Are Your Email Subject Lines Working As Hard As They Should Be?

The online research journal eMarketer reported that the number of email messages sent in the U.S. will hit 2.7 trillion in 2007. People who use email at work receive an average of 134 emails a day.

When an email shows up in a prospect’s inbox, it’s one click away from the trash can. It has to grab attention, spark interest, and demand to be opened. The subject line is your golden ticket into the prospect’s imagination.

3 Tips For Writing Subject Lines That Try Harder

There’s no “magic bullet” for writing subject lines that get your message read. But there are a few key pointers that can make a significant difference.

Short and sweet. Most email programs will only display the first 50 characters (including spaces) in your subject line. So you always want to stay under that number. Make a compelling statement in as few words as possible. 50 is considered the maximum — but many experts recommend shooting for as few as 35 characters for the best results.

Identify yourself. Messages from senders that people recognize are the most likely to get opened. So including the name of your business is one of the best ways to grab attention. Many commercial senders include their business name in brackets at the start of the subject line. For example:

[XYZ Agency] Your Health Quote

Don’t write like a spammer. Email users can spot junk mail with half a glance. Writing a “hard sell” or sensational subject line is a sure way to get your message sent straight to the trash. So don’t use exclamation points, or say things like “Free” and “Save Now”. And whatever you do, don’t use ALL CAPS.

Taking It Further

These tips are a good starting point. But to make your emails even more effective, you should test two subject lines against each other for every campaign. This means splitting your mailing list into two segments and sending each segment the same email with two different subject lines. To learn more, check out last month’s article about split-testing email campaigns.

A good email campaign can turn doubtful prospects into loyal clients. With a little effort and imagination, your subject line can grab attention and have more people reading your sales message.

Jeremiah Desmarais and his team have won 3 awards in 2006 for their marketing initiatives that touch ProspectZone’s client base and carrier relationships on a daily basis. He is author of several white papers, and has been a contributor to the Agent’s Sales Journal, Health Insurance Underwriter as well as a guest speaker at various carrier events and workshops. He is a member of the Society of Industry Leaders. He welcomes feedback at jdesmarais@prospectzone.com

Free Newsletter

Internet Lead Newsletter Receive your monthly newsletter!