{"id":1511,"date":"2015-05-08T14:16:45","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T14:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/firetext.wpengine.com\/?p=1511"},"modified":"2023-02-10T15:46:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T15:46:04","slug":"6-email-subject-line-best-practices-every-small-business-should-know-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firetext.co.uk\/blog\/6-email-subject-line-best-practices-every-small-business-should-know-2\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Email Subject Line Best Practices Every Small Business Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

People make snap decisions about the types of emails they decide to open.<\/p>\n

This means that even if someone is a fan of your business and is interested in what you have to say, they may be less likely to open your message if your subject line fails to make an impression.<\/p>\n

Finding the perfect subject line can take some time, but with a little work you could soon be writing subject lines that get more opens and help improve your email marketing results.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here are 6 tips to help you get started from our friends over at Constant Contact<\/a>:<\/p>\n

1. Use the 2-2-2 principle<\/h4>\n

The\u00a02-2-2<\/strong>\u00a0principle offers a simple structure for writing subject lines.<\/p>\n

The first\u00a02<\/strong>\u00a0stands for the two seconds you typically have to compel your customer to pay attention. The second\u00a02<\/strong>\u00a0represents the first two words of your subject line that determine whether or not your customer will read the rest of the subject line. The third\u00a02<\/strong>\u00a0stands for the \u201cto\u201d in today. Why does your email matter today<\/em><\/strong>?<\/p>\n

2. Be careful not to be misleading<\/h4>\n

It may not be your intention, but if your subject lines aren\u2019t telling the whole truth or are structured in a way your customers may misunderstand \u2014 then you could be putting your reputation at risk.<\/p>\n

To avoid any potential mix-ups, consider asking a colleague or staff member to read your subject line and email content before you hit send. Is your email delivering what your subject line promises? Do people know what to expect when clicking to open?<\/p>\n

These answers may seem obvious to you, but they should also be clear to the reader.<\/p>\n

3. Keep it short and sweet<\/h4>\n

What good is your subject line if people can\u2019t read it? Make sure your subject line doesn\u2019t get cut short by keeping it under 40 characters or about five to eight words.<\/p>\n

Your readers want to scan through their inbox quickly. Sometimes subject lines that use only a word or two can stand out and get the most engagement.<\/p>\n

4. Create urgency, just not all the time<\/h4>\n

Sometimes people will need a little urgency to persuade them to open your email. This is especially important when you\u2019re running a special promotion or if you have any important deadlines coming up.<\/p>\n

In these situations, the difference between using a subject line like: \u201cOur annual end of summer sale is next week\u201d<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cOnly 5 days until our end of summer sale begins\u201d\u00a0<\/em>can be huge. One tells people you\u2019re having a sale, and the other provides a countdown that causes people to take notice.<\/p>\n

5. Be specific and relevant<\/h4>\n

If you were in an elevator with a potential employer and you only had a few seconds to sell yourself, I\u2019m guessing you wouldn\u2019t start with some long-winded monologue about where you grew up and how much you loved little league.<\/p>\n

Get to the point. The only way you\u2019ll inspire your customers to open your email is if they know exactly what\u2019s inside and they\u2019re intrigued.<\/p>\n

6. Questions are good<\/h4>\n

Why should you use questions in your subject lines? Questions are a great way to focus your readers\u2019 attention and piquetheir curiosity.<\/p>\n

Questions also feel incomplete on their own. Using a question will inspire readers to open your email in search of an answer.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t rely on our advice alone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take a look at your own inbox and see which emails you\u2019ve been opening.<\/p>\n

Putting yourself in your contacts\u2019 shoes is one of the best ways to write a subject line that will get you noticed and boost your business.<\/p>\n

This post was written by Tamsin\u00a0Fox-Davies.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tamsin has made it her mission to help small business people achieve their dreams and create successful and sustainable organisations. As a Constant Contact\u2019s small business evangelist, she shares her valuable insight in a variety of ways from in-person training, to speaking at events and creating useful resources including blogs, articles, and newsletters.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

People make snap decisions about the types of emails they decide to open. This means that even if someone is a fan of your business and is interested in what you have to say, they may be less likely to open your message if your subject line fails to make an impression. Finding the perfect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sms-tips"],"yoast_head":"\n6 Email Subject Line Best Practices For Businesses - SMS Marketing Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We're joined by digital marketing experts at Constant Contact for top considerations for creating email subject lines. 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