In today’s age of technology, we are constantly bombarded by information. From billboards on the highway to radio advertisements to social media and blog feeds, it seems like the onslaught of information never ends.
For this reason, it’s more important than ever before for a marketer to be able to “hook” their reader. If you don’t have a strong hook that makes a prospect or customer want to read more, there’s little chance of gaining your desired conversion from them.
In email marketing, the hook is the subject line. Your subject line can make the difference between your message ending up in the spam folder or bringing you a new customer. If you are looking to ensure that your subject line has a positive impact that builds email engagement with your recipients, be sure to follow the best practices relating to email subject creation.
Don’t be too Wordy
Although email marketing as a whole isn’t the proper platform for a long-form argument or campaign, the subject line is an especially bad place to prattle on needlessly. Your subject line needs to be concise; research has shown that it’s best to keep your subject line between six and ten words. Don’t try to include too many big ideas in your subject line either. Focus on one specific concept, question, or interesting fact that will hook your recipient.
Relate to your Reader for Email Engagement
Even if you write a great marketing email that has lots of good content along with a subject line that is concise and generates interest, you must ensure that your subject covers something that your readers care about. If it doesn’t build interest with the right audience, it doesn’t matter how great your email content is.
When you are creating your email subject lines, don’t think about what you would find interesting; think about what your prospects are curious about, or what challenges they might be looking to overcome. If possible, use the same type of words and phrases that they do. This helps make your correspondence much more relatable.
Don’t use Spam Filter Words
Over the years, spammy email marketers decided to use cheap words to build excitement and grab attention, even if their email message had little content that their recipients would be interested in.
Because of how badly these words were being overused, many ISPs and spam filter tools began adding them to a list of blocked words. If you don’t want your emails to end up in your recipients’ spam folder, avoid using the following words:
- Free
- Limited Time Offer
- Now
- Millions
- Cash
- Bonus
- Claim
- Income
- Deposit
- Bank
- Prescriptions
This is just a limited range of the words that may be blocked by ISPs and spam filters. To get a comprehensive list, you will need to inquire with the specific service providers or spam tools that you have questions about.
Subject Line Email Engagement: A Constant Battle
Remember that no matter what industry you are in or how great you think your current email practices are, you still need to be tweaking your email subject lines. Be sure to keep metrics on which subject lines get the highest open rates, and try to mold your campaigns based on the information you find. With persistence and a willingness to experiment, you will start to find more success with your email subject lines.
Email Marketing Blog 