Want more people to open your emails? Consider revising your subject line strategy.

You heard about it many a times and often felt it’s overrated. Yes I am referring to that part of your marketing email where you tend to spend the least amount of time crafting – the subject line.

Duh! Honestly, how can just about 50 characters make a big difference, you must be thinking.

Let’s just delve on this a bit more; have there been times when your nicely crafted emails with content that flows beautifully failed to make any impression on your subscribers? Goes to demonstrate that even the best can go unnoticed if not packaged well.

So what went wrong? Well, your subscriber receives a whole lot of emails every day and he picks only the ones he thinks are worth acting on (opening and reading).

The subject line is like a window of opportunity for marketers to connect with the subscribers and potential prospects alike.

Are you keeping your window of opportunity open?

Keeping the subject line window open by oiling these hinges:

1. Subject lines should include a call to action, well not a button in the real sense but should give the user a push and persuade them to read the mails.

Eg: A good one would be “Calling all Eatalians to Novotel Bengaluru Techpark!” here it calls me to visit and check out what can I get to eat at the Novotel Bengaluru. Seems good!

2. Don’t forget the WIIFM factor! Remember your subscriber is weighing whether your email is of any benefit to him. Tell him explicitly what he can expect and set the expectation straight – no false sugar coating please.

Eg: Last Few Hours Left ★ Grab Sparkling Offers ★‏ Here the benefit is shown along with a sense of urgency which increases the possibility of your user opening the email.

3. Tame the creativity! Sometimes overdoing ruins it, so keep it simple yet catchy. Don’t blow your guns on being so creative that people never get the message in one go.

Eg: ❖This Diwali❖$hop ♏ore ¶alk ♏ore

❖This Diwali❖ Shop More Talk More

Place yourself in your subscriber’s shoes. Isn’t it easier to skip the first subject line than put efforts reading it?

4. If it’s a discount based or price cut, let it be at the beginning or the end of the subject line; Why? Because generally people are scanning the edges

Eg: Consider these two subject lines-

Mega Sale | Flat 50% OFF‏

The Mega Sale is back. Enjoy up to 50% additional savings on handbags, electronics and many more

Which one caught your attention?

5. Keep it in simple language and bring more clarity & variety in it.

Eg: American Swan’s email subject line “Diwali offer inside – Grab them all! Upto 60% OFF” is simple, no-fuss and straight to the point

While the subject line is a window of great possibilities, the same window can as well be shut forever by doing the below mistakes:

1. “Please open please! Please! See I have this discount Please open!” Your objective is to provide value and not beg for opens. So never keep the tone of the subject line desperate.

2. Don’t be too vague or too specific. The objective is to get the mail opened, that’s it! The actual message should be conveyed by the mail. Also do not mislead the subscriber for you will lose his trust.

Perfect your subject line by testing and trying new things. Interest, intrigue, attract and surprise your readers by experimenting with different verbs, reordering your words to see the best combinations which resonate with the most of your subscribers.