Short post today designed to help you write more compelling, interesting subject lines.

Good subject lines draw you into the message where the message does its job of sending you to the landing page.

With that in mind, your subject should be catch your reader’s attention and pair with the first sentence to draw the reader in.

(That’s the reason you don’t want any of those ‘fine print’ messages at the top of your email. Many ESPs force you to put one there by default. Get rid of it.)

Subject line pointers.

  1. Keep the copy shorter than 35 characters.
  2. Vary the length.  One word subject lines can stand out. Next one, longer.
  3. Pair the subject line with the first sentence in the copy.
  4. Use a reader benefit if possible.
  5. No double meanings.
  6. Don’t try to be funny or clever.
  7. Start the subject line with “Learn, How to, Discover, Find”
  8. Start the subject line with “Get” followed by a benefit.
  9. Try to say why the reader should read the email.
  10. Curiosity can work but you have to have the content to match.
Try these tips when you sit down to write your email.
Our best practice when we write copy is to write 10-12 versions of a subject line BEFORE we craft the email copy. Often you’ll see one version that will jump out as more interesting and powerful than the others.
Good luck.