How email subject lines affect open rate

Email subject lines affect open rates. Getting people’s email opt-in permission is harder than ever – as it should be. Because so many spammers abused email over the years, the channel has been severely damaged for those who use it properly.

 

It’s easier than ever for an email recipient to report a message as spam or to simply opt-out – as it should be. But once that contact is off your opt-in list, they’re pretty much gone forever.

 

That’s why responsible brands and marketers today must be hyper-careful with their email construction and delivery.

 

Even the subject line must be scrutinized and A/B tested in a sample list before sending your message to a large list (but only half of marketers actually do this).

 

As many recipients open an email based on the subject line alone, it can potentially make or break your campaign.

 

69% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.

 

Best practices for email subject lines include:

-Keep it short/simple.

-Create curiosity and urgency, but don’t mislead or sensationalize.

-Personalize when possible.

 

Finally, there are no tricks or shortcuts. The SINGLE best practice for brands is to build trust with your audience over time by providing relevant, useful, timely #content.