How much thought do you put into email subject lines?
A little strategy and testing can go a long way in improving your current subject lines to capture your reader’s attention and leave them feeling compelled to read your email.
1 – Personlization
Yes, you can easily slip in the name of the receiver in the subject line. “Bob, we have a special registration offer for you.” But, every one is doing that, so what else can you personalize to stand out in the flooded inbox? How about member engagement? “Bob, we have a special offer for you since you attended last year.”
2 – Urgency
Urgency has long been known as one of the best ways to motivate people into action. This is true for email marketing because readers are typically scanning a full inbox and looking for reasons to delete messages. A time-sensitve offer could be what it takes to keep your email in the inbox. Even better, the reader will be more likely to read it now instead of putting it off.
3 – Testing & Measuring Results
You don’t have to hire an outside agency to test and measure your email marketing. A very simple A/B test can help you determine what types of subject lines get better results for your audience. For this type of testing, send the same email to two groups of recipients with a different subject line. For example:
- Email Subject Line A: Top-selling eBooks on Sale Now
- Email Subject Line B: Info-packed eBooks at Lowest Prices
You can also test making one subject line specific and the other general:
- Email Subject Line A: Top-selling eBooks 25% off regular prices
- Email Subject Line B: Info-packed eBooks at Lowest Prices