Five Tips to Writing an Effective Subject Line

Miranda Paquet reports:

"Writing a great subject line will ensure you attract your readers’ attention and convince them to open your message. But have you ever wondered if your subject lines could be more effective?...Your subject line is really important because it’s the first impression you’ll make on your readers. The goal of a subject line is to stand out in the inbox, grab your readers’ attention, and convince them to open your email...Remember that a lot of readers are going to be looking at your email from a mobile device, so you have a small space to work with. For best results, limit your subject line to about 40 characters (50 characters is the sweet spot on the desktop) so that nothing gets cut off. Think five to seven words...Certain language like ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Free,’ or loud punctuation like all caps or multiple exclamation points can send your email to the spam folder...Questions are great because they pique your audience’s interest. If a contact is scrolling through their inbox and they see a question, they’ll want to click on your message to get an answer from your business...By including a deadline, you’ll create a sense of urgency with your reader and you’ll show them that your message is timely and that they should open it...[P]eople love lists because it’s really easy to digest the information. They know when they open your email they’ll have a really clearly laid out set of points that they can scan through quickly. Think about what kind of lists or tips would be useful for your audience, and include it in your next email newsletter...Tweaking your subject line slightly can improve the impact of your next email newsletter."