Make Your Subjects Stand Out

Inbox Ideas | Email Marketing Tips by AWeber

Posted by Marc Kline

Consider what your subscribers see when they open their inboxes: a whole lot of junk. Most would be inclined to call this a whole lot of something else. But either way, it’s not something you want your messages to blend in with.

Fortunately, when subscribers do see your message, there are things you can do to entice them to open it. However, there are also things that can make them delete it, or click the dreaded ‘SPAM’ button.

Based on experience and research, you can follow these Dos and Don’ts as you consider your subjects:

Do:

Brand What They See

The best case scenario would have you entering a branded ‘name’ that appears next to your subject in your e-mails. This will free up real-estate for your subject line (see next tip).

Note that some ISP’s like AOL, will show the e-mail address instead, so if you have a lot of AOL subscribers, be sure you’re using an e-mail address at your own domain where subscribers had signed up or your something familiar to them in the subject.

Keep the Subject Short

Email programs cut off message subjects at varying lengths. Our research on the subject suggests that 30-40 characters is a good range to stay in. Studies show that open rates for messages go down after the 50 character length.

Test and Test Some More

We offer open-rate tracking so that customers can determine what works for their campaigns and what doesn’t. Very short, provocative subject lines with calls to action or longer descriptive ones? Names or no names in the subject? You be the judge.

Don’t:

Use an Irrelevant Subject

Your subject line should reflect the subject of the message, and the message should match with what they’d signed up for.

If someone subscribed for daily tips, send them the tips and invest in building trust with your subscribers and encourage their purchase of your products instead of demanding it up front.

Besides putting you in violation of the CAN-SPAM federal legislation, subjects and messages wildly off the mark will put you in the spam folder or very quickly in the trash.

USE ALL CAPS, Words Like ‘FREE’, or Lot.s of Pun#ctua^tion

That would be counterproductive in keeping your messages out of the spam folder and will make your messages appear as excessively salesy and spammy.

What have you found?

Any useful tips for subjects or experiences of your own you’d like to share? We’d love to hear what’s worked for you.

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13 Responses

Deane Brengle
February 20th, 2007 at 11:32 am

I like this little trick I picked up from Ralph Wilson (of Web Marketing Today fame): put the recipients name in the subject line just before the subject.

————
Example-

Marc Kline - Make Your Subject Line Stand Out
————

This insures that the recipient understands that it isn’t spam because you know their name.

I find using [AWeber Blog] in the subject line to be repetative. In the Microsoft Outlook preview pane I’m already seeing the email address Aweber Blog (I agree- a must). And if I’m not mistaken, Outlook is the most used email software.

Keep up the good work Marc!

Thanks
William Hawk
February 20th, 2007 at 11:39 am

Our highest open rates (70% plus) result from message titles with a number in them, like, "8 Ways…………" Maybe I learned this from you folks?

Our open rate for more generalized titles and content drops into the mid 50% range.

Your posting are great. Keep it up.
Tony
February 20th, 2007 at 11:51 am

Hi Justin,

Thanks for another great tip.

Whenever individuals subscribe to our ‘eBay Tips & Strategies Online Video’, part of our first message to them includes 2 words which, by
my experience, most companies don’t use. It may appear to be a small thing, but simply saying ‘Thank you!’ makes a big difference.

So much so that our double opt-in rate is in excess of 80%!

Keep these tips coming Justin. I, for one, really appreciate them!
Dawud Miracle
February 20th, 2007 at 2:01 pm

I’ve found that the best headlines and subjects are those that get right to the point of the problem in a way that highlights a solution. Hard to do sometimes, but I’ve gotten the highest readership from both my newsletter and my blog with headlines that do this.
David G
February 20th, 2007 at 5:55 pm

Justin,

We’ve found that sticking to a formula works over time, we always use the clients <firstname> then a dash and what the email is about.

People get used to seeing your emails that way & it helps to build a loyal customer base.

I’m interested to learn more about the # in the subject line increasing open rates - do you have any figures fellow blogger?

Thanks!

PS Will Aweber ever run an Email Marketing Seminar????
Tom Kulzer
February 20th, 2007 at 6:15 pm

Dave,

> PS Will Aweber ever run an Email Marketing Seminar????

I could tell you, but then I’d have to…..
All kidding aside, we don’t have any plans to hold in person
seminar’s but you can expect to see much more from Justin & Marc
in the email marketing webinar area.

I’ll probably be jumping in there periodically as well as time permits.
Jeff Baas
February 20th, 2007 at 9:54 pm

Another trick is to look at your own inbox and see what gets you to trust an email and what gets you to hit Delete. I do the things that lead me to open and avoid what leads me to delete.

As for what things are most effective in getting me to open, consistency is number 1. A familiar name or subject line assures me that it’s something I signed up for.

But simply analyzing your own reactions to the mail in your inbox can teach you a lot.
Florence
February 21st, 2007 at 1:54 pm

People have very little time and even less patience! I think the most important thing when using email as a marketing tool is to send people directly to the subject you are referring to. We have a varied and large amount of different items we sell on our website, so if I am featuring an item on sale I make sure the URL goes directly to that page and NOT to my home page. Eventually your customers will know your offers takes them to exactly that which you are trying to interest them in and not make them fish around your website to find it.
Eleanor Campbell
February 27th, 2007 at 9:32 am

HI:
Very informative.
thanks,
Carol Carlson
March 10th, 2007 at 12:52 pm

Not sure if I have this right. To get the stats on how many opened my emails isn’t the return address on the email from Aweber? If I have it from MY email address I cannot get the opening rate stats. Aren’t they less prone to open my email when they are seeing Aweber on the email address? Thanks.
Marc Kline
March 13th, 2007 at 12:10 pm

Carol,

To review open rates for your messages, you need only to include an HTML version. The ‘from/reply’ address will remain the same; in fact, your subscribers should see no difference in how the message appears.
» We’re All Here To Learn - AWeber Blog
March 15th, 2007 at 8:04 am

[…] A while back, Marc posted about how to effectively use subject lines. […]
Debbie
May 8th, 2007 at 3:18 am

Putting the subscribers name in the subject line makes it more personal to them, and gets them to open it up more often.

For myself when I see my name in the subject line I know it is from something I had subscribed to.