Top Email Subject Line Tips to Get More Opens
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2024 8:56 am
A/B testing ensures that your email campaigns are as effective as possible. Simply put, it's the process of comparing two versions of something (e.g. your email subject lines) to see which one performs better.
Maybe you want to rebrand, change your approach to nurturing leads , or maybe try out a new idea for your cold email marketing campaign that might seem crazy at first glance. This is where A/B testing comes in handy.
Through these tests, you can determine which variations get more people to open your emails, click through to your website, or make a purchase. You can also use it to test the effectiveness of different calls to action, length, personalization, and more.
What to test in your subject lines?
If your subscribers don't like what they see in their inboxes, they won't bother usa number data reading any further. Take the time to craft attention-grabbing and highly responsive subject lines.
You can use the tips from our post for psychological hooks that make people want to open an email.
You'll need to create two versions of the same headline (A and B) and send them to random recipient segments to see which one resonates better with your audience. You can never be too sure what will make your recipients open your messages until you test it.
But what are the criteria for testing?
These are some of our tried and true test parameters, but don't limit yourself - everything is testable!
1. Intrigue
We've all seen those highly creative email subject lines that are meant to pique people's curiosity.
Don't open until after dessert
We don't usually do this.
We've been waiting MONTHS to announce this...
I'm pretty sure you too have had something similar in your inbox at least once. And you might have read articles claiming that no one can resist creatively intriguing subject lines because it's human nature to be curious.
Well, maybe yes, maybe not. There are also marketing experts who disagree, assuming that fun and creativity are not always the key to success. Sometimes, keeping it simple is the best way to go.
marketers have recently tested subject lines according to the parameter Intrigue vs. No Intrigue. What will bring more email opens: if it directly tells what the email will be about (Variant A) or maintains the intrigue (Variant B)?
Maybe people are more likely to open an email when they see that the message inside will be about something they are interested in?
2. Sense of urgency
Studies show that incorporating a sense of urgency and exclusivity into an email subject line can increase open rates by 22%. And we at Snov.io can confirm this!
Here's another A/B test from our marketing team. Will creating a sense of urgency (Variant A) get people to open an email, or will they react better to a gentle reminder (Variant B)?
There is also another reason why adding a sense of urgency works wonders. Using urgency-inducing words and phrases like Today Only , Expires , Fast , Instant Access , Last Chance or Now or Never promise your recipients the right rewards that are just a click away. It would be a huge mistake if it wasn’t used to increase open rates.
3. Subject line length
The shorter the better. But sometimes, it's hard to put everything you want to say into a concise headline.
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You can try different lengths of your subject lines, but remember that 82% of marketers send emails with subject lines that are no longer than 60 characters with spaces (6-7 words). Otherwise, such headlines will not be visible on mobile devices.
Additionally, a recent study found that 7-word subject lines are the best in terms of overall audience engagement.
Best subject line length
Source: Marketo
Still, this doesn't mean you can't experiment with longer headlines, as some prospects may be curious to see a cut-up subject line and are more likely to open the email and find out what's going on.
4. Subject line tone
Does a more casual tone result in more openings, or does a more serious tone work better? Should you include some wit and humor in the subject line, or should you avoid it?
Striking the perfect balance between serious and humorous can be tricky: you don't want your email to seem boring, but you also don't want it to be overshadowed by a funny subject line.
A disruptive FinTech tool to simplify your accounting
A FinTech tool to liven up your accountant
On the one hand, a playful tone could result in more email opens. After all, who doesn't love a good laugh? But on the other hand, you don't want to come across as too casual or unprofessional. So what's the right move?
The answer is simple: it depends on your target audience. For young audiences, a playful tone is definitely the way to go. You might have a knack for writing catchy subject lines that make people smile. But if you're targeting an older, more serious demographic, you'll want to avoid any jokes or references that might fly over their heads.
Additionally, a more serious tone might work better if you're trying to sell a product or service, while a more playful tone might work better to announce a new product or service.
5. Personalization
As practice shows, the opening rate is much higher with a personalized subject line. The recipient's name included in the headline can increase your chances of getting a response by a whopping 30.5%.
Attn.: [Name], Marketing Director at [Company]
Attn.: Marketing Director at [Company]
Meanwhile, personalization doesn't necessarily involve just adding your recipient's name to the subject line. You can also try adding the company name, role/position, or a special business event/conference based on their location.
Maybe you want to rebrand, change your approach to nurturing leads , or maybe try out a new idea for your cold email marketing campaign that might seem crazy at first glance. This is where A/B testing comes in handy.
Through these tests, you can determine which variations get more people to open your emails, click through to your website, or make a purchase. You can also use it to test the effectiveness of different calls to action, length, personalization, and more.
What to test in your subject lines?
If your subscribers don't like what they see in their inboxes, they won't bother usa number data reading any further. Take the time to craft attention-grabbing and highly responsive subject lines.
You can use the tips from our post for psychological hooks that make people want to open an email.
You'll need to create two versions of the same headline (A and B) and send them to random recipient segments to see which one resonates better with your audience. You can never be too sure what will make your recipients open your messages until you test it.
But what are the criteria for testing?
These are some of our tried and true test parameters, but don't limit yourself - everything is testable!
1. Intrigue
We've all seen those highly creative email subject lines that are meant to pique people's curiosity.
Don't open until after dessert
We don't usually do this.
We've been waiting MONTHS to announce this...
I'm pretty sure you too have had something similar in your inbox at least once. And you might have read articles claiming that no one can resist creatively intriguing subject lines because it's human nature to be curious.
Well, maybe yes, maybe not. There are also marketing experts who disagree, assuming that fun and creativity are not always the key to success. Sometimes, keeping it simple is the best way to go.
marketers have recently tested subject lines according to the parameter Intrigue vs. No Intrigue. What will bring more email opens: if it directly tells what the email will be about (Variant A) or maintains the intrigue (Variant B)?
Maybe people are more likely to open an email when they see that the message inside will be about something they are interested in?
2. Sense of urgency
Studies show that incorporating a sense of urgency and exclusivity into an email subject line can increase open rates by 22%. And we at Snov.io can confirm this!
Here's another A/B test from our marketing team. Will creating a sense of urgency (Variant A) get people to open an email, or will they react better to a gentle reminder (Variant B)?
There is also another reason why adding a sense of urgency works wonders. Using urgency-inducing words and phrases like Today Only , Expires , Fast , Instant Access , Last Chance or Now or Never promise your recipients the right rewards that are just a click away. It would be a huge mistake if it wasn’t used to increase open rates.
3. Subject line length
The shorter the better. But sometimes, it's hard to put everything you want to say into a concise headline.
Collect CEO emails quickly
Find CEO email addresses in a snap
You can try different lengths of your subject lines, but remember that 82% of marketers send emails with subject lines that are no longer than 60 characters with spaces (6-7 words). Otherwise, such headlines will not be visible on mobile devices.
Additionally, a recent study found that 7-word subject lines are the best in terms of overall audience engagement.
Best subject line length
Source: Marketo
Still, this doesn't mean you can't experiment with longer headlines, as some prospects may be curious to see a cut-up subject line and are more likely to open the email and find out what's going on.
4. Subject line tone
Does a more casual tone result in more openings, or does a more serious tone work better? Should you include some wit and humor in the subject line, or should you avoid it?
Striking the perfect balance between serious and humorous can be tricky: you don't want your email to seem boring, but you also don't want it to be overshadowed by a funny subject line.
A disruptive FinTech tool to simplify your accounting
A FinTech tool to liven up your accountant
On the one hand, a playful tone could result in more email opens. After all, who doesn't love a good laugh? But on the other hand, you don't want to come across as too casual or unprofessional. So what's the right move?
The answer is simple: it depends on your target audience. For young audiences, a playful tone is definitely the way to go. You might have a knack for writing catchy subject lines that make people smile. But if you're targeting an older, more serious demographic, you'll want to avoid any jokes or references that might fly over their heads.
Additionally, a more serious tone might work better if you're trying to sell a product or service, while a more playful tone might work better to announce a new product or service.
5. Personalization
As practice shows, the opening rate is much higher with a personalized subject line. The recipient's name included in the headline can increase your chances of getting a response by a whopping 30.5%.
Attn.: [Name], Marketing Director at [Company]
Attn.: Marketing Director at [Company]
Meanwhile, personalization doesn't necessarily involve just adding your recipient's name to the subject line. You can also try adding the company name, role/position, or a special business event/conference based on their location.