Do you ever get anxious when it comes time to craft up a brilliant email subject line for your subscribers? You know that if you can create one that piques their curiosity, those precious open rates will skyrocket. For the savvy service-based business woman, having an engaging email game has never been more essential. Don’t worry – I’m here to help! Whether you’re looking for witty puns or creative copywriting ideas, I’ve got plenty of tips and tricks to boost your open rate and keep customers coming back for more.
It’s one metric we consistently watch and try to improve: email open rates. There’s a good reason for it, too. If your subscribers aren’t opening your email, then they can’t read about:
- Your newest program
- Your latest must-have discovery
- That epic blog post you just wrote
Be Ambiguous
If you’ve been on Facebook lately you’ve no doubt seen those “click bait” headlines that say things like, “She adds this to her coffee and loses weight without trying!” The reason headlines like that work is because we can’t help but want to know what “this” is that she’s adding to her coffee. Is it organic? Salt? Peanut butter? We imagine the possibilities, but in the end, we have to find out, so we click.
You can employ the same technique in your email subject lines. Just substitute the word “this” for the actual thing you’re writing about, and you’ve got instant enticement.
“She does this to her email and gets a 79% open rate”
“She does this on her Instagram reels and gets 10,000 new followers”
“She started doing this in her business and now makes 6 figures”
Come on…you know you have clicked on these…and your subscribers will too.
Ask a Question
Another great way to increase email open rates is to ask an interesting question in the subject line. Questions can capture attention and make readers curious, so they’ll want to click and see the answer. Try something like:
“Are you ready for this email marketing trick?”
“Do you know how to double your open rate?”
“Have you seen this new trend yet?”
By asking questions, not only are you creating curiosity, but it’s also a helpful reminder that they have something valuable waiting on the other side of that inbox.
Use Numbers
Here’s another strategy for creating must-read content: numbers.
“7 Hidden Benefits of Waking Up at 5 am”
“3 Unlikely Ways to Close the Sale”
“5 Social Media Platforms You Shouldn’t Be Ignoring”
The reason numbers work so well in subject lines is that we are ego-centric and curious. We simply must know if we already use those three ways to close the sale. We will either walk away feeling good for being a marketing maven, or we will have learned something. Both are compelling reasons to open an email.
Use Power Words
Just as with all writing, choosing power words is far more effective than settling for their weaker counterparts. Imagine these two subject lines appear in your inbox. Which are you more likely to open:
“WordPress Makes Better Looking Websites for Non-Designers”
or
“Create a Gorgeous Website—Even if You’re Not a Designer”
While both subjects offer the same information, the first is weak, while the second is far more compelling. Power words like “gorgeous” and “create” make us want to open the email and learn more.
Your email subject line is your chance to grab your readers’ attention and keep them engaged.
When it comes to email subjects, there are a few more tips to keep in mind if you want to up your open rates:
Keep it short – no more than 10 words at the very most, and fewer if you can. Studies show that the more words you use, the lower your email open rates are likely to be.
Use targeted keywords – this helps give potential customers an idea of what the email will contain and can help increase your open rate. For example, if you’re writing about email marketing, including “email” in the subject line will draw attention.
Be creative – don’t be afraid to experiment and come up with something a bit wacky or witty! It could just be what catches someone’s eye and leads them to open your email.
Don’t make false promises – avoid making bold claims that your email can’t deliver on. Keep it honest and straightforward, and your customers will appreciate it.
Test and learn – try out different subject lines to see which ones work best. You might find that longer or shorter versions have higher open rates, or that certain words pique people’s interest more than others. Put an A/B testing strategy in place to help you get the most out of your email campaigns.
Don’t overdo it – too many emails can lead to overwhelm and lower open rates, so be mindful of how often you send messages to your list. Stick with quality content, tailored specifically for them, but don’t bombard them with emails every day. A good idea is to set up the boundaries right from the start. When people signup to your list give them a taste of what to expect from you on your thank you page. Something like –
“I will pop into your Inbox once a week with some great tips to help you with your email marketing”
“I won’t SPAM your Inbox so choose how often you want to hear from me”
Use personalisation, but sparingly. Occasional use of your reader’s first name can be a powerful technique.
Tease Them
Try to tease the main benefit of your content in the subject line. Think of it as a way to peak interest and make readers feel like they need to open it right away, or else they will miss out on something special. It also helps to establish a bit of playful banter between you and your readers, which can help increase email open rates. For example, if you are sending out an email about how to create great email marketing campaigns, try using a subject line like “Secrets to High Open Rates Revealed!” Just make sure it still accurately describes the content inside. That way, readers won’t feel tricked or misled into opening something that isn’t relevant to them.
Another great way to tease your content is by using questions in the subject line. Again, this encourages curiosity and causes people to want to open your message right away. Try something like “Want Better Email Open Rates? Ask Yourself These Questions…”
Stand Out
Most emails are marketing in nature. You can combat that by using language that stands out from the crowd. Interject quirkiness and humour when you can, or just try to be a bit more creative with your word choice. Don’t be afraid to be different, or even a bit weird – it can help you stand out from the pack and capture someone’s attention. You never know what might work!
When crafting your email subject line, put yourself in the shoes of your recipient. What would capture their attention? You should also consider what kind of words are likely to trigger spam filters. If you have an original idea for a subject line, test it with a sample audience before sending it out en masse.
