Great email subject lines are your Open Sesame to getting your emails clicked, read, and obviously, opened. I actually used “open says me” as one of my all time best performing subject lines. (open says me, open sesame…Get it? GET IT?!))
You already know that, just like you, your readers get a ton of emails everyday. So what makes them open one over another? An eye-catching subject line, my friend!
Feelin’ the pressure? You’re not alone. Subject line intimidation is REAL. That’s one reason why I created this subject line generator, free for all to use.
So let’s take a look at the top five email subject line mistakes people make — and how to avoid them.
5. Making the Subject Line Too Long
The short story: Long subject lines are hard to read—especially on mobile devices, which is where most people are reading their email—so keepit short and sweet.
Brevity is key in best practices for email subject line length.
You want your subject lines to be clear, concise, and to the pointSave the meat of your conversation for inside the email Shorter subject lines will give you a better chance at getting your emails opened by readers.
- Keep your subject lines 5 words or less for maximum impact.
- Make the most intriguing part visible on mobile for higher open rates.
I’ve been on a one-word subject line lately and I’m not gonna lie, they are FIRE with my audience.
4. Write for a Friend, Not for a Blog Post Title
Forget about search engine optimization when it comes to email subject lines. In other words, don’t write blog post titles for subject lines and stuff them with keywords!
Inboxes are not indexed by search engines the way that social media, YouTube, and Google are. Yes, there’s a search bar in all email platforms, so technically there’s indexing happening, but people input search terms differently within their inbox. Usually it’s by email address or highly specific keywords they know will be in the body of the email.
Think about your subject lines the way you think of writing a text or email to a friend. Make it personable, relatable, and intriguing
Best practice for email subject line content: Make it Fun!
So forget about keywords and click-baity titles (like clichéd subject lines you’ve seen a hundred times) and write like a human. .
- Imagine you’re writing to a friend, not your entire list. What would make it fun for them to open the email?
- Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. What bold faced words in the subject line t would make your email irresistible?
3. Writing the Subject Line First
If you get overwhelmed by the subject line and it blocks you from sending out your email newsletters,try writing the email first. There’s no email marketing rule book or SOP that states you have to craft that subject line first. Some, maybe most, writers and marketers don’t write the subject line first. It’s not a recipe and it’s not a house. There’s no right or wrong order to craft an email.
Best practice for the process of writing an email.
- Flip the process and start with your email first!
- What’s your core message in two or three words? Nailing that down will make it easier to create a more honed-in subject line.
2. Using Tricks Too Much
There are a lot of tips and tricks that I could give in this blog post. Like put a personalized name in the subject line, ask a question, add fake spelling mistakes or get creative with words. I’m not saying don’t do this, but everything in moderation, and only when it feels true to you and your business.
We all want to stand out in our subject lines, but too many tricks and gimmicks can feel like you’re trying too hard. I’m ALL for FUN. Just keep in mind that doing it all the time might make your subscribers’ eyes glaze over, and skip your email altogether.
Best practice for subject line tricks?
- Use them sparingly.
- Keep your value high and predictable, while leaving the gimmicks unpredictable.
1. Using “RE:” in Subject Lines
Using “RE:” at the beginning of a subject line was once a cool novelty that worked. Over time it’s been overused, and by marketers who were borderline spammy. It might seem like your email is a response to an existing conversation or a continuation of a thought, but these days it’s more dirty trick that annoys readers than clever subject line fun.
Maybe just don’t use it as a way to get people to open your emails.Cause it probably won’t work and will damage your reputation with your audience.
BONUS Subject Lines Faux Pas: Focusing Too Much on the Subject Line
Subject lines matter! But who the sender is matters even more. If somebody knows you and they’re familiar with your name or your business name in the sender section, that is more likely to get opened than the subject line.
I wrote a subject line, where the subject line said, write a compelling subject line, because I had forgotten to write or change the subject line. My longtime subscribers, people who really know me, opened it anyway. That email still had an excellent open rate.
So when you can focus more on getting people to understand who you are in the inbox and how you can help them, and why they should open every single email, the subject line becomes secondary to the sender.
People want to buy from people, my friend. So be real and keep the subject lines simple.
The TL;DR Version of Email Subject Lines
- Mistake #5: The never-ending subject line.
- Correction #5: Keep it short and sweet, especially for mobile users.
- Mistake #4: Writing like it’s an SEO contest.
- Correction #4: Instead, write like you’re talking to a friend.
- Mistake #3: Starting with the subject line.
- Correction #3: Write your email first, then craft the perfect subject line.
- Mistake #2: Too many tricks and gimmicks.
- Correction #2: Focus on good content and concise subject lines.
- Mistake #1: Using “re:” unless it’s a genuine reply. It’s just a dirty trick that annoys people.
- Correction #1: Just skip it. Make every email a fresh email.
Want more help with getting your emails opened? Check out my 90-minute workshop all about subject lines and the content you need to get your emails opened every sing time– Open Sesame.