What Makes A Good Email Subject Line?

Don’t believe what they say. Email is not dead.
With the rise of social media over the past decade, many people naturally believed email would go the way of the fax machine, gradually becoming irrelevant in the rapidly-advancing digital era.
However, statistics from 2017 reveal that email is very much alive and kicking, proving to be 40x as effective as social for customer acquisition.
The incredible growth of email marketing last year saw it generate a whopping 760% increase in revenue for marketers.
And here’s the thing:
It’s going to keep growing.

Is Email the New King?

Radicati projects that email will have 3.7 billion users by 2019, almost double the number of Facebook users.
The truth is, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to be heard over all the noise on social media. The intense competition and over-saturated platforms make it harder for small businesses to reach their audience.
The latest changes to the Facebook algorithm continue to squeeze organic reach, meaning only those who pay to play will have any chance of growing through social media.
Email, on the other hand, is a streamlined channel, free of clutter. It provides you a direct path right to the inbox of your followers.
It is relatively easy as most of it can be automated.
Moreover, It is cheaper than many other channels, with research in 2017 indicating the cost per lead to be $39 for email marketing.
That was notably cheaper than social media advertising, which we now know to be even more important in 2018.
However, in order to harness the power of email, there is a vital aspect that marketers must master. Without it, all their efforts can fall at the first hurdle.
That challenge, is to master the art of crafting a powerful email subject line.

Why Your Email Subject Line Matters

Email open rates are a big factor in your conversion rates. Nailing your subject line is the key factor in driving those numbers. In fact, 33% of recipients open their emails based on the subject line alone.
All the rest of these cutting-edge additions and data insights can do a lot for your business. However, to maximize their effect, you need to get the customer to open the email first.
Lucky for you, leveraging the power of your subject line doesn’t take a huge investment.
It is low-hanging fruit that offers the possibility of high ROI for relatively little effort.  As they are so short, subject lines are perfect for A/B testing. It is easy to experiment with several different subject lines for each email and then learn about what works by tracking metrics such as open rates and conversions.
This is facilitated by the rapid development of AI and machine learning, which is creating exciting new possibilities for email marketing. The data insights it offers on consumer behavior makes it possible to quickly analyze the behavior of recipients and optimize for conversions. Research indicates even a 10% increase in data quality can lead to a bump of over $60 million in revenue.
This is what is transforming email into one of the most effective channels for capturing leads and driving online sales.
Put simply, it helps you connect with your audience.

How Email Marketing Helps You Connect With Customers

If you want to connect with your target audience through email, then there is just one word you need to keep in mind:
Personalization.
The fast-paced digital world means people have less time for anything that doesn’t interest them. It is crucial to make a personal connection if you want your business to get noticed.
Thankfully, it is getting easier to do that.
Email automation platforms like AWeber allow businesses to use the data insights on their customers to create segmented lists, grouping customers based on behaviors and interests. This makes it easier to target specific groups with more personalized emails, tailored to the customer, offering personalized product recommendations based on the customer’s previous visits, purchases and interests.
Using plain-text emails with a conversational, friendly tone helps to foster trust.
But before all that comes the subject line.

How to Write a Great Email Subject Line

To boost your open rates, it’s essential that you capture the attention of recipients immediately. You only have a few seconds and a single line.
It isn’t easy, but with these key ingredients, you can craft compelling email subject lines that will ultimately boost your online sales.

1. Be human

The top priority is to be personable. You must connect with your readers by writing subject lines that speak directly to them.
Here are some tips to really make that human connection and avoid coming off as a sales robot:

• • Drop the pushy sales tactics, nobody likes to be sold to. Just use conversational language that speaks to people like a friend.
  • Use emotion to cause a reaction. By evoking a positive or negative feeling in readers, you can engage their interest immediately, luring them to click.
  • Get on first name terms. Email marketing automation programs enable you to use the reader’s first name in your emails. This alone can boost conversion rates by 60% in some cases.
  • Never use ALL CAPS. Using all caps and a lot exclamation points looks like spam and makes it seem like you’re screaming at people. It’s the expressway to the trash can.

2. Short and Sweet

Less is more. Using concise language with action-oriented words that trigger an emotional reaction is a good way to grab your reader’s attention. For example, using words like ‘urgent’ or ‘important’ are proven to get more success. As many people open email on their mobile, research from Marketo indicates subject lines between 4 and 7 words will get the highest open rates.

3. The power of numbers

Research fromYesware indicates that subject lines with hard numbers get more engagement. Not only do they result in higher open rates, but they get more responses. Using surprising stats can help you stand out in a crowded inbox.
4. Make them curious
To really peak interest, try subject lines with a compelling question. Engaging the reader’s interest with an element of provocation or intrigue can entice people to open your email out of curiosity.

5. Make people feel special

Conversion copywriting has a lot to do with consumer psychology. Understanding how to tap into the desires of your audience makes it easier to sell to them. Creating a sense of exclusivity to make your subscribers feel special is a powerful technique. When done right, it builds brand loyalty and trust.

Focus on Connecting

You have just a few words and seconds to make it count.
As email marketing becomes even more important this year, increasing online sales will boil down to how effective businesses are at speaking directly to their audience.
Forging a connection with your subject line is an art.
Those who master it will enjoy great success in ecommerce this year.