In a world where people consistently spend up to seven hours a day online, what better way to advertise and inform than by putting it online?
Connecting via email makes it easily noticeable and accessible. However, the vast majority of companies today are also dying for online attention. Unlike billboards, storefronts and signs that can easily stand out in a physical space, your audience's inbox has no limit on the number of emails it receives. Your email will be alongside hundreds of other emails, all with the same goal of getting people to notice and open them.
So how do you make sure your email is the one that snags your audience’s attention?
Easy: by effectively using your subject lines!
Subject lines are the first touchpoint your consumer has with any email. It’s vital that your messaging is concise and enticing enough to prompt the viewer to open it. Some of the three key best practices I’ve found for optimizing subject lines are:
1. Length
The character limit for subject lines are already fairly short. Even then, I always try to aim for as short as possible. Most consumers today look at emails on their phones, this means you only have the width of the screen to make your point before you’re cut off. Get straight to the point and avoid unnecessary text .
2. Punctuation
Exclamation points can draw the eye or drive customers away if you use them too often. Too many exclamations may feel insincere or over the top to the consumer. Question marks are a great way to spark curiosity and prompt someone to open your email. Pro tip: make sure you don’t make it sound too much like clickbait. Your audience is smart, they know what they like, and even if it’s just opening an email, most people don’t like the feeling of being tricked into doing anything. The same philosophy for exclamation points goes for emojis. They can be fun and attention grabbing as long as you don’t overuse them.
3. Preview Text
Since your character count is limited, a great way to add more information or detail is to use your preview text. Make sure the most important info is in the subject line, so it doesn’t get lost. I like to think of the subject line as the hook, and the preview text as the opportunity to reel them in.
Finally, when I’m out of ideas or looking for something new to put in my subject lines, I turn to the Klaviyo Subject Line Assistant. The Subject Line Assistant is an AI program that takes your unique business information and generates a copy that incorporates best practices. You can customize the generator for each type of campaign, this way your subject line will always be on target. The best part of this assistant is that you can re-generate as many times as you want. This is an excellent tool at your disposal for moments when you need some brainstorming help..
Subject lines may seem like a small or slightly insignificant detail in the grand scheme of marketing. However, if you learn to use them effectively, and spend a few moments optimizing each one, you can:
- boost the effectiveness of your emails
- build your audience
- be an even more successful marketer
Now I’d say that’s worth it!
-Chelsea Grove (
Akers Digital
Want to talk further about all things ecommerce? DM me or connect on our partner page, Akers Digital!
Resources available to keep learning and other resources created by Chelsea:
- How to use emojis in subject lines and email templates
- How to use Klaviyo's subject line assistant
- How to insert preview text into an email
- Best subject line practices blog post