Increasing Read Emails and Click Rates
Sometimes writing a great email is only half of the battle. The other half is known as the subject line. Whether you’re sending a cold email or pitching a story to a news station, it can be difficult to spark interest while still being brief. Follow this guide to writing killer subject lines to increase your number of read emails and click rates.
Keep it short. Email Subject lines will be cut off if they are too long, especially on a mobile device.
Don’t be afraid to get personal. Name drop a mutual connection or use the recipient’s name in the subject line.
In email marketing, a simple way to personalize the communication is through a tool called list segmentation. How you segment your list will depend on your company and goals.
Provide value while being transparent. A subject line of “thank you” isn’t enough of a reason to read what you’re sending. Let the recipient know why they should read your email and what they are going to find inside.
Use clear and concise language. While this point goes with being brief, it’s worth reiterating that people scan their inboxes very quickly. Note that a subject of “increase your sales today by 50%” is more enticing than “how to increase sales”.
Create a sense of importance by using action verbs. Although the phrase “act now” might be a little overused, a clear call to action in the subject line is never a bad idea.
Don’t be afraid to get specific. By this, we mean to use numbers. Several companies are blasting emails every day that pose vague statements but by using hard numbers and percents, your email will stand out as knowledgeable and helpful.
Think outside the box when necessary. Don’t shy away from a compelling question or a fitting pun.
Use engaging preview text. Although it’s not technically part of your subject line, it’s another opportunity to hook your recipient into reading your message.
Complete A/B testing. This is arguably the most important tip in increasing click rates. Completing A/B testing will help you learn what your client/audience base responds to the best.
No matter what they say, people do judge emails by the subject line. Although it’s only a small part of your message, the subject line is one of the very first impressions you have on your email recipient. That’s why it’s important to craft subject lines and choose one that is best optimized to compel people to click through.
By: Miranda Hardesty Hoffpauir
