First impressions are pretty simple: if they’re not impressive they are likely forgotten.

When it comes to email marketing, this statement couldn’t be more accurate. With all the spam or junk mail people receive every day, it has become a ritual to automatically delete emails from senders you don’t recognize or subject lines that scream: please buy this.

Statistics shows that the average person receives approximately 147 emails per day and deletes 48% of them within the first 10 minutes. That means that nearly half of the messages received go unread. Many users adjust their settings so that they only see messages from known senders and recognized subscription services.

Unfortunately, the abundance of junk mail makes it hard for businesses or services to reach out to their target consumers with great offers because people have become accustomed to deleting their mail before opening it. So what can you do to better your chances of someone opening mail you send? The subject line of the message is one of the first items to catch the scanning eyes. Creating captivating subject lines should increase the chances of your mail getting the user’s attention. Here are some tips to consider when constructing subject lines:

Put yourself in the email user’s shoes. Think about the words in a subject line that would cause you to turn your attention immediately away from the email, and instead would quickly cause you to click delete. Be clear on your intent and stay away from trying to be too personal or “cutesy” with the wording. As appealing as it may seem, it’s not and it will quickly make your reader disinterested. A study lead by AWeber Communications stated that clear subject lines get 541% more clicks than the clever ones.

Stay away from the three most detested words in email subject lines: Help, reminder, and percent off. These words immediately translate to “I am spam, do not open me.”

Keep your subject line to the point. Bear in mind that smartphones and other mobile devices are the most popular way to read emails initially today, so you want to make sure your subject line isn’t cut off from the smaller screens.

Try to use call to action techniques by using words such as “important” and “urgent.” You can also say something like “we need to hear back from you” because most people are programmed to respond to words that trigger them to take action.

Subject lines are tricky. Though you want to captivate your reader, subject lines are not the place. Don’t try to fit the entire story into a single line, rather highlight the most intriguing aspects of what you’re trying to offer.

What Do I Do When Nothing Fixes My List?

When you’re stuck with a small, inactive, and old subscriber list it can feel like nothing could possible revive your email marketing efforts. Don’t sweat it, reinvent it.

Even if you’re doing everything right you’re bound to lose subscribers, whether it be because they’re finally jumping on board with gmail, abandoning their old server, or losing the school email they’ve had for years. In order to get the most out of your email marketing strategy, you should always be looking for new subscribers. Ready to expand your email subscriber list? Doing so will assure that your numbers are always going up and to the right.

Unique Ways to Expand Your List

Use Your Website. Believe it or not, some webmasters forget to put an opt-in form on their website. These forms can be to get blog updates, or for special offers and coupons. Regardless, you’re building your list. You don’t need all their information, just their name and their email address. Additionally, introducing a guest blogger is a great way to capture email addresses. They’ll want to be reminded of the guest blogger and you’ll be happy you’ve captured more names.

Promote on Social Media. You know that feature Facebook added to include a Call to Action on your page? Use it. Additionally, link your followers to landing pages and special offers in your status updates. Make sure these pages require their email address. Don’t forget about your other platforms, as they will also prove to be quite useful.

Remarkable Content. In some cases, it’s okay to reuse your old content but for the most part it is unacceptable. In fact, if people are getting bored with your content they’re doing a lot more than leaving your website… They’re searching for a new authority that doesn’t bore them to tears. Make sure your email content is remarkably interesting and provides instant value. Before you know it, people will actually want you in their inbox.

Your Current Email List. Now this one might seem a little out of place but think about it: Who better to expand your email subscriber list then your current clickers? Encourage them to share and forward your emails. If you really want to see the subscribers rolling in, run an online contest through your email funnel. Tell your subscribers to share it with their friends so they don’t miss their shot at great deals.

What’s next? Sit back and watch your email subscriber list expand before your eyes.