Essential Tips For Writing Email Subject Lines That Will Improve Your Email Open Rates Dramatically

You have probably heard some internet marketers saying that Email Marketing is "Dead"…

But if you ask me, email marketing in my book is still one of the most effective tools for online marketing, that is if you know how to work around the quirks.

When i started marketing by emails some time back, i have the same "unfortunate" experience shared by most first time email marketers, and that is, a "Next To Nothing" email open rate.

In layman’s terms, nobody bothers to open up the emails i have sequentially send out to my mailing list.

The sad truth is that even if you are promoting the best product in the world, if you’re not writing compelling subject lines that get the emails opened, all of your efforts will be futile.

That is why i am going to share with you a couple of effective email subject line tips i picked up that can easily increase your email open and click through rates dramatically.

 

(1) Personalization : Grab More Attention By Calling Your Prospects By Their Name.

Imagine if you are in a crowded shopping mall, and out of the blue you hear some calling out your name.

Chances are, you will turn your head automatically without blinking an eye and turn towards the direction where you heard your name being called right?

It’s a psychological thing, but hearing your name somehow grabs your immediate attention!

Now, imagine how much more powerful your emails can be if your potential customers can "hear" their names right in the subject line.

Sending out an email with a personalized subject line is the equivalent of calling someone’s name in a crowded mall, it has that same power to grab their immediate attention.

For eg, instead of writing a subject line that says something like: "This is the link for you to download"

You could try something like this: "Hi Mark, this is the link for you to download"

Pretty simple, right? But it works like a charm.

And the best thing is that, there are plenty of automated email tools out there you can use to automatically merge your subscriber’s names and personal details into your emails.

To see the one I’m using and highly recommended, check out getresponse .

 

(2) Keep The Description Of Your Subject Lines "Short & Sweet".

Open up your email browser and take a look at the all the email subject lines you have accumulated in your inbox.

Are there any email subject lines that are more "eye catching" than the rest?

Bet you noticed that the shorter subject lines seem to grab your attention more right?

I have came across a report that states that subject lines under 35 characters long have a much higher opening and click-through rates than those with subject lines longer than 35 characters.

So the underlying theory here is "KISS".

Either "Keep It Short & Sweet" or "Keep It Simple St_pid", both interpretations works fine on this particular instance.

You don’t need to explain in detail what the entire email is about in the subject line, all you need to give enough information to entice your subscriber to open the email to read more.

And if you really want to increase your email open rates, make sure you high-lite the most compelling benefit of your offer right at the beginning of the subject line.

The reason behind this is that, some email programs will simply truncate the tail end of your subject line due to some unexplainable reasons and believe me, it does happen.

And if that happens, the gist of your email subject line will be gone.

 

(3) Keep The Text Formatting Simple As If You Are Writing To Friends or Family.

One of the most common mistakes most marketers made is that they simply love to "BOLD" or "CAPITALIZE" their subject lines.

Some go even to the extreme of adding symbols like $, % , # etc. This may work for PPC campaigns but definitely not for email subject lines.

The more your subject lines look like personal emails from friends and family, the more likely it is that they’ll be opened.

The more they look like spam, the less likely they will be opened, simple as that.

The autoresponder software I’m using actually has a SPAM Filter function that checks whether the emails i send out are rated as SPAM.
Pretty cool right?

 

(4) Ensure Your Subject Lines Actually Tallies With The Content Of The Email.

Ever had the experience where you came across an interesting subject line, opened it and found that the contents of the emails have absolutely nothing to do with the subject title, bet you have.

Nobody likes to be cheated and tricking your subscribers into opening your emails is certainly not the right way to earn your potential customers’ trust and respect, so make sure your subject line is related to your actual messages.

Deception will only damage your credibility as a internet marketer, so don’t do it.

In fact, under the CAN-SPAM Act, it’s a legal requirement that the subject line has to be authentic and not misleading in relation to the contents.

 

(5) Marketing Techniques That Can Give Your Subject Line That Extra Edge.

Getting your readers to open your emails sometimes requires more than just personalization and text formatting.

You need to come up with an proven technique that will compel them to want to open the email.

Some of the more effective marketing techniques that have worked well include :

 

(a) Emphasizing The Essential Benefits :

Always stress & emphasize how your readers will benefit from your the contents of your email.

If you can tell them how they’re going to save money, save time, make their lives easier by opening and reading your message, you’ll job is half done.

 

(b) Emphasizing A Sense Of Urgency :

Create a sense of urgency in your subject line by setting a limited time or quantity restriction.

For eg : "Mark, 3 days left before this offer is gone forever…" ; " Joe, only 10 copies left, grab yours now…"

 

(c) Emphasizing The Element Of Curiosity :

Curiosity always kills the cat, most people cannot stand the suspense of not knowing or missing out on an important offer or piece of information, and that is why this method is so effective at times.

But do make sure that you leave something to the imagination.

For eg: "John, are you making this common mistake?" ; "Ken, have you got this quality needed for success?"

 

(d) Emphasizing The Importance Of Not Losing Out On Vital Information :

Most people want to stay on top of things, they want to be the first to find out about new things, especially things in the specific industry that they are concerned about.

And if you are the "Expert" on that particular niche industry, you can build up a loyal following just by make regular announcements or share important industry related news periodically.

By doing so, you are practically "training" your subscribers to open and read your emails when they are send out.

 

Sincerely hope that by following these simple guidelines for writing your emails subject line, you will be able to see an increase in your email open rates dramatically.

Related Posts :

1. In-Depth Review Of Email Auto Responder Getresponse

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