While there are numerous factors that influence the open rate of emails, one of the most impactful and crucial elements is the email’s subject line. When most people see an email in their inbox, they first read the subject line, then decide if opening the email is worth it. The subject line plays the incredibly crucial role of showing the receiver why they should open and read the contents of the email, so here are a few of the ways that email subjects can influence open rate.

MAKE IT RELEVANT

When people receive an email, one of the first questions they are bound to ask themselves is, “Is this relevant to me?” If it isn’t relevant, the receiver is likely to either ignore the email or simply delete it rather than spend time reading it. The relevance of a subject line greatly impacts the open rate, as it will let the receiver know if opening it is worth their time or if it pertains to them at all.

The key to making a subject line relevant is ultimately knowing who you are emailing and considering what they would want to read. This can be related to things such as the industry they work in or the type of company they work for. Making the subject line directly relate to the receiver in some form will significantly increase your open rate, as they will see that the email applies to them, and therefore will be motivated to open it and read further.

PIQUING INTEREST AND GRABBING ATTENTION

While a topic relevant to the receiver can persuade them to open an email, something interesting or attention-grabbing in the subject line can accomplish the same thing. Many emails get ignored or overlooked because the subject line is uninspired and boring, giving the receiver little to no reason to want to open the email. Having a strong, attention-grabbing subject line can pique the receiver’s interest, ultimately motivating them to open the email.

You can grab the attention of the receiver in multiple different ways. For example, you could ask a question, have a strong-worded, bold claim, or even get creative with wordplay. While there are many different ways to pique the receiver’s interest in the subject line, it can be extremely beneficial to do so, as it will greatly increase your email’s open rate.

CONCLUSION

While there are many different ways to influence the open rate of your emails, one of the most reliable ways to do so is by experimenting with different subject lines. If your email system supports split testing or A/B testing, be sure to make use of the feature.

The subject line is usually the first thing the receiver sees, and it is up to that line to convince them to open and read your email. When a subject line fails to be relevant or interesting, the receiver will simply ignore the email or delete it outright. However, if you are able to make the subject line either relevant to the receiver or attention-grabbing, they will be much more likely to spend time opening it and reading it, ultimately increasing your open rate.

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