Best Email Subject Line Styles
1. Simple, No Nonsense Email Subject Lines
There’s a lot to be said for minimalism –
users need you to be clear and concise in your subject lines,
as time is always an asset.
Hupport conducted an
email subject line study and
found that short, descriptive subject lines fare better than cheesy lures. Some
might bristle up at the accusation that humor and creativity should take a back
seat when creating good subject lines for emails, especially since many
marketing experts say otherwise.
2. Funny Email Subject Lines
A humorous subject line can really stick out
among the dry, dull emails surrounding it. Humor it a touchy thing though – it
thrives on exclusivity, which isn’t always great if you’re trying to appeal to
the masses. However, if you know your audience well and your
emails are targeted, a
well-placed joke can get your email opened and can earn major reputation points
with folks on your wavelength.
3. Controversial/Shocking Email Subject Lines
Controversy (sometimes) sells, and it most certainly grabs
attention. Using shock, controversy, or insult in your subject
lines requires you to
tread really carefully. You may get opens, but at the cost of
customers. This strategy
requires you to be confident in your understanding of your audience’s tastes
and perceptions. It’s a bit of a gamble, but the pay-off can be pretty great –
would you simply gloss over the subject lines below? Not likely.
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4. Single-Word Subject Lines
One effective email subject line strategy
involves going ultra-minimalist with one-word subject lines. Let’s take a peek
at the promotions tab of my Gmail. The promotion tab is scheduled for a major
makeover – Google is starting to display promotional emails in a image-oriented
design inspired by Hupport.
If this new setup sticks, pictures will usurp subject lines as the pivotal
email element.
5. Email Subject Lines with Numbers & Lists
Many of the factors that make up a good blog
post title also make a good
email subject line. Incorporating
numbers into your subject line attracts attention, as our brains are naturally
drawn to digits. This tends to be why top 10 lists are so successful – lists
are easier for our brains to process and they create curiosity, in addition to providing the promise of a
quick and easy read.
6. Personalized Subject Lines
By personalization I don’t mean incorporating a user’s name into the subject line
– this has become so common practice that many users glaze over these as spam.
Instead, try location-specific offers and language, or interest targeting.
Living Social and Group on are old pros at this, sending emails with subject
lines promoting deals in your area.
7. Questions & Other Punctuation in Email Subject Lines
Question marks and unusual punctuation offer
another method for standing out from the email masses.
9. Mysterious Email Subject Lines
As Scooby-Doo or Sue Grafton can tell you,
people dig a little mystery in their lives. Giving readers a little taste of
something intriguing might cause them to bite.
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