Your subject line is the single most important element of your marketing emails, so it's well worth taking the time to craft an effective one for every campaign.
In a crowded inbox, a well-crafted subject line can mean the difference between a customer opening your message or ignoring it. Get it right and your message is likely to achieve higher open rates and better campaign results. Get it wrong and your email could be heading straight for the Deleted folder! At Smart Messenger, our powerful email marketing platform is backed by tailored support from friendly experts to help you get the most from your campaigns. Here are our top five tips for creating successful subject lines that drive engagement and conversions.
1. Keep It Short and Sweet
Aim for subject lines to be short but engaging and ideally between 40 to 50 characters. This ensures your headline will be fully visible on most email clients and mobile devices. Use your email preheader (the small amount of text that appears under the subject line in the inbox) to provide additional context and entice recipients to open your message. For guidance on preheaders, take a look at our Email Preheader Tips.
Tip: Try to get your main point across in as few words as possible. For instance, instead of saying "Check Out Our New Summer Collection of Clothing" you could say "New Summer Collection Out Now!"
2. Personalise for Better Engagement
Opportunities for personalisation go well beyond simply addressing your customer by their first name. Tailor your subject lines to reflect your recipients' preferences, past behaviours, and interactions with your brand. Personalised subject lines can sometimes double your open rate.
Tip: Use dynamic tags to insert personalised elements like the recipient’s name, recent purchase, interest or location. For example, "Sarah, Experience the Edinburgh Festival in Style!"
3. Highlight Promotions or Seasonal Themes
Connecting your subject lines with seasonal events or promotions can significantly boost open rates. However, to avoid your emails appearing spammy, take care not to sound urgent or desperate!
4. Use Numbers and Lists
Refering to numbers or lists in your subject line signals that your email offers bite-sized, readable information that could be helpful to the recipient, giving them a reason to open it.
Tip: Incorporate numbers to highlight key points or benefits. For example, "5 Ways to Boost Your Productivity This Month" or "Our Top 3 Holiday Hideaways ".
5. Test and Analyse
No two audiences are the same, so it's a good idea to test different subject lines to see what works best for your specific customer base. You can do this across several campaigns or use A/B testing to try different versions of a subject line in the same campaign and find out which one performs better. Our guide to Using A/B Testing To Shape Successful Campaigns provides helpful information on this topic.
Tip: Experiment with different styles, lengths and tones. Track open rates and engagement metrics to see what resonates most with your audience.
Why Choose Smart Messenger?
At Smart Messenger, we understand that every business has unique needs and challenges. That's why we offer personalised services, including:
- Free Training: Our personalised onboarding session will help you get off to a great start with Smart Messenger.
- Unlimited Phone Support: Call us whenever you need guidance from our friendly experts.
- Dedicated Account Manager: Receive tailored advice and support from our helpful team.
- Affordable Plans: With plans from just £10 per month, we're making fully supported, powerful email marketing accessible for organisations of all sizes.
Smart Messenger is the perfect partner to help you achieve your email marketing goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your business.
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