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All About Email : Capturing Attention

Best Practices for Email Subject Lines

June 2010 By Reggie Brady

After your from line, the most compelling thing motivating recipients to open your email is its subject line. You know the drill: To stand out in a cluttered inbox, you have to work hard to capture attention. Subject lines must be carefully crafted to develop innovative ways to present your latest promotions and products.

Think about how your company approaches email. You probably spend a lot of time planning the editorial and offer calendar and creating strong individual campaigns. However, subject lines are probably an afterthought. It's important to remember that one of your greatest points of leverage is the subject line. Do some soul-searching. Is most of your focus on the content of the email? Is the subject line constructed at the last minute? If so, you're missing the boat.

Here are some ideas you can put to use, and examples of what not to do.

Offers, Sales & Discounts
Here are the last five subject lines I received from an e-tailer that sends weekly communications:

  • Groundhog Day Sale - Save up to 50%
  • Red Tag Sale + Save up to 65% on Overstock
  • Clearance Sale + Additional 10% Off 90,000 Items - Code inside
  • Winter Sale + Promo Code Inside
  • Clearance Sale - Save up to 75%

Would you open them? What image do they project for the company?

The e-tailer gets credit for playing up Groundhog Day. But every subject line is essentially the same. They didn't capture attention because they're mundane — it's just a matter of which discount is offered each week. They also position the company as a discounter and nothing more. (In fact, in my view, this particular brand is not a discounter.)

Examine the email strategy for your company and brand. Too many companies are in lockstep with the company above, only focusing on quick sales. Your email program should have many more overall objectives.

Here are some subject lines with more pizzazz:

  • Old Navy: "Mystery Offer Ends Tomorrow! Save up to 50%." Intriguing.
  • Only Natural Pet Store: "Important News About Your Cat's Food + Save Every Time You Order!" Personalized for type of pet.
  • Wine Enthusiast: "Nothing Says I Love 'U' Like Free Shipping!" A Valentine's Day promotion without saying Valentine's Day.
  • Sephora: "Sample a new skincare routine - free Gift with purchase."
  • Patagonia: "FREE SHIPPING code + Ice Climbing Recommendations." Sale plus a captivating headline.
  • Omaha Steaks: "ABSOLUTELY LAST DAY | Below employee pricing | FREE Shipping | 4 FREE Tartlets." All about offer in several ways.
  • Office Depot: "Shop Smart and Stretch Your Dollars in 2010." Appeals to budget-conscious consumers.

Conventional wisdom says promotional subject lines should be short. You'll note that several of these are longer or introduce more than one concept. The Patagonia subject line, for example, promotes a special offer, but also includes an element that could be very intriguing to outdoor enthusiasts.

 

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--Chris Brogan, president of Human Business Works

“Social media isn’t inexpensive; it’s different expensive. The human effort required to do


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Available as a PDF.<BR> <BR>A guide to prospecting, lead generation, building an Opt-in database, tracking, social media integration, deliverability, mining content and balanced creative. While email marketing has reached maturity, there’s still plenty of life in this channel — if used wisely. <BR><BR>That’s the focus of this new guide to email marketing, with articles devoted to best practices for prospecting; continuing to build and refresh your opt-in file; how social and email work together; generating relevant content; keeping your messages safe from spam filters and junk-mail folders; and more. <BR><BR>Are you searching for ways to create stronger email marketing campaigns? <BR><BR>The DirectMarketingIQ and Target Marketing editorial teams have been researching, writing and collecting expert advice from industry leaders about how to create top-notch email marketing campaigns for years. <BR><BR>We’ve compiled this information and made it easy for you to find all in one place, with our easy-to-read report – <EM>Email Marketing That Works (2nd Edition)</EM>. Email Marketing that Works (2nd Edition)

Available as a PDF.

A guide to prospecting, lead generation, building an Opt-in database, tracking, social media integration, deliverability, mining content and balanced creative. While email marketing has reached maturity, there’s still plenty of life in this channel — if used wisely.

That’s the focus of this new guide to email



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ORDER NOW

 

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