Did you know that businesses account for 108.7 billion of the 196.3 billion emails sent worldwide daily (Source: The Radicati Group). That’s a heck of a lot of competition, especially when you consider that only 18-22 percent (Source: MailChimp) of business emails are being opened by their recipients!
So how do people decide which emails to open and which to ignore? Well, according to Business-2-Community, 64% say it comes down to the best email subject lines.
We’ve talked before about how the best email subject lines are the ones that really “wow” the recipient – short, to the point and valuable. But sometimes, you have to take it a step further to really stand out from the competition. Sometimes, the best emails subject lines are the least formal and the most personal.
Be sure to read our 10 best cold email subject line ideas to consider when building your next campaign.
Informal Email Subject Lines
Business emails tend to be formal, but – for some – that approach has become old fashioned. These days, a less formal and more personal approach is often preferable and more successful. For example, headline capitalization screams BUSINESS EMAIL! Instead, consider using sentence case and a casual tone, much like you would with your friends or family. Here’s a before-and-after example…
- Before: How to Write the Best Email Subject Lines
- After: Interested in learning how to write the best email subject lines?
While there’s nothing wrong with the original headline, the second headline comes across as more of a conversation starter.
Personalized Email Subject Lines
Another way to grab the recipient’s attention is by personalizing the email – subject line and content. In fact, Marketing Land cites that personalized emails deliver transaction rates six times higher than non-personalized emails.
Personalization can be a simple matter of throwing in the recipient’s name a few times, but the more data-based insight you use to personalize the content and subject line, the better your results will be. For example, you could use names, job titles, industry specific information, location or even personal interests. Just be sure to keep personalization appropriate and in accordance with your business relationship. Here’s a before-and-after example…
- Before: 20 Ways to Write the Best Email Subject Lines for Your Industry
- After: John, I found 20 tips to help you write the best email subject lines for real estate agents!
Going Beyond the Best Email Subject Lines
Writing the best email subject lines is only half the battle. You also need a means of successfully delivering those emails to the largest possible audience. Sign up for a one-on-one demo to learn how our Email Lead Generation software can help.
