The Anatomy of an Email Subject Line

47% of consumers decide whether to open an email based on its subject line. It’s the first thing a recipient sees and must capture the attention, be relevant, and entice your audience to open.

Satisfactory subject lines give the recipient a clear idea of what’s in the email. For example, if registration for a coveted event has opened, a straightforward subject line could be ‘Registration for xxx now open!’ It conveys the purpose, but is it attention grabbing? No (IMO).

Better subject lines compel the recipient to open the email. These subject lines show the value and why they should open it. Going back to the above example, a better subject line would be ‘Early Bird Registration is open for xxx.’ OR ‘Join 500 of your industry friends for xxx.’  The first conveys a sense of urgency because there’s an expiration date on a registration discount, and the second creates a sense of FOMO. No one wants to be on the outside of a 500-person industry event! 

Some things to keep in mind when drafting subject lines:

• Make it customer-centric. It’s not about you, it’s about them. 

• e.g. Five time-saving kitchen hacks

• Get personal! Consumers LOVE when they feel like they are being spoken to. Use variable fields to put their first name in the subject line and/or the salutation in the body. 

• e.g. Laurie, gain the latest social media insights

• Many organizations have been using emojis in the subject line. While eye catching, if your target audience doesn’t have the appetite for them, avoid use. 

• It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Support your school. 🍎📚

• Employ A/B testing. See which subject lines perform better! (Again, most email platforms allow for this.) 

• Keep it succinct, between 6 and 8 words. 

• Avoid words like ‘Free’ or ‘Buy Now’ which will send up spam flags and might reroute your email to a black hole. 

• Ask a question to get your reader thinking

• e.g. ‘<Name>, ready to make an impact?

• Use action-oriented language. Get your reader amped!

• e.g. We’re hiking for a cure. Come with? 

• When sending reminder emails, change up the subject line. Reader fatigue is real. 

Whether you are telling a story or a joke, or trying to get your recipient to take action, put yourself in their shoes when crafting a subject line. Know who they are and use their time effectively.