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Top Email Subject Lines That Will Make Sure Your Email is Opened

One of the most important aspects of a company’s digital marketing efforts is its email marketing section. It is one of the constant lines of communication that showcase your e-commerce company and its many products and services consistently. Not only does it work as an avenue to market your company, but it is also a great way to make money online.

Close to 69% of businesses invest money and time on email marketing, and for a good reason – an email can get you a return of 44% ROI once you manage to get the right audience members. 

Subject lines constitute one of the more crucial aspects of an emailer as it is used to garner the attention of a first-time or recurring reader and receiver of your email. Your subject line can make or break an emailer, and with e-commerce companies depending on this avenue, it is a contribution you must pay close attention to. 

Luckily, as email marketing has progressed over the years, we’ve been able to find certain subject lines that work well. These lines have been curated by us to help you kickstart your email marketing efforts the right way and begin selling online. If you feel other subject lines belong in this list, feel free to add them to the comments below.

You could also check out this comparison between MailChimp and ConvertKit  to understand which email service provider will work best for you and your marketing efforts.

How Important are Subject Lines to Having an Engaged Audience?

For starters, email subject lines are the first thing your audience will ever notice about you in their inboxes. Fighting for inbox space has become a fierce battle, with the average person receiving close to 121 emails a day! Couple that with brands looking to jostle and stand out among the rest, you face an uphill battle trying to promote your e-commerce store.

Here’s a stat – 35% open an emailer based purely on the subject line alone. Automation and lead-generation have made it easier to receive data from the customer, including names. Using a person’s name in email results in a higher open and click-through rate compared to the others. 

Subject lines play a vital role in deciding the fate of your emails. Make sure you spend time researching the best ones to use to get the best results. With time, you’ll notice your intended audience responding positively to your emails, and you’ll know your subject lines played a significant role. 

Basic Prerequisites for Making Subject Lines Work

A caveat before we proceed – while subject lines can make or break your email campaign, it is important that you send your messages to the right people. Use a tool like ContactOut to help you find the right email address of the prospect you want to reach – this way, you avoid sending your message to the wrong target, and thereby maximize your open rates.

To make your subject lines work, you must first build three strong pillars to your email strategy. These three pillars will form the foundation around which all your email marketing efforts are geared towards.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind with regards to designing persuasive emails and making sure they work well:

  • A relevant email list – This is the first step towards ensuring your subject lines, ergo, your emails get opened and read. A good email list can be achieved by many exercises, including lead-generation forms on the website, social media advertising, and many more. What’s important for you is to notice the audience that is interacting with your website.

Relevant email lists will give you an indicator of the type of individuals interacting with your brand. Once you’re clear with that, you can tailor your email subject lines to work according to the audience base and move forward. As an e-commerce store, knowing your audience base is absolutely crucial as they are the ones who have a higher affinity towards purchasing your product over the long term. 

  • Good copy – While this is pretty much a no-brainer, you’d be surprised by the number of marketers who have seen an upturn in fortunes just by hiring a strong copy team. Certain email marketers have seen numbers go up by 45% after they’ve spent extra effort on improving their copy, so it just goes to show the role it plays in a strong email. 

Good copy can also be the hallmark of a great brand because you’ll be able to own a space in the mind of your reader and audience. It acts as a precedent to your company and will undoubtedly see audience members look forward to opening your emails. 

  • Well-designed subject lines – A good subject line impresses the reader, and a great subject line pushes them to open their email and go through its contents. That’s where you have to play a role in choosing the right subject lines. Find the ones that suit your business, and depending on the intention of your email, deploy the same.

Most subject lines revolve around psychologically engaging the customer with the use of certain catchphrases and words. We’ve broken down some of the best in the business for you to go through and use:

Some Great Subject Lines That You Can Take Cue From

Subject lines can revolve around various psychological capsules that can entice a customer to click and open them. The better you’re able to evoke an emotion, and the higher are your chances of getting a click-through.

Here are a few types; you could try:

  • Curiosity-inducing – These subject lines get the audience interested and curious with regards to the content present in the emails. There are a few lines that can evoke this sort of a response from them, including the likes of:
  • Is this you?
  • Ten unknown facts about Thanksgiving
  • DON’T open this email
  • What’s with this $200 hair-trend
  • Cheetos wouldn’t want you to know
  • It’s all that it takes to be successful
  • We have the secret right here.

 

  • FOMO – FOMO lines are those that create a feeling of missing out among the audience. During the dull periods of a sales season, you could use FOMO subject lines to get the best returns in CTRs and open rates. These lines include:
  • Sale for $43 shirt ends today
  • Your discount expires NOW!
  • In case you missed out…
  • Your prescription is slowly running out…
  • These books are too good to miss!
  • Starbucks – by invite only!
  • You’re missing out on this!

 

  • Emails addressing pain points – Certain companies are smart enough to identify the pain points in their customer’s lives and address them directly in their email subject line. This, in turn, creates a sense of curiosity in the mind of the customer and prompts them to open:
  • Where do all the toys go?
  • What happens after you run out of stock?
  • All beauty issues solved here
  • Since we can’t all win the lottery…
  • Feed guests without really breaking the bank
  • Don’t waste money on ink…
  • A 30-second sales pitch

 

  • Re-targeting emails – Re-targeting emails are ones that are used towards audience groups who have reduced or stopped interacting with your brand. It is a great way to rekindle that lost connection and get them to click:

 

  • Still interested in the deal?
  • New things are in store!
  • It’s only been a month!
  • Hey, did you forget this?
  • Pick up from where you left this off
  • It’s been a while
  • We’ve missed you! Please come back!

 

  • Funny subject lines – Funny subject lines are always an excellent way to grab the attention of your reader as humor never fails to work. There are a few subject lines that end up working immediately as they bring a smile on the face of your reader:

 

  • We like being used…
  • We’d like to teleport you to the shopping cart…
  • Where to drink beer right now…
  • How can you waste time without wasting time at work?
  • Four kinds of people to avoid on New Year’s
  • Look what you did, bro!

 

  • Social proof – Sometimes, the best kinds of email subject lines are those that work because actual people are validating the same. These can include links to testimonials that speak in benefit of your brand:

 

  • Top reviewed styles from customers
  • Here’s what XXX celebrity had to say…
  • Simple recipes from our best customers.
  • Psst.. your friends are up to something
  • These are the people’s favorites…
  • Here’s what our clients are saying

 

  • Offer email subject lines – An obvious entry into this list because offer subject lines are always a great way to grab anyone’s attention, at any point of the day. Here are a few examples you could use to get them to click on a good sale:

 

  • Two for two
  • 25% OFF on everything!
  • Everything must go!
  • Meet your new shirts
  • Get a head start
  • Get priority access

Conclusion

Thus, with great subject lines come high ROIs and amazing click-through rates that improve the quality of your leads. Learn to use your subject lines effectively to get more people interested in your brand and the company’s online presence.

The following is a great list of some excellent software for e-commerce you could use when it comes to email marketing. These have been curated explicitly as great alternatives to Mailchimp, offering you the best outlets with which you can get started with the above subject lines.