Write effective email subject lines

The email subject line is what is displayed to recipients when they look at the list of messages in their inbox. Along with the preheader and sender information, this is one of the most important components of marketing campaigns that marketers can use to get higher open rates.

As subscribers' inboxes are crowded with promotional emails, it’s very important to write catchy email subject lines in order to stand out from competitors and increase your email open rates. You want to make sure every email marketing you're sending gets the attention and engagement it deserves. 

How to write great subject lines

In order to write a good subject line, there are a few different things to keep in mind. Here are the best practices to follow for your subject line to catch the attention of your email subscribers:

• Be mindful of the length of your subject line. If your subject line is too long, it won’t be displayed entirely in the email recipients’ inbox. To avoid this problem, it’s recommended to keep your subject line under 50 characters.

• Avoid spammy words and all-caps for your message to land in the inbox, and not in the spam folder. Some words used in subject lines generate higher complaint rates and poor engagement, and webmails (Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail…) might consider you as a spammer if you use them.

• Trigger the emotion of your contacts. For example, you can do this by creating a sense of urgency, by levering your recipients’ FOMO, or by making them intrigued. Find the right balance between giving enough information and still making subscribers want to open your email in order to know more. 

• Include emojis if you think it’s suitable for your audience (based on, for example, their age and location, or their use of social media). But be careful on which ones you use for your email campaigns. Different cultures might react to the same picture in different ways.

• Personalize your subject line. The more humanized and customized your email subject is, the more likely it is to generate openings. For example, you can use the recipients’ basic information (such as first name or location) to make them feel the email is only sent to them.