How to write the perfect subject line

You can use conditional subject lines for the emails you send via the Webpower platform. That means that you can show the right subject line for different segments (or target audiences/customer profiles), all in the same email.

Tip 1. When you receive a message from a person or organisation that you know and trust, there is a much larger chance of you opening and reading the email. First of all, you should make sure that you have entered the correct sender name. It is the first thing your recipient sees and an important factor in their decision whether to open the email;

Tip 2. Short, shorter, shortest. Put the most important words of your message at the front. Keep the various devices on which someone may receive your email in mind. The available space provided by the device or app determines what your recipient sees. For example, the Outlook app on an iPhone will show the first 45 characters of a subject line. However, the pre-header is shorter and divided across multiple lines. If you use Gmail, you have roughly the same number of characters available for the subject line and the pre-header. However, is someone has set up automated labels in Gmail, this will detract from your pre-header. In all cases, keep the display methods on different devices in mind when drawing up your message;

Tip 3. Avoid the use of the passive form and words such as “can,” “may” and “hope.” Use the active form instead. You can convey the same message with fewer words and activate your recipient to open and click. For example: “Book a cheap holiday to Ibiza today” is more effective than “You could book a cheap holiday to Ibiza today.” Avoid “We may be proud to present our new collection of sweaters exclusively to you.” Instead, use “We are proud to present our new collection of sweaters”;

Tip 4. Myth busted: there is no golden rule for the number of characters in a subject line. There is no evidence to suggest that a subject line with a certain number of characters results in a high(er) open rate. However, it is important to make sure your entire subject line is visible on all devices;

Tip 5. Make sure that your message conveys the content of your email well. Avoid misleading your audience and be honest: the sender, subject and pre-header should go well together to provide an honest impression of the email’s contents;

Tip 6. Personalise your subject line with the recipient’s first name, company name or a different database field and segment your subject line for different audiences by using conditional subject lines.

Tip 7. Decide how to address your audience and make sure to properly manage their expectations: your subject line should match the business’ style. Avoid the use of popular phrases like “Hi, you there!” when you send an email on behalf of e.g. an insurance provider. On the other hand, it may be perfect for a different type of organisation. In some cases, emails that resemble messages from friends (Hi, how are you?) can be very effective;

Tip 8. Do not use only capitals and exclamation marks. Some spam filters assign negative points for that. Other characters, such as &^%$ and % are not a problem. Just don’t scream! It is fine to use words such as “sale” or “discount,” as there is no evidence to suggest that these words necessarily perform worse;

Tip 9. Write persuasively: try to create a sense of urgency. Take a look at Cialdini’s principles of persuasion, of which urgency is one;

Tip 10. Be creative. Write a surprising text and use the occasional emoticon to draw your audience’s attention. Do not overdo it, however: no more than four per subject line (although we recommend using fewer);

Tip 11. Test your subject lines, for example with an A/B-test. A small nuance can make a huge difference. Which subject line works best depends on the organisation and the sector;

Tip 12. Spam filters evaluate the subject line and the pre-header separately and in different ways. It is not true that subject lines are rated more harshly. To a spam filter, the pre-header is part of the email’s body text.

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