Writing Subject Lines That Get Your
E-Mail Opened
By Derek Gehl
There’s no doubt that e-mail is one of the most effective marketing
tools available to any business. But did you know that your entire campaign
will ultimately hinge on just four or five words?
It doesn’t matter how incredible your offer is. Your promotion
will bomb if people delete your e-mail message without ever reading it.
And there’s a good chance they will — unless you immediately
answer the two questions at the top of every recipient’s mind: “So
what?” and “What’s in it for me?” Good subject
lines will answer these questions by...
• Making an announcement or sharing news,
• Making the reader curious,
• Creating a sense of urgency, or
• Emphasizing how the reader will benefit from opening your e-mail.
These approaches work because they don’t try to sell anything;
they just create enough interest to get your e-mail opened in the first
place.
But how your subject line looks matters, too. For instance, a subject
line that reads like personal e-mail from a friend or colleague is much
more likely to be opened. So format your subject lines like a sentence,
not a headline. Compare “Want to see a movie?” with “Want
To See A Movie?” or even worse, “WANT TO SEE A MOVIE?”
Which one would you open?
It’s also crucial to write subject lines that your recipients can
scan easily. To do this, here’s a cool formatting tip you can use:
Make sure to include a balance of ascenders (letters like t, 1, k, h,
etc., that are higher than letters like o, m, s, etc.) and descenders
(letters like g, p and y, that stick out below the other letters) in every
subject line. Your subject lines will pop out to your readers and they’ll
be more likely to open your e-mails. Take a look at these ones for instance:
OKAY: Bob, seminar schedule here
GOOD: Bob, your schedule for today
As you can see, the “GOOD” subject line has a balance of
ascenders and descenders, which makes it easier for your eyes to read.
Finally, make your subject lines short -50 characters or under- so your
carefully constructed subject lines aren’t cut off mid-word when
they’re displayed.
To make sure your e-mails get opened, think like an e-mail recipient:
busy, impatient, and dealing with an avalanche of email every day. Don’t
waste their time. Write short, punchy subject lines that let them know
immediately why this e-mail is worth opening.
Derek Gehl is president of The Internet Marketing Center, Vancouver,
British Columbia.
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