When using email marketing, you have to grab someone with your subject line. A well-crafted subject line can make the difference between the “open” and “delete” button.

1) Be Specific.

Would you open an email with a subject line “Email” or “Newsletter”? Probably not. But how about a newsletter promising to give you some specific information about a subject you’re interested in?

2) Tell the Truth.

Don’t send out a newsletter with the subject “About last night…” with the hope that people will be interested and trick them into opening the email. Unless of course your email really is about last night.

3) Be Enticing.

What you want to do is give a little “come on.” Use a subject line that gives a hint but doesn’t give away the farm, so to speak. Encourage the reader to open and find out more.

4) Don’t Use ‘Spam’ Words.

There are certain words that will increase your ’spam’ score, increasing the likelihood of your email winding up in the junk folder. (Who can tell us why we didn’t include a list of such words in this article?) Contact us if you need advice on this.

5) Experiment: Find Out What Works For You.

One way to test your subject line skill is to create two really snazzy subject lines for your newsletter and send it out to half your list with one subject line and half with the other one and see which gets the most response.

For more help with your e-newsletters, please contact us.