One element of an email carries major responsibility in getting your message in front of your recipients - your subject line.
1. Keep it short - Research indicates that readers are likely to find shorter subject lines more credible. Try and keep your subject lines simple and short – preferably four to seven words.
2. Avoid the over-hype - Keep your subject line intriguing and exciting, but not too over the top. You're excited about your product and you want your recipients to feel the same, however there is a fine line between stirring up excitement and just plain hyping up a product to your customers. Your subject line should speak to the good qualities of your product or service, but avoiding going overboard and making it seem like the end-all-be-all of everything out there. Customers are more shrewd than ever before and they can tell when someone is overdoing it.
3. NO to spammy words - Certain words and phrases create a negative impression in the readers’ mind and might guarantee instant deletion of messages. Avoid using the following word examples in your subject lines or your email messages: Free • Your own • For Only • Dear Friend
Also, don't start your subject line with any of these example words: Free • Hello • Buy • Buying
If you use an Email Service Provider (ESP) to send your email, it should have a ‘Spam Checker' tool available for checking your Spam Score for each email campaign.
5. Add a brand name - Various recent studies show that email campaigns featuring brand names in subject lines tend to have higher open rates. Use this to your advantage, if you're promoting three different products, pick the most popular one and feature it in your subject line. You may be surprised at how simple and effective this trick actually is.
6. Be matter of fact - Go for the obvious: a generalized description of what your email is or what will be found in it. For instance, “Email Designer Email Bulletin, July 28th is as basic as you can get, but it tells the recipient, probably in the middle of wading through hundreds of spam emails, that your message is the real deal. A straightforward, honest subject line tells recipients that your email, when opened, delivers familiar, trusted content.
