If you are using email marketing to keep in touch with clients and prospects, you will want to have your emails opened. That is the first hurdle.
Whatever your current email open rate is (the number of emails opened divided by number sent) – don’t pat yourself on the back. Look to improve it.
Open rates are affected by these things:
Your sender name - are you consistent with this? Is it a name your audience knows (actual names work best rather than a company)
Time of day – some email systems allow send time optimisation. If yours does not, send emails at the time your audience is likely to be looking at their PC or mobile
Preview text - this can make a difference too to entice opens
Subject line itself which is what we will focus on.
Subject Line Success
For good subject lines focus on this:
Keep It Short
There are different schools of thought on this. A lot will depend on whether your emails are mainly read on PC or mobile. But aim for 8 words max but shorter if mobile centric.
Keep It Relevant
Your email subject has to appeal to your audience - not you. Your emails need context as well as content. Put yourself in the shoes of your client – why will they want to read your email? If you can’t answer that, don’t send it. Then make sure the subject line shows the relevance of it.
Align It To Your Goal
There must be a simple goal behind every email you send. A purpose.
Ask yourself these questions:
Why are you sending it and to whom and when.
What do you want your audience to think and do?
Does your subject line align with this?
You can’t appeal to everyone, so don’t try and so. Try and appeal to as many as possible.
Subject Line Types You Can Try
Below are some ideas that I have seen work. The caveat here is that these will work for you, as you will have different goals, a different strategy, a different brand and so on. But use these as a guide to stimulate some ideas.
Create Curiosity
You can increase open rates by sparing people's curiosity, in that they will want to open the email to find out more. But make sure that your content follows through, because you want more than just an open - you want engagement.
"You will want to open this"
"For your eyes only"
"Keep this to yourself"
"Don't read this"
Use "New"
When there is something new you want to tell clients about, use this word in your subject line.
"NEW BTL Products For You"
“NEW Mortgage Market Update For You”
Use Brackets
From time to time, use brackets in your subject line to focus, to highlight one or two key words.
"(Interest Rates) Will They Go Up Or Down?"
Use Numbers
A number can stand out in someone's inbox that is full of words. Give it a try.
“3 Things You Should Know About Mortgages”
Use "How" and "Why"
Put one of these words in your subject lines to see if it makes a difference.
"How active is the property market?”
"Why will inflation begin to fall?”
Ask Other Questions
Ask general questions in your subject lines - and then answer this in your content.
"Did you know we help with Buy to Lets?
"Have you seen our latest blog...?"
"Did you miss this ?"
Use Some Visual Words
Finally, give this one a try. Use more "visual" words
"Have you seen this....?
"Look at this..."
"See what others say about us”
Try some of these things and see if your open rates can increase.