5 Subject Line Best Practices
Having an effective subject line is one of the most important aspects of your email. If the subject line doesn't catch the attention of your subscriber, they're not going to bother looking at your email.
Think of the last really great subject line you saw in your inbox. Did it say something witty? Did it call out a pain point that you identified with, as a reader? Maybe it cut straight to the point. Was it telling you there was a coupon inside? These are all great ways to catch the attention of your subscriber! Are your current subject lines hindering your average open rate?
Before I started creating emails, I didn't really give subject lines a second thought! Now that I've been in the industry for a while, my entire outlook has shifted. If you're looking for a higher open rate, then you're going to want stronger subject lines.
Here are five best practices for email subject lines.
1. Keep your subject line length between 41-50 characters
When it comes to email, a majority of your subscribers are going to be using a mobile device to read what you've sent them. When you factor in the size of the device they're reading on, you don't have a whole lot of space to convey your message.
It's OK if your subject line is longer than 50 characters. The trick is to make sure you're getting the bulk of your message at the beginning though! If the subject line is too long, it's just going to cut off the end of what is written. This is especially true for emails being read on a mobile device.
2. Make use of your preview text
When you look at your email inbox, have you ever noticed the text that's after the email's subject line? That's what is referred to as the preview text (or preheader). If you don't make use of this line of preview text, the email client will typically pull whatever is at the top of your email content. That means your subscriber may end up seeing "View this email in a browser" or the alt text of your header image in your email.
Your preheader can elaborate on your subject line, or it can summarize what is inside the email. Let's take an example of an email that's confirming a subscription to your newsletter.
Subject Line: Thank you for signing up!
Preview text: Inside, you'll find more about what to expect from our newsletters
The preview text should be 50-100 characters, although it will likely be cut off on mobile if you use the full 100.
3. Don't be afraid to test, test, and test again
A/B testing your subject lines is a great way to improve your open rates. When you A/B test, you essentially pit your subject lines against each other and send the winner to the rest of your email subscribers on your list.
It's important to make sure you're not using subject lines that are too similar in your test. Your test should always serve a specific purpose, with measurable goals.
Here's a great example of how to A/B test:
Subject line 1: These bestselling sunglasses were just restocked!
Subject line 2: Back in stock: everyone's favorite sunnies
Notice that they're both saying the same thing, but they're saying it in a slightly different way. Once you've run your A/B test, the subject line that performs better will be sent out to the remaining subscribers on your list.
4. Avoid using all caps
This may seem like an obvious one, but I'm sure you've seen them in your inbox before! While you may think that using all caps seems like you've got exciting content in your email, it's more likely to come across as spam. You can still get the same point across by using engaging language in your subject line.
5. Personalize when appropriate
If you've got specific information about your subscribers, don't be afraid to use it! Are you email them that their cat is due for a checkup? Mention the name of their cat! Maybe you've been servicing their vehicle and it's due for an oil change. Mention the make and model of the vehicle!
It doesn't have to be overly complicated though. If you only have their first name, that's a great (and simple) personalization for your subject line. Personalization is a great way to grab people's attention.
Here are some examples of Hubspot's favorite examples of subject lines. The next time you open your inbox, take a look at which emails you felt drawn to open, versus which ones you immediately sent to your spam folder. Did they have a personalized subject line? Maybe it was a shorter subject line. Emails with a great subject line are statistically more likely to be opened by the reader, which is always great for your marketing campaign!
Subject lines don't have to be intimidating. If you want more help with your marketing emails and content marketing, look no further than Shawley Marketing.
