Email subject lines are a topic that is debated a lot. Are they important? And what does it take to create effective email headlines? Your subject line does have an important job. and that is to inform the reader what your message is about and to get them interested enough that they open and read the message.
Here are a few areas that you can use to make the decision on what to say and how to create your own email subject lines.
Get Their Attention
It is fair to say that the vast majority of subscribers on your list will also be signed up to a number of other lists.
Of course the big problem is that we now have a chicken and egg situation.
This means that your subscribers will probably be receiving a large number of mails into their mailbox on a daily basis. If your mail can’t stand out from this crowd there is a very real danger that all your hard work will be for nought.
The obvious way of attracting your subscribers and getting them to open your mail is via the email subject line or title you use, and I will be covering this in detail in a moment.
HOWEVER the subject line isn’t THE most important thing that will get your emails opened.
The most important thing, bar none, is your relationship and rapport with your subscribers.
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If people like you and what you have to say, your name will be enough for them to open and read your mails.
To build up your rapport with your subscribers, you need them to read your mails, but until you get that rapport it is less likely they open your mails; a ‘Catch 22’ situation.
It is for this reason that the email subject line is so very important. With it you can attract people to open and read your mails, which will then give you the opportunity to build the rapport.
Your subject line is the shop front that is either going to attract people in…
…or scare them off. It therefore makes sense that you spend time and effort getting your subject lines as good as they can be.
So with that said, let’s have a look at some ways that you can attract the attention of your subscribers.
1. Questions
There is interesting psychology behind the effect of questions on us. We are hard wired to not like not knowing. Using a question in your email subject line is one of the most effective ways to get attention.
When a question is posed we WANT to know the answer to the question.
Just think about the times you have seen the ‘question’ technique used on the TV.
A presenter asks a question before the commercial break and then tells you they will have the answer following the break.
They know that people will be keen to know the answer and therefore are more likely to stay with them rather than flick to another channel during the break.
A question within your subject line ‘hooks’ the interest of your subscribers and makes them WANT to open the mail to get an answer.
For example…
- “How did he add 1000 to his list in a matter of days?
- “Will this be right for you?
- “Have you ever seen anything like this?
Curiosity got the mail opened.
2. The 1-2-3 of Email Subject Lines
Research has shown that people love subjects/headlines that contain numbers.
‘6 Top Tips For Success’
‘Success in 3 Simple Steps’
It would appear that people like the certainty that numbers bring. However whatever the reason they work.
3. Time is Ticking
Similar to the tip above, adding a specific time to a title focuses the mind of the reader.
‘Double the Size of Your List in Just 30 Minutes’
This is especially the case if you are introducing a time limit and therefore the chance that the reader might miss out on something.
‘The Offer Closes At Midnight - Forever’
Again it has been proven that we are hardwired to hate the idea of missing out on something (This comes up again later when I discuss scarcity).
4. Use Vibrant Vocabulary
Let’s face it, life is too short to be bored, therefore we need to ensure our Subject line contains vibrant, exciting, positive words or phrases.
‘Get Your Hands on This Powerful Secret’
‘An Exciting New Strategy To Attract Customers’
You want to suggest that you are certain about what you are doing and someone who is worth listening to.
5. Introduce Scarcity
As I mentioned earlier, we are all ‘hard wired’ to hate missing out on something. Therefore if you introduce some sort of scarcity in your headline you are guaranteed to capture a lot of attention.
‘Only 6 Left and They Are Going Fast’
‘Last Few Spots Remaining’
If I were to give you a bonus 6th Tip, it would be that there is nothing stopping you using several of these techniques in one title to multiply its effectiveness:
‘Are You Going To Miss Out On One of the 6 Remaining Slots?’
6. But Beware…!
I wanted to add a word of warning here. Despite all of the ideas discussed being valid ways of helping you to get the maximum number of people open you mails, you do have to be careful.
It is very easy to veer over into HYPE.
If you have been around for any length of time, I’m sure you know what I mean. The subject lines that just go way over the top. The subject lines claiming fantastic rewards for very little effort.
It would be very easy to destroy any credibility or rapport you have with your subscribers by using this type of mail. So just be careful when using the ideas above, that you also combine it with the concept of using your own voice when writing to your subscribers.
So far I have concentrated on the email subject line and getting people to open your mail. I want to complete this lesson by talking about what you want to happen once they open your email message...
You then want to get them to read the message. Not just this message. No...
You want to make each message interesting so that they expect that from you. So that they open every message you send because they want to hear from you.
If, however, they are presented with a solid block of text going on line after line, there is a distinct possibility that they will just exit and move on to the next mail in their mailbox.
As my in-laws say, you are ‘over facing’ them.
The answer to this is twofold.
Use the KISS Principle
Firstly don’t overdo the contents, use the ‘Keep it Short and Simple’ principle. If you have a lot to say, consider writing a blog post and linking to this.
Alternatively split the contents over several mails.
In this day and age people don’t think they have the time to be reading a ‘War and Peace’ type email.
Although every rule has it’s exception, it is a good idea, on the whole, to keep your emails between 200 and 500 words long.
Any shorter than this and it is very difficult to have anything of any significance in your mail; any longer than this and it is a bit of a trial for the reader to plough through it all.
As I say, although this is a good rule of thumb. At times, I quite deliberately go above and below this number of words for specific circumstances.
Do the Splits
The second idea is to have short paragraphs of no more than a sentence or two.
When you are reading something online, splitting it up into these short paragraphs makes it look far less intimidating and much easier to read.
The upshot is that it is more likely to be read, which of course is what we are after.
In Summary
So in summary to get your mails opened and read you need to consider the following:
- The most important thing to get your mails opened is the rapport you have with your subscribers.
- If you have not had chance to build a rapport yet, you are reliant on your subject line to get your mail opened.
- To get your mails opened, use questions, numbers, timings, vibrant vocabulary and scarcity.
- Don’t be frightened to combine the types of subject lines.
- Take care NOT to make your subject lines too hypey.
- Keep the body of the mail and the paragraphs within it short and simple.
A wise man once said "If you build a responsive email list and treat that list with respect, and help your subscribers whenever you can, you'll never have to worry about making money online ever again. It's your golden ticket - the most valuable asset in your entire online business." Learn more here...