Success in marketing often comes down to the ability to garner attention. In the digital age, it’s never been more difficult to get people to stop and pay attention to your marketing materials. Joey Armstrong believes that the best way to gather attention is to take the time to measure every word. This is certainly the case in email subject lines. A boring email subject line means a deleted email. No matter how spectacular the body of the email may be, a poor subject line means it was all for naught. Today, Joey Armstrong will look at how people can write better subject lines.
The first step to a strong subject headline is to choose the methodology behind the subject line. For instance, one of the greatest methods to entice readers is to elicit urgency. By letting readers know that they are going to miss out on something special if they don’t jump in on the email, it makes them more likely to click through. This only works when the offer or subject of the content inside the email is truly a limited time offer. Lying for the sake of a click will end up doing more damage than good.
Another great methodology is creating a sense of curiosity. A tagline that leaves the person intrigued because they don’t know what the body of the email holds can be very effective. This usually works when the person who is receiving the email understands your brand or why they are receiving the email. A foreign email that comes off like spam will not be opened. It’s all a balancing act.
Letting people know that a special offer is inside the email is a tried-and-true trick. People want to take advantage of deals and new experiences. Offers can unlock those doors. Alluding to discounts or free stuff is great but be careful with using the word free as it will often lead to the email heading to the spam folder. In addition to free things, people like to be spoken to directly. When an email list is acquired, subject lines can be formatted to call on the recipient by name in the subject line. This is a great idea when available as seeing your name is sure to spark interest.
Speaking of names, people like their own name and they like seeing names of other people they know. This is why celebrity sponsors work so well. If applicable, a subject line that references that a celebrity or a local star also utilizes the service can get the interest of the reader.
