With 4 billion daily email users and an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, it’s not surprising that 47% of marketers say they test different email subject lines to optimize their emails’ performance. Here are three tips for titling email campaigns to maximize conversions.
1) Avoid the Cut-Off
When testing headlines, ensure that the subject is short enough that it can be read before clicking into the email on both computer and mobile devices. The subject line alone should capture your audience and ensure they open your email, and that can’t be done if the bulk of the content is cut off. Having a catchy or vague headline designed to entice users to click is one thing, but when executed haphazardly it will be viewed as accidental and unprofessional.
If you’re struggling to fit a catchy title in that limited space, see if the software has the option to add a subheader into the body of the email. This way, if you aren’t able to fit everything you want to say in that finite space, you can further clarify in the subheader as soon as subscribers open the email.
2) Balance Expectations
Writing email titles is a balancing act: you want to write something engaging enough that subscribers will want to open the email, but you don’t want to clickbait or make any false promises. Consider the user experience. While a good open rate is nice, you don’t want subscribers to walk away from an email feeling tricked as this will ultimately not create a positive association around your brand. Make sure your email title is ultimately a fair preview of the content of your email campaign.
Additionally, avoid subject lines that are too sales-y or use overtly promotional language. Not only do these emails tend to go unopened by users, but they can also often be automatically marked as spam. This includes using phrases such as “free,” “buy now,” “earn extra cash,” “click here,” etc. Instead of being sales-y, focusing on conveying the content will ultimately lead to the best both open and return rate.
3) Be Punny
As you have very few words to work with when writing email titles, puns are going to be your best friend. To brainstorm, look at the content of the email you’re working with and see if there are any words or phrases that could be reworked for the email title.
For example, one of our clients is currently releasing a season of their television show and, as part of their marketing plans, our team created their “tune in” email campaigns. As a recent episode was about water recycling, one of the titles our media team came up with was, “Take a deep dive into water recycling.” It’s simple, short, catchy, and an accurate representation of the content in the body of the email.
If you’re unable to create a joke or pun surrounding the subject matter of your campaign, try asking a question, using action-oriented verbs, or conveying the information in the body of the email in the most concise way possible. Asking a question attempts to directly engage with users, and summarizing the email information will allow your target audience the best opportunity to see and engage with your content straightforwardly.
