Usually, users decide whether to open or not an email in about 3-4 seconds, therefore you have to try to catch their attention with the subject line.
This is valid for emails opened on both mobile or desktop. So here are our 4 tips on how to write better subject lines.
Shorter is Better
As a general rule of thumb, stick to 50 characters or less.
Since most people scan their inbox, make it easy on them when figuring out whether to open your email.
If you absolutely must have a longer subject line, make sure that the first 50 characters are the juiciest part.
Businesses use urgency (ie. 24 hours left!) because it works, but like any marketing strategy used too often, it loses it’s effectiveness if you over-do it. Use urgency when it makes sense, but don’t come to depend on it.
Consider Mobile Display
Mobile represents more than 50% of email opens. The largest email clients is represented by Apple IOS. Click here for email clients statistics.
Consider designing your email to fit within the screen width of modern smartphones, which typically ranges from two to six inches wide (500 to 650 pixels).
By designing your email in a vertical format, you can effectively communicate important information to mobile users without requiring them to horizontally scroll through the content. Simplify the user experience by allowing your subscribers to easily scroll up or down through your email.
Use numbers
Including numbers in your email can enhance its credibility and intrigue the interest of your subscribers, increasing the likelihood that they will open and engage with your content.
To incorporate numbers effectively, consider including statistics from time-saving figures, surveys, discount percentages, or the number of tips you have for them.
By using numbers in this way, you can capture your subscriber’s attention and encourage them to explore the valuable information or promotions you are offering, ultimately boosting your email open rates.
Avoid looking like spam
Always check your Spam Rate.
According to Active Campaign, the industry standard for an acceptable spam complaint rate is below 0.1%, which translates to receiving only one complaint for every 1,000 messages sent.
Emails can appear to be spam for a variety of reasons, such as using overly promotional language, including excessive capitalization or punctuation, and including certain trigger words or phrases commonly used in spam emails.
So to avoid looking like spam in your email, you can begin by personalizing it with the use of a friendly tone, providing helpful information, refraining from the use of overly promotional language, using reputable email service providers, and allowing your subscribers to opt-out of receiving future communications.
Leverage Scarcity
Give your subscribers a kind of feeling that they might miss out on a big opportunity.
Create urgency or lack of a good or service to persuade people to act. This strategy can be quite effective in converting your subscribers to customers, but it must be applied in an ethical and open manner.
Make sure that the scarcity is real and not contrived, as customers can easily see through inauthentic tactics which can make them think you are not reliable.
Put simply, offer products in genuine value and communicate the urgency message clearly not misleading.
Be specific
Get straight to the point. Tell users what to expect from your email in order to make them open it. Make sure your subject line it’s clear and relevant to users.
Tip: you can also personalize the subject line with users’ name, location, etc.
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Add symbols/ emojis
Many of us got at least one time an email which had a special character in the subject line, such as a star, an umbrella, a sun, etc.
The use of emojis in subject lines is nothing new to marketers, as it has been used frequently to catch users’ attention.
When used properly, emojis can help you get a higher open rate, but this depends entirely on your business and your subscribers.
However, there are times when emojis can bring trouble:
- They can affect the sending process: users might not receive your email, or it will go into the spam folder, as nowadays many spammers use emojis.
- The emojis might not render the same way in all inboxes or they might not show at all; instead, you can see a character like this ☐
Also, as a reminder, if an email is opened, that doesn’t guarantee you that this will bring clicks or conversions.
Run A/B Tests
Even if you’re expert, nothing beats testing.
So if you are really into improving Emails just for testing Subject Lines, you need to run some A/B tests.
You can do this automatically using Vibetrace A/B testing feature that available in all campaigns.
Get inspiration for Email Subject Lines
Sometimes it’s so hard to come up with a good subject line. Or you don’t really know which one brought you the best results.
What you can do to get inspiration on email subject lines:
- Use our Email Subject Lines Generator
- Get inspiration from our Big Lists of subject lines on specific holidays:
