subject: Email Marketing – 15 Tips For Good Email Subject Lines [print this page] Use a number in your subject lineUse a number in your subject line. This will improve response rate. For example, if you are including five tips in your email, then using 5 Tips...' as part of your subject line will increase open rates. For example:
"7 Cutting Edge Strategies to Increase Sales..."
"10 Essential Secrets to Website Success..."
"13 Groundbreaking Ideas for Saving Money..."
"10 Ways to Increase Sales..."
"7 Mistakes to Avoid..."
End subject line with three ellipses... Notice the three little ellipses (...) in the above examples of good subject lines. These are commonly used by good copywriters because human beings are conditioned to find out more when an idea has been planted in their mind, and so they read on to find out what follows. Ellipses act like a subliminal prod. The reader has had this unfinished thought planted in his mind, a loop has been opened, and the only way to close the loop is to read what follows.
Include an identifier at the beginning of every subject line. Particularly when your subscribers are expecting to receive a series of emails from you, helps brand your email as instantly recognisable as coming from you. You could use your name, business name or a number in a sequence, at the start of the subject line.
For example: "Fast Profits Video #1.........." "Fast Profits Video #2.........." and so on.
When you consistently provide quality content in your emails and your subscribers like to read them, including an identifier in the subject line helps make your emails easily recognisable so they will be opened and read.
Your subject line must be consistent with the content in your email, however you state it. When your subscribers open your email they need to be in the right frame of mind to read it, if you want them to take action on the email.
Use Email Subject Line Swipe Files to give you inspiration. Monitor your subject line open rates to see which subject lines are performing best. You should maintain a swipe file of all your best subject lines. Get ideas from top direct mail companies and magazine covers because they know what they are doing.
For example:
"The Biggest Mistake . Make"
"The Real Secret to ."
"The Fastest Way to ."
Ask a question in your subject line that can only be answered by reading your message. Subject lines that ask a question arouse curiosity and imply that a solution is being offered within the email.
For example:
"Sharon, are you tired of feeling overwhelmed?"
"John, do you have time to relax at the end of the day?"
Use punchy, exciting words and phrases in your subject line to create interest.
For example:
the latest breakthrough'
a novel approach'
ahead of its time'
essential secrets'
cutting edge'
groundbreaking'
You can get some great ideas from"Words That Sell" by Richard Bayan. This is an excellent thesaurus type of book which can be a great source of inspiration for all kinds of copywriting both online and offline.
Here are the 12 most powerful words in the English language, according to Yale University researchers, proven to attract attention and stir emotion in readers:
Use these words in your subject lines, in your opening sentences, and in the body of your email.
Use the word "this" in your subject line. This' is so powerful because it arouses the recipients' curiosity, and they must open the email to find out what this' is. Other powerful e-mail openers arehere' andabout your...'
Use the time benefit factor in your subject line if your product or service will save people time.
Example:
"Achieve the same fitness levels in half the time..."
"Complete priority tasks faster and save time..."
Create scarcity and urgency in your subject line if your offer is limited by time or quantity:
Example:
"Only 4 days left to buy at our special offer price..."
"Just 7 more days to book your exclusive spa treatment..."
"Mike, you have just 48 hours to respond..."
"Only 7 positions left, book your place now..."
"Just 175 copies remaining, act fast..."
Your emails will become more effective when you become good at communicating that something is time-sensitive or quantity-bound and it simply cannot be ignored. What do YOU do when you feel the sense of urgency or scarcity?
Command action in your subject line by encouraging your subscriber to act immediately:
Examples:
"Act now, John, you'll be glad you did..."
"Linda, you must watch this incredible video..."
Use breaking news in your subject line if you are promoting something brand new:
"Latest iPhone now available online..."
"Announcing official launch of new Range Rover..."
Refer to quality content and/or advice in your subject line when including content that teaches, informs or instructs:
Example:
"Sammy, 5 tips for saving fuel..."
"Elizabeth, 10 steps to a stress free life..."
Use a capital letter only at the beginning of the first word of your subject line. Capitalising the initial letter of each word in a subject line, or using all CAPS throughout, are definitely out. These shout SPAM' and your email may not be delivered.
Keep length of subject line less than 60 characters. The shorter your subject line the better endeavour to keep it under 50 characters in length because research has indicated that subject lines with 50 or fewer characters had click through rates 75% higher than for those with 51 characters or more. 60 characters is the absolute maximum length you want. You want to avoid part of your subject line being cut off as a result of the size of the recipient's screen or their screen resolution.
This information has been extracted from my new ebook just published on creating a money making website.
Email Marketing 15 Tips For Good Email Subject Lines
