People usually take a good look at the envelope before they open an email.

You do too, right?

If the envelope is plain and you don’t know who it’s from, you wouldn’t be too excited about opening it.

It could be junk mail and a big waste of your time.

Your email subject line is even more important than an envelope. An email is much easier to toss than an envelope, and even easier to overlook all together in a pile of other emails.

That’s why you need to take the time and learn how to write juicy email subject lines that get opened.

Don’t bother looking for a magic formula, because there isn’t one.

However there are a few important guidelines on how to write email subject lines that get opened, much more often than not.

 

Types of Subject Lines and Why They Work

Scarcity

This tactic is used quite a bit in marketing in general.

Give something important a time limit, and let them know in a very short subject line that a deal is about to expire.

Social Proof

Let them know just how popular something is and how well it worked for others.

Give statists reviews and ratings right in the subject line.

This is another extremely effective selling strategy that is widely used across all sorts of advertising and marketing.

Humanity

Remember that each email address on your list is a human being.

Keep in mind what they’re thinking about at the moment, according to big upcoming events and holidays that might be in the forefront of their minds.

Let them know you value them as people, not just prospects.

Story Teaser

Everyone loves a compelling news story.

If you have a juicy, entertaining and educational story to tell your audience, make sure you let them know.

Curiosity is the key here.

Offer

Don’t be coy with this one. State a specific offer, like a discount or a free gift or bonus right in the subject line.

Self-Interest

Your subscribers always want to know what’s in it for them.

This type of headline pre-qualifies them for whether or not the email’s content will help them out.

Keep these direct, and speak directly to what your target wants.

How will they get want they want, in the easiest way, in the shortest amount of time? Let them know that you know the answer.

The 5 Cardinal Rules of Email Subject Lines That Get Opened

No matter what kind of email subject you write, there are 5 rules to follow every time for writing email subject lines that get opened.

1.   Run Some Tests

Just like any other email marketing strategy, it’s something you’ll have to practice and test on your own list, until you figure out what works best.

Write 2 different subject lines for the same email.

Send out the email with subject line to one segment of your email list, and the other one to another segment.

Check which one got opened more, and send that one to the rest of your list!

2. Personalize

Use their first name in the subject line as often as you can using the first name merge tag.

Just make sure you include the first name field in your opt-in forms.

If you don’t the merge tag will show up as something like ~Contact.FirstName~, which would be pretty embarrassing.

3. Keep it Short

The shorter and punchier the headline, the better.

When your subscriber scans their inbox, their eyes will naturally focus toward the shortest and easiest to read headlines.

4. Close Loops

Allude to something at the end of one email — something they really want to know.

This the opening of a loop.

Use the subject line in your next email to let them know you’re fulfilling your promise.

This is important if you’re creating an email series for a certain goal, such as segmenting, engagement, re-engagement, etc.

5. Avoid Spammy Words and Phrases

Using words like “discount” or phrases like “You’re a winner!” will most likely get your email a one way ticket to the spam folder.

Otherwise, subject lines like these will cause your recipient’s inner spam alarm to go off.

They’re just big turn-offs in general.

Check out this article from Comm100.com for a full list of words and phrases to avoid.

Practice and test your email subject lines!

Keep in mind what your target market wants, and who they are so you can create and narrow how to write email subject lines that get opened, every time!

We offer this FREE welcome email template, so there’s no room for error in starting off on the right foot with your subscribers.

It’s called the Ultimate First Impression email template.

You just download it, fill in the blanks and send it!

Get the Ultimate First Impression Email Template Here.