With inboxes flooded every day with emails from different brands and businesses, it’s essential to standout from the noise and grab their attention. But how? The first thing your audience sees is the subject line, making it a critical element in determining whether your email gets opened or sent straight to the bin. In this article, I’m sharing the tips and tricks to make your subject header intriguing and ultimately encourage action – AKA the all important click through. 

Keep it short and sweet
Now is not the time to write a novel – aim for subject headers that are concise and to the point. Ideally, your header should be around 50 characters or less to ensure it’s fully visible on various devices and platforms. The key is to get your message across in a way that sparks curiosity without giving away too much information (to entice people to open up the email to learn more).

Be descriptive
Sometimes, it’s better to be direct and descriptive with a specific hook. This means that if someone is skimming through their inbox, they will instantly understand what the main gist of your email is and can open it up to explore further. Try to communicate the benefits of your promotions, or call attention to specific deals. For example, ‘Our Hydrating Serum is back in stock’, ‘The 72 hour surprise sale starts now’, 

Use actionable words
A really useful way of encouraging recipients to take action is to use actionable language in your subject headers. Words like ‘Discover’, ‘Explore’, ‘Unlock’ or ‘Get Started’ convey a sense of engagement. By using verbs that prompt action, you create a sense of excitement and motivate readers to open your email. 

Create a sense of urgency 
People are naturally driven by a fear of missing out (FOMO) – my hand is up! Injecting a sense of urgency into your subject headers can trigger this instinct, compelling recipients to open your email promptly. Words like ‘Final Hours’, Limited Time Offer’, ‘Exclusive Access’  or ‘Ends Tonight’ can create a sense of immediacy that encourages action.

Use all available real estate
Although the subject line should be short, the preview copy or pre-header can be a little longer and further entice recipients. BUT don’t repeat the subject line in this section! It’s too valuable to go to waste. Instead, highlight something that was introduced by the subject line or include a detail that the subject line might not indicate is included. For example:

Subject Line: My waitlist is now OPEN
Preview Header: Be the first to know when my Byron Bay Retreat launches 

I hope you found this article helpful. However, if you would like to hand over your email marketing to an expert, I’d love to chat with you more. Get in touch here.