Have you ever wondered what makes someone choose to open one email and ignore another? Or maybe you’ve thought that if you had an email with the perfect subject line, people wouldn’t be able to resist opening it. Heck, maybe you tried and failed and now you’re stuck wondering where to even begin. We’re happy to say that this post is here to help you figure out how to get your subscribers to actually open your email. And yes, it all comes down to the perfect subject line.
Did you know that 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone? At the same time, 68% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line. That’s pretty crazy. But it does make an email’s subject lines incredibly important. Let’s take a look at why…
A good email subject line is like a good landing page headline. Without one, your audience just isn’t going to feel inclined to read the rest of your content. If your subject line isn’t enticing, your subscribers won’t bother to open your email – period. And if they don’t open your email, your campaign is essentially toast. Why? Because they don’t know about your new products or the blog post you just wrote. You’ve reached a dead end.
A proper email subject line persuades readers to open your email. Plus it gets them excited about what you are offering. And if you use the right language, it can even compel them to click through.
Even though 72% of people say they prefer email over other channels it DOESN’T mean that they’ll open every email you send them. In fact, when you take a look at the recent open rate data from MailChimp, you might think that NO ONE opens emails from brands at all. Shocking, but true.
In most industries, 1 in 5 people (20%) who receive an email from a brand will actually open it. Let me repeat that… TWENTY PERCENT. That’s insane. Especially when you consider that some brands see open rates as low as 14%!
You need to be able to convince the other 4 out of 5 people to actually read your email. This is where a perfectly constructed and insanely compelling subject line really comes into play.
If you take a moment to scour the internet for “good email subject lines” you’ll come across a plethora of advice. Some people think that you shouldn’t start your subject lines with “How To”, while others disagree. Other people think that adding a funny, mysterious, or one-word lines are what get people to open. It all varies. And honestly, it’s all about finding what works for you and your brand’s niche.
When you strip away the advice and get down to the bare bones, there are several nuggets of advice that appear time and time again. Here are some headlines that will convince the other 80% to actually click through to your email.
It might seem boring, but the “How To” subject line is a classic. If you’re looking for an effective headline, this one is for you. But you need to make sure that you offer your prospect a powerful guarantee: they need to actually learn something from your email.
You want to make sure that you actually fulfill that “how to” promise. Because if you don’t they definitely won’t open any future emails from you.
It isn’t just the words “How To” that makes an email clickable. What makes people want to open emails like that is because it appeals to our inherent self-interest. When it comes down to it, people strive to be better. We want to learn how to improve things in our lives that we feel we’re failing at. It’s this core-desire that motivates us to open emails that can help us do just that.
It’s best to seriously think about your brand and what you can offer your prospects. Use your niche to your advantage and help them learn something.
Newsflash: people can be extremely lazy. I didn’t need to tell you that though, did I? It should come as no surprise that our brains are wired to find the highest return for the lowest investment. We don’t want to work at something for months or years to get what we want. What we really want is a shortcut.
It’s because of this desire for a quick & easy fix that makes phrases like “in 15 minutes” incredibly appealing. We want to know the secret to success with as little effort as possible. We’re positive that once we know these small bits of information, we’ll see a significant positive impact in our lives. And most importantly, we’ll be able to see them immediately.
When it comes to marketing, scarcity is something that plays upon our fear of missing out on something. Yes, the fear of missing out IS a real thing. Don’t believe me? You can learn more about FOMO over here. People don’t want to miss anything. Whether it’s a fun event, a valuable resource, or a good deal.
Whenever you use scarcity tactic, you need to make sure you don’t come across as too sales-y. Certain words and phrases that marketers use to convey a limited-time discount can trigger email spam filters, and get your message sent straight to the junk folder. Which no one wants.
I’m gonna let you in on a powerful secret, psychology can be a marketer’s best friend. Especially when it comes to writing the perfect email subject lines. According to Psychology Today:
“Social comparison theory states that we determine our own social and personal worth based on how we stack up against others. As a result, we are constantly making self and other evaluations across a variety of domains (for example, attractiveness, wealth, intelligence, and success). Most of us have the social skills and impulse control to keep our envy and social comparisons quiet, but our true feelings may come out in subtle ways.”
When you consider this theory, it comes as no surprise that subject lines with “See how you measure up” and “can you relate?” are incredibly hard to resist opening.
Curiosity is an extremely valuable marketing tool as well. Honestly, I think it’s right up there with FOMO. When people are curious, it often drives them to take action. Even if the “curiosity gap is closing”. However, curiosity shouldn’t be completely taken off your tactics list. For example, Copyhacker Joanna Wiebe uses this approach to generate 927% more signups on a pricing page.
The trick is to use this tactic responsibly AND sparingly. If you do it correctly, it can produce similarly powerful results when it comes to email clickthroughs.
As I said, you need to be careful when it comes to these types of subject lines. When you use them incorrectly, you can leave your subscribers bewildered.
It’s important to remember that your subscribers have limited time on their hands. If they don’t know what your email subject line is about they aren’t going to bother opening it. It’ll get ignored and sent straight to the trash.
I know this is obvious, but if you use the right questions you can engage readers. Especially when you combine them with one of the headline types listed above. When you do this, they become even more powerful.
Authority is an extremely powerful tool when it comes to driving conversions on landing pages. So why not use it your email subject lines? You just might be able to compel your readers to click through. For example, you can cite an interview with a well-known person within your niche and see what happens.
When you can offer something valuable, it’s best to just come right out and say it. Maybe you just finished compiling a year-long report on the state of your niche. Or perhaps you finished some templates that your email subscribers can use to better than marketing campaigns. Whatever it is, let them know!
If it’s something truly valuable, you don’t need to add in curiosity or authority in the subject line. A straightforward one, like the ones listed below, will work wonders.
Are your subscribers part of an exclusive club? If so, it’s best to remind them. People love feeling special – even in their inboxes. Whenever you make them feel like they’re in on something that only a few others are a part of, it encourages them to click through to your promotional email.
There are two reasons as to why people enjoy case studies:
Whenever you create a case study that combines actual proof with self-interests, you need to make it known in your subject lines. Maybe you can share how you went from a regular blogger to one that blogs for a living. Don’t forget to throw in some statistics and ways in which your readers can do the same.
News subject lines take advantage of our inherent desire to be in the loop. Even if you don’t follow mainstream news outlets, chances are you stay up-to-date on topics of your interest. This could be through reading a particular blog or regularly listening to a podcast.
Whenever you have news to share, even if it’s about your industry or your own product, let your subscribers know by putting it in the subject line.
What are your favorite email subject line strategies that we listed? Have you ever tried any of the ones above? If so, let us know how it performed in the comments below, so we can discuss!