Pro-Tips: Write Better Subject Lines

Pro-Tips: Write Better Subject Lines

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Write Better Subject Lines

Consider your Subject Line as your elevator speech to your clients. You have less than 30 seconds to capture their attention, so make it count.

If your email Subject Line is interesting or relevant, they'll stick around to find out more. Flat or boring Subject Lines will only turn off your clients and make them dread the next blast.

Don't give your clients the opportunity not to open your email. Or, even worse, delete it entirely, mark it as spam or unsubscribe from your service.

With these short, easy to follow professional tips (and areas to avoid!), you can ensure that your next email blast is engaging and, ultimately, successful.

Avoid Repetition

Most businesses have the Sender as the name of the company, like "SimplyCast," "Bloomingdale's" and "Nike."

Avoid doubling-up your company name in the Sender and Subject Line. You're wasting valuable marketing real estate while being unnecessarily redundant.

Pro Tip – Remove your company name from the Subject Line.Be Specific and Short

"Members Only: Join Us Today For a Special One-Time Only Deals on Shoes, Makeup and Hammers."

Wow. What exactly is the point of this Subject Line? The Members Only sale or the variety of products? Great and effective Subject Lines are usually no more than 5 words long and start with action words rather than descriptors.

Remember that with most email programs, the Subject Line display space is short and you need to grab clients' attention quickly.

Pro Tip – Keep it short, simple and to the point.

Ask a Question

What Do You Think? How Can We Better Serve You?

By posing a question relevant to your business, product or service, you're engaging your clients instantly. Developing, sustaining and maintaining strong business relationships begin and end with communication. Ensure that the question is relevant not only to your business but to your clients.

Start a dialogue. Ask for an opinion, reviews or suggestions.

Pro Tip – Pose a question relevant to your clients.

Use Title Case

DON'T YOU FEEL A BIT STRESSED OUT AFTER READING THIS?

It is never appropriate in any form of business communications to USE ALL CAPITALS. For your subscriber it sounds like the world is about to end if they don't act RIGHT NOW. Or, worse, you're yelling at them to pay attention to what you're saying.

Title case is professional while remaining captivating. If you feel compelled to throw in an occasional capitalized word, then your Subject Line isn't provocative enough.

Arguably, there are some cases in which a single capital word is useful, like "SALE! Save an Additional 50% Today!"

The bottom line is to use capitalization sparingly and with caution.

Pro Tip – Provocative and compelling Subject Lines never need capitalization.

Punctuate Properly

Can't you just tell how excited we are?!! Are you sure???

Over punctuating doesn't attract attention but distract it. Much like capitalization, if your message isn't irresistible, then no amount of extra punctuation will change that.

Exaggerating your Subject Line with unnecessary exclamation points or question marks is demonstrating a lack of finesse. Further, using ellipses – "…" – are also tricky.

Pro Tip – Reign in punctuation.

Your next email blast will be successful and compelling with these simple, easy-to-implement professional tips.

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