deally, your email marketing subscribers will visit your website, purchase your products, and share your content with their friends. But before any of that can happen, there’s a critical threshold you need to acknowledge: the open. If your subscribers never open your email, they won’t be able to take any action on it—rendering the email functionally useless.
In other words, your first and highest priority in email marketing is securing a higher open rate. With the latest email marketing trends emphasizing the importance of personalization, segmentation, and engaging subject lines, it’s crucial to stay ahead. Crafting better subject lines that align with these trends can make a significant difference—but what are the best subject lines for generating more email opens?
For starters, an email subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see when reviewing your email. Before they read your message and even before they open it, the subject line will form their first impression. More than half of people will quickly delete most of the emails that hit their inbox simply because the subject line wasn't attractive enough.
It's also important to recognize that the body content of your email won't matter at all if subscribers never open your message. In other words, no matter how good your email is, the subject line is still the gateway that prevents people from viewing that excellent content.
To achieve higher open rates, it’s crucial to implement email marketing best practices when crafting your subject lines. An excellent subject line can yield good results even if your internal body copy is weak. Conversely, if your internal body copy is strong but your subject line is weak, it’s impossible to achieve adequate results.
So what is it that makes a subject line effective? How can we tweak our subject lines to see better open rates across the board?
Subject lines implying urgency, scarcity, or time-sensitive offers can drive better engagement. Subscribers are less likely to ignore or delete your email if they feel they need to act quickly.
Sparking curiosity encourages subscribers to open your email. Don’t reveal everything upfront—tease something intriguing and make them want to learn more.
Your subscribers should immediately understand the benefit of opening your email. Make it clear how they’ll gain—whether through savings, time, or knowledge.
Personalized subject lines, tailored with the recipient’s name, location, or preferences, tend to perform better. Personalized touches can grab attention more effectively than generic messaging.
Mentioning video content in your subject line can increase your open rate by up to 19%. Video is engaging and appealing to most audiences, making it a great tool to include.
Tailor your subject lines to your specific audience. Segment your subscriber list to target different demographics, ensuring your message is relevant and speaks directly to their needs.
A lighthearted approach with puns or jokes in your subject line can make your email more engaging and enjoyable, leading to higher open rates.
Avoid gimmicks like excessive punctuation, all caps, or sloppy typos. A polished, professional tone is key to establishing credibility and encouraging opens.
Though less formal, using emojis in your subject lines can help express emotion and add a visual element to stand out in cluttered inboxes. Just use them sparingly and thoughtfully.
It's also important to recognize that different industries and different contexts require slightly different approaches to subject line optimization. The subject line that works well for an industrial manufacturer looks different than a subject line that works for a new college student.
Hopefully, this guide has shed light on how to generate better subject lines and, in turn, achieve higher open rates. But if you want your email marketing strategy to truly succeed, you need to think beyond the open; securing a higher open rate is just the first part of the equation.
To enhance the effectiveness of your email marketing strategies, consider embedding automatically playing videos into your emails. Video content is highly engaging and flexible, making it easy to connect with practically any audience. Thanks to tools like Viewed, it’s easier than ever to upload and embed videos directly into your emails.
If you’re looking for tools to enhance your email marketing strategies, Viewed offers exactly what you need. Sign up for a free!