Best Practices for Crafting Your Next Subject Line
Here are a few key best practices to keep in mind when crafting your next SL.
Keep it Short and Intriguing
Keep in mind that subject lines past a certain length will get cut off, depending on the email provider and device the recipient is using. This has been proven to result in substantially lower open rates.
If you need to use a longer subject line, put the hook in the first few words.
For example, instead of “Public meeting about the new main street proposal erupts in city council,” write, "City Council erupts over new main street proposal in public meeting."
The reader is likely to only see “City Council erupts over new” and “Public meeting about the new.” Which would you open?
Be Honest
If you overpromise with your subject line and don’t deliver, you’ll harm the relationship you’ve worked so hard to build. Nobody likes to be manipulated or lied to.
A subject line that reads “HUGE sale starts now!” should contain a promotion for an actually huge sale, not a measly 5% off select items.
Likewise, be honest about your deadlines and timelines. Don’t say the sale ends tomorrow unless it does! This is a surefire way to lose the respect and support of your audience; and besides that, it’s wrong.
Create, Test, Refine
While the above best practices and methods for creating a hook are a tremendous launchpad, keep in mind that your audience is unique. Some of these methods may work better than others.
Luckily, you don’t have to guess.
With Deployer’s A/B Testing feature, you have the ability to seriously hone in on what works well for your audience(s). You can test a variety of components in your email marketing, including subject lines. Test on a fraction of your audience, discover what works best, and deliver to the remainder of your audience.
For the next step in your subject line mastery, see Rithm U’s tutorial on A/B Testing.
Best practices, for crafting your next subject line.
Here are three key best practices to keep in mind when crafting your next Subject Lines:
Keep It Short and Intriguing.
Be Honest.
Create, Test, Refine.
By the end of this tutorial, you will know how to follow each of these guidelines to craft the perfect subject line. Let's get started.
1. Keep it short and Intriguing
Subject lines past a certain length will get cut off, depending on the email provider and device the recipient is using. This has been proven to result in substantially lower open rates.
So if you need to use a longer subject line, put the hook in the first few words.
For example, instead of, "Public meeting about the new main street proposal erupts in city council," write, "City Council erupts over new main street proposal in public meeting."
The reader is likely to only see "Public meeting about the new." or, "City Council erupts over new,"
Which would you open?
Also, make sure to keep your email intriguing.
You need to give a reason for someone to open an email.
For example, let's say your audience is the Swifties.
Which subject line would provoke you to read more in the email:
Breaking: Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce
or
Taylor Swift seen on date with famous football player
The first subject line tells you the whole story while the second one leaves room for mystery, prompting the recipient to open the email for the full scoop.
2. Be Honest.
If you overpromise with your subject line and don't deliver, you'll harm the relationship you've worked so hard to build.
Nobody likes to be manipulated or lied to.
A subject line that reads, "HUGE sale starts now!"should contain a promotion for an actually huge sale, not, a measly 5% off select items.
Likewise, be honest about your deadlines and timelines.
Don't say the sale ends tomorrow unless it does!
This is a surefire way to lose the respect and support of your audience.
3. Create, Test, Refine.
While keeping it short and staying honest are tremendous launchpads for creating a great subject line, it's important to also keep in mind that your audience is unique.
Some of these methods may work better than others. Luckily, you don't have to guess.
With Deployer's AB Testing feature, you have the ability to determine what works well for your audience and what doesn't.
You can test a variety of components in your email marketing, including subject lines, on a fraction of your audience before deploying to the rest.
To learn more, I highly recommend you watch our lesson track on AB testing, found in the deployer section of Rithm University.
Congrats! You now know how to craft the perfect subject line.
Next time you sit down to create a subject line, remember what you learned in this lesson track:
Every great subject line starts with a hook.
There are many ways to create a hook.
you can always look back at the second tutorial in this track for a refresher!
When crafting a subject line, keep these best practices in mind:
Keep It Short and Intriguing
Be honest
and Create, test, and refine.
By implementing everything you've learned in this track, you will be sure to get plenty of eyes on your next email.
Now, go hook your audience with an amazing subject line.
Thanks for watching!
We look forward to seeing you next time, here, at Rithm University!
