re selling.

Pick Specific Over Generic:

While writing a subject line, be considerate enough to understand that your subscriber is a busy individual. He has no time for subject lines that beat around the bush. Nor can you fool him into opening an email without telling him exactly what’s in it for him. Be very specific when it comes to subject lines. Your email will end up in the trash folder unless you tell the customer why he needs to open it.

Subtle Attention Seeking:

Grab the recipient’s attention by giving him something to laugh about. A humorous subject line will stand out of the mind-numbing email clutter. Apart from humour, asking a question through your subject line will also prove to be intriguing. Remember, arousing the customer’s interest is the subject line’s main job. Make it captivating or you might end up on the unsubscribe list.

Split Testing For The Win:

Always do A/B split testing of your subject line to get better results. Send the same email with different subject lines to different groups of subscribers. Keep a track of which subject line resonates with the customers the most. Through this sort of experimentation, you find out the kind of subject lines you should be writing and the ones you need to drop.

Honesty Is The Best Policy:

Making false promises in the subject line is also a way to end up in the unsubscribe list really fast. Do not try to misguide or misinform the subscriber. Again, he needs to know exactly what’s in it for him. Be straight with your customer. Do not irk him by making statements you cannot back.

Over-Capitalization Catastrophe:

Capitalizing each and every character of the subject line will seem rude and annoying. It will make your customer feel like you’re shouting at him. You need to urge not coerce. Keep the capitals in check to make sure your emails are opened and read.


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