Unlocking the Secrets: Tips for Writing High-Converting Email Subject Lines

Email marketing is incredibly important for business owners in 2024. The key to success? Your Subject Line.

Your email subject line is the make or break when it comes to your email marketing. It’s the first thing someone sees; therefore, it is the biggest deciding factor on whether a reader is going to open your email or scroll through their inbox and delete. Think of it as the first impression—a subject line is your one shot to grab the readers’ attention and spark enough curiosity for them to click.

People are on so many different email lists nowadays. It’s almost like they don’t see them anymore. So, in order for your email to stand out and get opened, you need the first (and only) thing they see, to really shine and make them feel like they NEED to open it.

A well-crafted subject line can boost open rates significantly, as it directly influences how relevant and interesting the email appears in a crowded inbox. You need it to be scroll-stopping, as you really only get one shot to hook them. On the flip side, a vague, overly long or irrelevant subject line can lead to low open rates, as it fails to stand out or connect with the audience’s needs. If it blends in or they don’t find value, it won’t be opened. Ultimately, the success of your email campaign hinges on how compelling and tailored that subject line is.

What are the specific guidelines of your subject line?

Before we chat about tips for optimizing your subject lines, it’s important to discuss what the actual guidelines are, the bare minimum.

First, subject lines are short. Usually, platforms are looking for 50/60 characters or less. Anything more, and it’ll either be stopped short or it will simply be cut off in inbox. So, you need to make sure you are using the space that you have most effectively. Aim for roughly 5-8 words.

Next, avoid special characters or symbols. First, they just take up unnecessary characters, they often don’t show up properly in the inbox, and they also do not help your overall SEO. (Looking to learn more about SEO? Check out this blog!). You want to avoid any display issues because these can trigger spam filters and be sent right to the junk folder. Also, don’t have too much punctuation. Try limiting it to just one question mark or exclamation mark. It might stand out on social media, but in the inbox, it’ll be sent to spam.

Next, avoid all caps. I know many people have this as part of their branding, but trust me. Email providers have pretty intense spam folders and a subject line of all capital letters will be marked as spam. It’s also fairly aggressive, so many people don’t love seeing all capital letters. It can be difficult to read, and I would not recommend having that as part of your branding at all.

Speaking of spam, there are some trigger words that spam filters look out for. Try avoiding words like “free,” “earn money” or “guaranteed.” This can impact your deliverability rate, which will ultimately mean that your email will end up in fewer inboxes.

Lastly, pay attention to your preview text. Most email marketing platforms allow you to create a custom preview text. This will appear right under the subject line. If you don’t customize it, it will just show some of the start of your email. But, I highly recommend you add this. Make sure it complements the subject line for some extra reinforcement for the reader to open the email.

Tips for optimizing your email subject line to improve your open rate:

1. Keep it short and sweet

If your message is too long, it will be cut off. The last thing you want is to have the most important part of your message not even show up in people’s inboxes. Concise subject lines grab attention quickly, which is crucial given how busy people are and how fast they move. I recommend writing out what you want and think and then working on finding ways to make it more concise while still conveying the same meaning.

2. Create a sense of urgency

Urgency is what drives action. Build that right into your subject line so people feel like they HAVE to open it right now. If you’re selling something adding “Limited time offer” or “Ends soon” can help encourage readers to take quick action. This is also a great way to build some curiosity. Sometimes, people ‘just can’t help themselves,’ and that’s where they take action.

Learn more about creating copy that piqués someone’s curiosity here.

3. Be clear and specific

If someone has to guess what your email is about, they won’t open it. Clever isn’t always better. Either your subject line or your preview should be direct, clear and specific. Let your readers know precisely what they’ll get in this email. Telling them exactly what they’ll get helps build trust and leads them to open and buy from you in the future.

4. Personalize where you can

This isn’t possible with all email marketing platforms, but if you can, try adding the name personalization. Seeing their name in the subject line (especially as the first word), can stop them in their tracks and make them click. It makes them feel like the email was written just for them, again building that trust in you.

5. Use numbers or lists

If you can include numbers in our subject line, it can add to the clarity but also create structure and intrigue. If you say “3 Steps to XYZ” or “The number 1 most common mistake XYZ make,” they’ll know exactly what they’ll learn in the email. The number (instead of the word written out) can both save you characters, but also be what stands out in the subject.

6. Some emojis are okay

Don’t overdo it, but include an emoji for a splash of colour. It adds a bit of positivity, but it also shows up well in the inbox. Among a sea of words, your emoji will be easy to spot on the page. Using too many can be distracting and unprofessional, but adding just one can add a good dose of personality and friendliness.

7. Use action-oriented language

If you want them to do something, tell them what action they should take. Simple as that. Adding a direction or even just a verb into your subject line can immediately make it more likely that someone will open it. For example, “Read this…” or “Discover…” are great ways to get people thinking they have to take action.

8. Include powerful words

Powerful words trigger a strong reaction in your readers. If the words command their attention, they are more likely to open it. This is a great way to increase curiosity, too. Use these strategically. Too many will be overwhelming.

9. Include emotional words

If people feel something, they are more likely to take action and open your email. The key here is to think about what you want your readers to feel. Be careful with your word choice. If what’s on the inside is a little sadder, don’t include words that make your readers feel joy because they might open and feel deceived. But try not to have it be overly negative, or people might reject opening your email simply because they don’t want to feel that way.

10. Match the emails’ content

Ultimately, the most important part is that your subject line matches your emails’ content. It only takes one time for your reader to read a subject line and feel bamboozled if the content doesn’t match for them to not open again or unsubscribe. If you do this, it can appear like your emails are Clickbait, and your subscribers might mark your emails as spam. This will drop your deliverability or even make it so you’re not able to email anymore.

Your email subject line is the key to getting people to read your emails. We often overestimate the impact our social media content and freebies have on our readers. Getting someone to opt in is only one step in the process. They might opt-in and immediately forget that they did.

Good luck with writing email subject lines that are high-converting and that your readers love!