The subject line and sender determine whether a message is opened at all.
How to Ensure Your Email Doesn't Go Unnoticed or, Worse, Land in Spam?
The subject line and sender are the most crucial factors determining the success of your entire email marketing campaign. The sender should be a person with a name or nickname. Emails from a known sender are more likely to be opened. Always pay attention to sending newsletters from the right address, and for increased openness, use different email addresses, e.g., [email protected].
Good subject lines are key to good open rates. Without a compelling subject line that captures the reader's interest, you won't achieve the basic purpose for which you sent the email in the first place.
Tips for crafting the subject line:
- take your time: spend at least as much time on the subject line as on a paragraph of content;
- keep it short: roughly 30-50 characters, because mobile displays often cut off longer subject lines (test it);
- test: most tools allow A/B testing of subject lines, always use it;
- personalize when it is natural (e.g. "Ana, I have something for you"), but only if you really have the name;
- ask a question or promise a benefit the content really delivers (e.g. "3 mistakes when choosing a mattress");
- address the target group (e.g. "For everyone who loves the sea");
- ask for help when you really need it (e.g. "Help us choose the wall color");
- use one emoji as an accent, not in every part of the subject line;
- be mysterious but honest: the content must deliver on the promise of the subject line (that is the difference between curiosity and clickbait);
- do not overdo CAPITAL LETTERS and sales words ("free", "sale"): they increase the chance of the message landing in spam;
- use the preheader: the extra line the reader sees next to the subject line.
Do not use misleading subject lines (fake "Re:" or "Fw:", false urgency): in the EU they are an unfair commercial practice and damage the sender's reputation.
Frequently asked questions
The subject line is what the recipient sees before opening. It determines email open rate - if it is not engaging, the email will not be read at all. Testing and optimizing the subject line is one of the most important steps for improving email marketing results.
Personalization (recipient name), time urgency (only if it is real), a question that sparks curiosity, a concrete benefit ("Save 30% on.."), and numbers. A/B test at least two subject lines with each send.
A recommended length is roughly 30-50 characters; mobile displays often cut off longer subject lines, so test them. Put the most important words at the beginning, as they are often cut off on mobile devices.
Words that trigger spam filters: "free", "earn money", "click here", excessive exclamation marks (!!), and caps lock. Spam filters are increasingly sophisticated, so consistently avoid "spammy" language.
Split the list into two groups (e.g. A = 20%, B = 20%, winner = 60%) and send different subject lines. After 2-4 hours, select the subject with more clicks and send to the remainder. Most email tools (Klaviyo, Mailchimp) have this feature built in.
My name is Anže, I am a certified Magento solution expert and the maker of several award-winning online stores. I am the architect of all Degriz projects.
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