Email Marketing Subject Line Best Practices

This article discusses email best practices by listing various dos and don’ts that can help you reach a recipient’s Inbox.

The four main things to remember when writing subject lines are:

Do's:

• Add personalization - Personalization is shown to increase open rates for most users, and may work well when combined with targeted automations such as birthday deals and post-purchase follow-ups.
• Be descriptive - Sometimes, it's better to be direct and descriptive than trendy. Seasonal slogans such as "Fall into savings" or "Sizzling summer bargains" are popular but don't offer a specific hook. Instead, try to communicate the benefits of your promotions, or call attention to specific deals.
• Keep it short - For many recipients, especially those reading your emails on mobile devices, shorter is often better. We recommend you use no more than 9 words and 60 characters.
• Limit punctuation - Our research shows that it’s best to use no more than 3 punctuation marks per subject line. Too many punctuation marks can make your email look like spam, especially if you use a lot of special characters.
• Use emojis carefully - According to our research, you should use no more than 1 emoji at a time. - Use emojis to supplement words rather than replace them, to make sure your main message gets across.
• Promotion - Include promotions and/or sales in the subject line to entice users to open the email

Don'ts:

• Put spaces between letters in words

• Create subject lines that are more than 50 characters (20-40 characters is ideal)

• Use all caps

• Use a lot of punctuation!!!

• Make spelling or grammar mistakes

• Plea for recipients to open your email (“Read me!”)

• Give away everything in the subject line

• Use only one word

• Use the same words in the subject line a lot in the body of the email

• Add “re:” or “fw:” to subject line to deceive readers

• Trick readers with a false promise

• Use the word “Help”, it is typically ignored by readers

EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SUBJECT LINES IN OUR SYSTEM

• Your Daily Horoscope and Local Weather 11 December 2021

• Jenna, Jump Start the Holidays at Colonial Kia

• Cyber Monday Daily Deals All Week

• Cyber Week starts early – shop amazing savings

• Treat Your Tastebuds to Lobster Night

• Save Big with the blu PLUS+ Xpress Bundle

• See our brand new Cadillac specials

WORDS TO AVOID IN SUBJECT LINES TO AVOID SPAM FILTERS

• !!!

• #1

• $$$

• 100% free

• 100% Satisfied

• 4U

• Accept Credit Cards

• Act Now!

• Ad

• Additional Income

• Affordable

• All natural

• All new

• Amazing investment decision

• Amazing

• Investment decision

• Amazing stuff

• Apply now

• Apply Online

• As seen on

• Attention

• Auto email removal

• Bad Credit

• Bargain

• Best price

• Billing address

• Billion

• Buy direct

• Call

• Call free

• Can't live without

• Card Accepted

• Cash bonus

• Cents on the dollar

• Cheap

• Check

• Claims
  Click / Click Here / Click below

• Click to remove

• Collect child support

• Compete for your business

• Congratulations

• Cost / No cost

• Credit

• Credit bureaus

• Dear friend

• Decision

• Dig up dirt on friends

• Discount

• Do it today

• Double your income

• Earn $

• Earn extra cash

• Eliminate debt

• Email marketing

• Explode your business

• Extra income

• Fast cash

• Fees

• For free

• Form

• F r e e

• Free and FREE

• Fast cash

• Financial freedom

• Free gift

• Free grant money

• Free info

• Free installation

• Free investment

• Free leads

• Free membership

• Free offer

• Free preview

• Free website

• Full refund

• Get it now

• Giving it away

• Guarantee

• Here

• Hidden

• 'Hidden' assets

• Home based

• Home-based business

• Hot

• Income from home

• Increase

• Increase sales

• Increase traffic

• Increase your sales

• Incredible deal

• Info you requested

• Information you requested

• Leave

• Legal

• Limited time offer

• Lose

• Lose weight

• Lowest price

• Make $

• Marketing

• Marketing solutions

• Message contains

• Money

• Month trial offer

• Mortgage Rates

• Multi-level marketing

• Name brand

• Never

• No gimmicks

• No hidden Costs

• No investment

• No obligation

• No purchase necessary

• Now

• Obligation

• Offer

• One time / one-time

• Opportunity

• Order / Order Now / Order Status

• Orders shipped by

• Partners

• Performance

• Phone

• Please read

• Potential earnings

• Pre-approved

• Prices

• Print out and fax

• Priority mail

• Profits

• Promise you

• Rates

• Real thing

• Refinance

• Remove / Removal

• Reverses aging

• Risk free

• Sales

• Satisfaction guaranteed

• Save $

• Search engine listings / search engines

• Serious cash

• Solution

• Special promotion

• Success

• Stock disclaimer statement

• Stop snoring

• The following form

• Thousands

• Trial

• Unsolicited

• Unsubscribe

• Urgent

• US dollars

• Web traffic

• Weight loss

• Wife

• Win

• Winner

• Work at home