In the years since its inception, email has transformed business communication. It is reported that on average, a typical business email user may receive more than 100 business email messages a day. Beyond that, email users receive about 500 email marketing messages each month. That’s a lot of messaging! But, since email marketing is intended to get potential customers to see a message, open it, and then act, how can you overcome the inundation of messages in order to achieve success? The answer is to improve email subject lines.
Is Email Still an Important Marketing Tool?
The swift and direct answer is “yes.” 85% of American adults actively use email, so it continues to be a personal and powerful way to connect with people. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing has the highest ROI of any marketing medium, returning $40 for every dollar spent in email. That makes improving email subject lines critical to each business’s marketing success.
Here’s why email marketing is an important channel that should not be ignored. Email is:
- Easy to use, inexpensive and very cost-effective. Email creates a way for business owners of every size to reach many consumers at a very low cost.
- More effective for customer acquisition than social media.
- Customizable and personal and can be targeted to reach customers in an effective way that will build relationships, resulting in brand loyalty and trust.
- Action-oriented. People are now naturally “trained” to do something with an email, including replying, forwarding, clicking-through, and buying.
- You can track who opened your email, tally the number of clicks and check on unsubscribes.
Create Subject Lines that Guarantee Customers Will Open Their Email
In order to maximize the impact of your messages, follow these tips to improve your email subject lines:
- Keep the subject line short and easy to read. People have short email attention spans, so keep to 6 to 8 meaningful words.
- Don’t look like spam. Don’t be highly sales-y and don’t use promotional “spam” words that will get you ignored like “free” and “buy now.” Avoid all caps and multiple punctuation marks.
- Ask open-ended questions. This will help grab readers’ attention.
- Include a deadline. Help each reader plan to act.
- Give a direct command—provide some directive instruction.
- Try creating a list of solutions that engages interest.
- Make an announcement that creates shared enthusiasm.
- Use some humor. Email subject lines don’t need to be stuffy and formal.
- Write something in an unexpected or clever way. Stimulate each reader’s curiosity.
- Leverage “fear of missing out.” Customers want to get in on deals; to be in the know.
- Make a specific offer.
- Key in on what may be called the “pain points;” things your product or service can overcome.
- Appeal to vanity. Help customers feel better about themselves.
- Show some social proof using some evidence of others who like what you are offering.
A Few Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t do these:
- Make the messaging impersonal with a “Dear Customer” salutation.
- Spam the inbox with too frequent messaging.
- Write lazy or unappealing email subject lines.
- Create messages with no call to action.
Seek Professional Marketing Assistance
When you want to move strongly and smartly ahead with your marketing programs, contact VisionPATH Marketing. With more than 15 years of experience working with small businesses, we have developed powerful marketing strategies and the tools to help you succeed.