There’s no doubt that there are likely dozens of unread marketing emails sitting in your inbox right now. Endless emails are sent on a daily basis to users all over and many are deleted without a second look.
What’s a marketer to do?
Grabbing attention comes down to crafting a compelling email subject line. This is the first impression your email makes and has a direct impact on whether it gets read or dismissed. To stand out, it’s essential to create a subject line that is hard to ignore. In this article, we’ll dive into strategies for developing subject lines that drive engagement and lead to conversions.
Components of a Good Email Subject Line for Sales
A great subject line requires a balance between strategy and creativity. This line should entice and capture attention while also providing hints of relevance. Let’s explore some of the key components of a good email subject line:
Personalized
Personalization is key when it comes to engaging your audience. This sort of subject line establishes a connection with your audience and shows that you are tapped into what they need. By doing so, you’re creating a sense of relevance and also increasing the likelihood that your email will get opened. Useful aspects to personalize with include first name, recent interactions, or audience preferences.
Concise
You can’t fit much in that tiny bit of space you’re provided in a contact’s inbox (most email providers will show up to 60 characters of a subject line on a desktop, but that amount is cut down to 30 characters on mobile devices), so it’s important to get your point across quickly. Your audience should easily understand the email at a glance. It’s unfortunate when great subject lines are cut, so keep it short and keep it impactful.
Positive
Positivity is contagious and keeping an optimistic tone in your subject lines is another strategy for enticing your audience to open your email. Staying upbeat not only brightens an inbox but can also inspire your audience to take the first step towards making a change.
Attention-Grabbing
To earn open rates, your subject line needs to stand out from the crowd and grab your audience’s attention immediately. Try inciting curiosity or sparking intrigue. Something completely out of left field may not be conventional but can be unexpected enough to grab attention. And don’t shy away from using emojis for a pop of color!
Timely and Relevant
As we’ve been known to say in the past, marketing success relies on getting the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Relevance is important to capturing your audience’s interest. Think about the audience that you’re sending to and what message they need to hear right now; a relevant subject line might have to do with the next step in your marketing funnel or a current event that’s been dominating headlines.
Focused On a Pain Point
Addressing a challenge that your audience faces is a quick way to prompt an email open. Those in search of a solution will want to know what value you can offer them when it comes to their everyday pain points.
Authentic Urgency
Mass panic is not something we should look to cause, but creating genuine urgency can encourage audiences to act swiftly. Tailor your messaging to convey urgency without resorting to false scarcity.
Not Spammy or Misleading
Be upfront with your subject lines. No one appreciates messages that use spammy language or include misleading claims. This is a quick way to break trust with your audience and cause your emails to end up in the spam folder. Make sure your subject line accurately represents the content.
Sales Email Subject Line Examples
Now that we’ve established what it takes to create a good subject line, we’ll run through a few examples to get you started:
Personalized Sales Subject Lines
Example 1: Your Custom Quote Is Ready
Example 2: Hey Jenn, Remember That T-shirt You Were Eyeing?
Example 3: It’s That Time of Year! Check Out Your Member-only Birthday Deal
Why it works: Personalization adds a human touch to a subject line that shows that the message is specifically tailored to the recipient. Seeing something that references a past interaction or experience is like picking up a conversation from where it last left off. This makes a recipient feel valued and can increase the likelihood they’ll engage by opening, clicking through, or converting.
Positive Sales Subject Lines
Example 1: Your Invitation for a Partnership in Success
Example 2: We’ll Make Tomorrow a Better Day, Together
Example 3: Experience Joy with Our Newest Collection
Why it works: Positivity is infectious and appreciated in many situations. This is one tone that resonates with everyone and creates a sense of anticipation and optimism. As a result, your recipients are optimistic about exploring your product and discovering how it can contribute to their overall happiness.
Pain Point Sales Subject Lines
Example 1: Organize Your Space In 3 Simple Steps
Example 2: Tired? Discover Better Sleep with Our Solution
Example 3: Step into Life Outside of the 9-5
Why it works: Addressing a pain point is a valuable way of showing your customers that you not only understand where they’re coming from. This also positions your company as the solution to their problems and hints to a clear benefit, giving recipients a reason to open the email and see what you can offer.
Authentic Urgency Sales Subject Lines
Example 1: Last Chance to Shop Our End of Summer Sale!
Example 2: Limited Spots Left – Sign Up Now!
Example 3: Don’t Miss Out on Exclusive Weekend Deals
Why it works: Fear of missing out is a real thing and that’s what these subject lines target. You’re creating a genuine sense of urgency (without using misleading tactics). Not only are these subject lines great at keeping your audience in the loop when it comes to limited editions, special drops, or specific sales, it can also lead them to act quickly and take advantage of any opportunities before they’re gone. Whenever possible, try to use real numbers to let your audience know how much time they have left to capitalize on an opportunity! (Ex: 12 Hours Left, 2 More Days, or 3 Spots Remaining, etc.)
The Takeaway
Creating a compelling email subject line is an art form but one that is capable of being mastered. As you experiment, you’ll find new ways to tailor your subject lines to your audience’s preferences. Keep a list of your best-performing subject lines so you can refer back to them and see what commonalities they might share.
Looking for guidance on your next email campaign? We can help, whether that’s creating an abandoned cart strategy or a multi-step nurture. Need a marketing automation platform to run it all from? We have the solution for you with the emfluence Marketing platform made by marketers, for marketers that’s ready to power all your email campaigns. Get in touch with our team at expert@emfluence.com and also be sure to check out our email strategy services!
