I bet you have heard how great email marketing can be for your business. That you can earn a steady income just by selling the things that your email database want to buy. But if no one opens your emails, then it is hard to achieve that goal. There is an art to crafting email subject lines that grabs a reader’s interest and makes them want to know more.
Let’s take a look at how you can encourage your readers to open your emails by creating a great subject line.
The Power Of Email Marketing
Email is a powerful tool that you need to incorporate into your overall marketing plan. If you send an email you can guarantee that it will land in each one of your subscriber’s inboxes. That is not the case with social media. The rules and algorithms of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn determine how many of your followers will see your content. And that can change on a whim.
Even though you create a social media page for your business and populate it with your branded content, you don’t own that page. The platform does. And the platform dictates the rules.
If social media died tomorrow and disappeared, then the way of contacting your followers would die with it. That is why it is vital to have an email list as it is an asset you own. Combine that email list with the exposure that social media offers and you have a winning marketing formula.
You should always be thinking of ways to build your email list and how you can provide your subscribers with value. That value is what builds the Know, Like, Trust factor. Being well known, liked and trusted by your list greatly increases your chances of being able to sell to them.
All of that is well and good, but how can you get them to read your emails?
The Importance Of A Good Email Subject Line
The email subject line is the doorway to your email. If you want people to knock and come in, then you need to give them a reason to. This is an example of a bad subject line:
“Mary’s Newsletter”
Mary might have a fantastic amount of things to say and the biggest knowledge bomb since the realisation that the numbers on the toaster dial mean the amount of minutes the toast takes to cook, not simply the level of toastiness. BUT, her newsletter title is lacklustre and boring. It certainly wouldn’t encourage me to open the email. I am willing to bet that Mary’s knowledge bomb would remain a secret for a little while longer.
So what makes a good email subject line?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic formula for writing a subject line that guarantees a good open rate. But think about the emails that you open. I don’t mean your phone bill, or requests for work. I mean the emails you receive from lists you have subscribed to. The ones that make the cut are either from someone who has done the groundwork to build a good reputation of providing worthy content, or they have a subject line that grabs your attention.
Your subject line should be:
Attention Grabbing – The average person receives upwards of 50 emails a day. You need to make sure that yours stands out in the crowd.
Persuasive – You need to convince your readers why they should open your email. Persuade them that they will get some kind of benefit by reading the content inside.
Concise – Try to get your message across in as few words as possible. Don’t count on being able to hold your reader’s attention for too long.
Not Clickbait – Do not make an outrageous claim or statement simply to get your readers to open your email. Your content needs to deliver on any promises made in the subject line.
Personalised If Appropriate – Email Marketing software allows you to add a personalisation tag so that you can include the subscriber’s first name in the subject line if appropriate. Don’t overuse this tactic as it can become a little creepy.
Conversational – Create a conversational tone that makes your readers feel like they are receiving an email from a friend. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to show some of your personality too.
A good email subject line is key to getting your message opened. But don’t forget to back it up with great content inside the email. You won’t get away with writing an amazing subject line and providing very little actual email value for long!
Have any questions? Get in touch with us here at The Marketing Baker.