Subject lines are really powerful. They are often the difference between whether your painstakingly-written email gets opened, or sent to the depths of an inbox to never be seen again. What’s more, subject lines are email marketers’ make-or-break – getting the subject line right is key to inducing action, encouraging opens, and connecting with your users. But getting it wrong, and believe us, it is far too simple to do so, can lose you that elusive click.
Being Too Vague or Misleading
The largest pitfall for email marketers is crafting a subject line that is too vague or misleading. Vague subject lines, like “Check this out!” or “Don’t miss this,” do not provide the recipient with a clear benefit or incentive to open the email. Conversely, dishonest lines—such as promising an existing discount that was never there or exaggerating the worth of content being delivered—will lose trust in your business instantly.
Your subject line needs to be exactly balanced between informative and engaging. Use honesty and simplicity, but also highlight the value your email is providing. Instead of “Big news inside,” make a specific statement like “Announcing our new VIP member rewards program.”
Not Optimizing for Mobile
With more than 40% of emails being consumed on mobile platforms, not optimizing for mobile in your subject lines is a missed opportunity. Boring subject lines will appear cut off when viewed on tiny screens, so the most powerful part of your message goes undetected.
To prevent this, use subject lines of less than 50 characters. Use concise, short words and get to the point. Again, concision and clarity become even more necessary when designing for mobile users. For instance, “50% Off Everything Today Only” clearly gets its message of value out fast and will never be truncated.
Using Too Much Punctuation or Emojis
Too much of anything will be seen as spammy, and this is especially true for punctuation and emojis in subject lines. The use of more than one exclamation point in a subject line (e.g., “Hurry!!! Limited Time!!!”) or more than one emoji (e.g., “????????SALE ALERT???????”) will overwhelm your recipient, giving the impression that your email is unprofessional or even possibly suspicious.
While punctuation and emojis can in fact bring personalization and emphasis, they must be used sparingly and deliberately. If an emoji is not necessary to include or a use of copious punctuation does not serve a purpose, it’s better to leave them out entirely. Periodic use of one emoji is more effective without being overdone, like “Your exclusive invite awaits????”.
Leaving Out Personalization
Failing to personalize your email subject lines is another common mistake that can reduce engagement. Personalization is more than just adding the recipient’s name to the subject line; it’s about tailoring messages to align with their preferences, behavior, or demographics. Subject lines like “Hi Sarah, here’s a deal you’ll love” can increase open rates compared to more generic lines.
But make sure your personalization attempts sound natural. Don’t use too many personalization tokens so that it sounds unnatural or contrived. Blend personalization with contextually appropriate content to form a genuine bond.
Not A/B Testing Subject Lines
Lastly, perhaps the easiest mistake to avoid is failing to test your subject lines. A/B testing with marketing pros like King Kong allows you to send two variations of a subject line and see which works better. To not test is just guessing on what appeals to your audience.
Send tests on a regular basis to find out what works best, whether numbers, questions, jokes, or deadlines. For instance, test “Exclusive today only offer just for you” against “50% off everything that ends tonight” to determine what generates more sales. Utilize such findings as a reference point for writing subject lines that work in future campaigns.
How to Write Subject Lines That Work
Avoiding these typical mistakes will help you create email subject lines that are seen and responded to. By being brief, mobile-friendly, judiciously punctuating, taking care to personalize, and testing regularly, you will not only drive higher open rates but also have a better relationship with your audience.
Your email’s success often hinges on the strength of the subject line. Nail it, and you’re one step closer to creating campaigns that convert.
