The Science of Subject Lines
The average email user receives over 100 emails on a daily basis. Without a good subject line, your audience isn’t going to read the rest of your content. Subject lines = your ticket to standing out in an inbox. That's why they are arguably the most important piece of copywriting when it comes to email content.
Given the importance of subject lines, I understand why you'd be interested in crafting the perfect ones. So what makes a subject line stand out? An effective tool is to look to evoking our natural instinct towards curiosity. Here are 6 subject line categories that work. Plus examples!
6 Types of Email Subject Lines That Will Increase Your Open Rates
QUESTIONS
Instead of stating a definitive statement, using a question invites the reader to participate and provide the answer. Humans are conditioned to answer questions to the point where it starts to feel like a reflex. Quite simply, questions stimulate the brain.
What are you doing Friday?
When did beige become oatmeal? 🤔
Need a Last-Minute Gift?
Note: If you use this technique, the first part of the email should directly address the question you posed in the subject line.
TEASERS
Sometimes it is good to maintain a little secrecy to create curiosity for the recipient. Curiosity is a valuable marketing tool — one that often drives us to take action. The “mystery” tactic is known for its ability to pique the natural curiosity and interest of the recipient, requiring them to open the email to find out what exactly it offers. When used responsibly and sparingly, teasers can produce powerful results for open rates.
Well, I didn’t expect this to happen
Wait. There's more?!
Prepare for compliments…
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Anything new and shiny is always going to be enticing. Being straightforward when you have something to offer is key for this one. Here are a few ways to let readers know you've got something new to share.
Our First Video of the Year!
❤️ The -Day Edit is here ❤️
It’s open 🪞
NUMBERS & LISTS
Our brains are naturally drawn to numbers. We are wired to look for the highest return for the lowest investment when it comes to information processing. It's for this reason that statements like "in 15 minutes" and "5 ways to" make the reader compelled to learn more. This is also a classic headline-writing technique that you will see on many news and content websites.
3 books 📚 you should probably read this year
My ultimate list for a mindful maternity…
5 Unexpected Valentine’s Ideas
COMMANDS
Authority is a powerful driver of conversions on many advertising landing pages, and it can be used in subject lines too!
Before you go to bed, do this
SLOW DOWN 🚫
Don’t take risks when it comes to gifting.
THE UNEXPECTED
It’s nothing new. We as humans respond and make decisions based on emotions. Trigger the right emotions in people encourages them to take action and open your e-mail. Subject lines in this category might be clever and interesting, trendy, or controversial.
My first week on Bumble
SUNDAY FUNDAY
Mom needs a margarita stat. 🍹
More tips:
Use emojis if it feels fit for your brand voice and tone. During an entire year of A/B testing with a client, we saw better open rates with emojis.
Don't forget the preview text! (This is the part that shows up in the inbox right after your subject line.) It’s basically a second subject line!
Create urgency when it's of relevance. Eg. a sale that is ending or a special offer that is only available for a limited amount of time. FOMO is a powerful emotion.
Try using some personalization. Personalization, specifically when used in the subject line has been proven to increase open rates to as much as 78%.
And finally, you might want to know what a good open rate is…
For most industries, the average open rate is 20% (2022) for opening brand emails. So how can you convince the other 4 in 5 people to get interested in opening your email? Writing a compelling subject line!