Email marketing is an indispensable tool for any business today. It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to reach your audience with a targeted message. According to Monetate, email marketing is the channel that drives the most conversions, beating out both social and search. Unfortunately, simply sending out an email isn’t quite enough. It has to catch the receiver’s attention and entice them to actually click and open it. To do this, you need a strong, catchy email subject line.

Why email subject lines matter

As any email user knows, our inboxes are flooded daily. Due to lack of time or interest, not every single message is going to get read. Constant Contact reports that 205 billion emails are sent out daily. Many will be deleted quickly, based off of their seeming lack of importance or relevance. That’s why marketers have just seconds to make their message seem worthwhile to the reader. The subject line can be the key to getting you to click. A survey by CMB Consumer Pulse found that 47% of respondents open emails from businesses based just on the subject line.

The keys to crafting a great email subject line

There are a few different ways to approach writing your subject line. Some of these key elements can be combined to create a compelling, quick message:

– Personalize it

Personalization is a subtle, friendly way to build a sense of familiarity and rapport with your subscribers. Including their name is easy, and it allows them to feel like the message is both relevant and important for them to read.

– Include an offer

Give readers a promotional deal, discount, or some other type of hot offer that will attract their attention. If you’re running a sale, you’ll want to let your subscribers know that right away to pique their interest. Using numbers in the email subject line is also proven to be very effective.

– Pose a question

Asking a question can get your reader to think, and to want to find a response. By asking a question, you’re implying that you have the answer or the solution, whether it’s through a product or service. Questions make subscribers curious, and that curiosity will often lead them to click.

– Make it valuable

Let your subscribers know that the email is actually worth their time. Use the subject line to tease an important insight, valuable info, or a great deal. Just be sure to actually deliver on the value in the email content, otherwise you risk frustrating your subscribers.

– Sense of urgency

Creating a sense of urgency compels a reader to click and take action. A time or supply limited offer is a useful way to entice potential customers, because they won’t want to miss out on whatever it is that you’re offering right now.

Converting people into subscribers is only half the battle when it comes to email marketing. After that, it’s essential to craft appealing, interesting subject lines and fresh email content in order to keep subscribers on your list and to convert them into customers. Knowing how to write a strong subject line is an important part of being successful with your email marketing campaigns.

If you need more helpful advice on how to optimize your email marketing strategy, leave a comment below. Or send us a message through our contact page.