The average person spends only three to four seconds deciding whether to open an email or not, therefore the email subject line is ranked as one of the most important piece of content you can write. A good email subject line creates interest and entices the customer to click to open then the email copy can do these rest to drive engagement.
There are three type of email subject lines that give people different reasons to open an email.
1. Curiosity subject lines
These subject lines pique the interest of subscribers and encourage them to click to find out more. Examples include:
Thrillist: “What They Eat In Prison”
Kate Spade: “Ready for your close up?
GrubHub: “Last Day To See What This Mystery Email Is All About”
2. Benefits subject lines
These subject lines clearly state the reason why subscribers should open an email and the benefits they will gain from doing so. Examples include:
IKEA: “Get more kitchen space with these easy fixes”
Sephora: “Your beauty issues, solved”
Duolingo: “Learn a language with only 5 minutes per day”
3. Scarcity subject lines
These cause subscribers to feel like they are missing out on something important f they do not open the email. and engage with it, otherwise known as Fear Of Missing out (FOMO). You can use this fear in your subject lines by adding an element of scarcity (limited availability) or urgency (limited time). Examples include:
Guess: “Tonight only: A denim lover’s dream”
Home Depot: “Hurry! Labor Day savings end tonight”
Digital Marketer: “[URGENT] You’ve got ONE DAY to watch this…”
The email subject line can be a tough nut to crack. The key to making a subject line work for your list is to consistently provide value in all of your emails. Only send an email when you have something important to say: always make sure your campaigns are packed with value. If you do this, you’ll train your subscribers to open your emails no matter what the subject line says.
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