There has been a lot of talk about the so-called death of email.  Much of this has to do with low open and click rates from mass marketing emails.  Email is nowhere near dead, you just need to know how to optimize them to stand out from the pack.  Your subject line is the most important aspect when it comes to getting someone to open your messages.  If they never open, they certainly can’t click or convert.  Here we’ve put together 10 tips for optimizing your email subject lines.

Personalization

Including a contact’s name or company name within your subject line is sure to catch the attention of your recipients. It provides the impression that this message is sculpted specifically for them. It also shows that you are trying to address them personally and provide content that will help them.  It is also important to realize there are several other ways to personalize your emails that will help to improve open and click rates.

Keep It Short

When scanning an email box, only a certain amount of characters will show up in a subject line before it gets cut off. The amount that gets displayed is even smaller when opened on a mobile device. For this reason, HubSpot recommends keeping your subject lines within 50 characters.

Questions

Position your email subject lines as a question such as “Why Does Your Tech Company Need Inbound Marketing”. You’ll want to ensure you segment your audience and research what types of questions your target audience would be looking to answer. If a burning question shows up in their email box, there’s a good chance they’ll open it to see the answer.

Emotion

Emotion plays a big part in a person’s willingness to engage with any type of content. Subject lines that include phrases like “will make you laugh” or “will make you cry” are powerful as they play on human urges to display emotion.

Only You

People like subject lines that speak directly to them. A headline such as “10 Struggles That Only Email Marketers Will Understand” is sure to get the attention of your contacts that fills a specific job role.

The Number 10

By now most marketers are aware that numbered lists can make for higher engagement rates and tend to be shared more often across several different marketing channels. According to Inc. Magazine, the most clicked upon of these lists start with the number 10.

Deliver On Your Promise

Chances are your contact lists are going to receive more than one email from you. Make sure that your subject line clearly communicates what is inside your email. If you use misleading or vague language and a customer doesn’t get the content they expect they are unlikely to engage with future emails.

Actionable Language

Email subject lines should work similar to a call to action. Use actionable verbs at the beginning of your subject lines to encourage your contacts to take an action. For example, if you’re promoting a conference or seminar that involves dinner and drinks you may try something like “Dine With Us and Learn About Email Marketing”.

Sense Of Urgency

Many emails never get opened because contacts feel like they can get to them at any time. Once an email box starts to fill up, people will start to delete messages that aren’t sent internally or from clients. Including phrases like “Today Only” or “For a Limited Time” will encourage them to open the email right away.

Email can still be used effectively in a variety of ways including lead nurturing, content distribution and branding.  It is important to segment your emails to ensure they fit your target audience and only email people that want to hear from you.

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