10 simple tips for writing effective email subject lines
Writing an effective email subject line is a delicate balance of strategy, psychology, and art. It’s an invitation that can be rejected as easily as it can be accepted. So, how can you increase your chances of capturing readers’ attention and increasing your open rates?
Whenever a new email arrives, there are two immediate tests to pass to determine whether or not it’s opened.
First, recipients take a glance at the sender. Once the email’s source passes the initial “Oh-no-not-you-again” test, they move on to the second test: the subject line.
A subject line is the first impression an email message gives to recipients. It’s an invitation to come inside and see if there’s something valuable: information, offers, or entertainment.
Here are 10 simple tips to crafting effective email subject lines:
Keep it short and concise
The goal of a subject line isn’t to convey the entire meaning of the email; it’s to catch recipients’ attention and convince them to open it, where you’ll have the time and space to lay out your complete message. So, use plain language and keep it short—no more than 50 characters to ensure it’s properly displayed on mobile devices.
Choose clear over cute
Ensure your subject line clearly indicates the purpose of the email. Although it’s fun to use humor or clever wordplay to catch recipients’ attention, this should never be done at the expense of message context and meaning. Save that creativity for the message body.
Place important words at the beginning
Always place powerful “trigger words” or new information at the beginning of a subject line. For example, instead of saying, “Acme Inc. is releasing version 3 of AcmeSoft this spring,” say, “AcmeSoft version 3 is coming this spring.” The new and vital information is the software launch. The company name is white noise since it's already shown in the "from" field.
Create curiosity
Do you know what’s great about asking a simple question? It engages the reader, inviting them to join a conversation instead of a one-sided lecture.
You can use questions or other intriguing statements to pique interest or curiosity. But don’t overdo it. There’s a fine line between mysterious curiosity and cryptically annoying.Use FOMO... carefully
You can add a sense of scarcity or urgency to encourage recipients to open an email. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is a common marketing tactic, but use it sparingly or it will lose its impact. Also, be careful of your wording because spammers, phishers, and hackers also use this technique to create a false sense of urgency.
Know your audience
A quirky and humorous subject line might work for a group of hip game developers but entirely inappropriate for doctors and healthcare professionals. So, make sure you tailor your style, tone, and language to different audiences.
Don’t use all caps
It’s fine to capitalize one or two words in your subject line to emphasize them, but never capitalize the entire sentence. It's tacky and can appear spam-like, causing recipients to skip or delete them immediately.
Use powerful trigger words
Words such as "unleash," “discover”, “unlock”, or "transform" can trigger strong reactions or emotions.
On a side note: although marketers, advertisers, and communicators have been using fear as a motivator since the days of placards proclaiming that “the end is nigh”, I prefer to persuade through positivity rather than negativity.
Use action-oriented language
Instead of vague statements, start your subject line with action verbs—”join”, “subscribe”, “open”—that present a clear call to action and encourage recipients to open the email for additional details.
Never use clickbait subject lines
Avoid sensationalized or provocative language that serves only one purpose: to get recipients to open your email. They’ll resent you for it and be highly suspicious of any future emails you send them. So, be honest and present a subject line that reflects the true meaning and intent of your message.
Closing thoughts
A subject line isn’t a ruse to trick recipients into opening your message. If you approach it with that mindset, your email will be cast into the fiery depths of their spam or trash folder.
Writing effective, attention-grabbing subject lines is about conveying a clear, engaging, and honest message with a handful of succinct words. Although it may take some practice and A/B testing to find out what works for you and your audience, you’ll be glad you invested the time and effort into crafting those few impactful words.
