Why Subject Lines Matter

If we think about subject lines as finding the right key to unlock a door, then in terms of cold email, we need to find the right subject line that opens up the door to a new relationship with our prospect.

Many cold emails overlook subject lines, and focus primarily on the body copy, but to have your body of the email read, you first need to find out how to get it opened.

Truth is that most of your recipients don’t have the time to go through every single email they receive, so they will only open the ones that interest them personally.

And more importantly, your subject line paves the way for the rest of the email.

How To Craft A Good Subject Line

Keep it short

Be aware of how many characters you’re limited to in the subject section. If your subject line is too long, your reader won’t be able to see everything.

You should be looking to spark as much interest as possible using only a few words.

Make it relevant

You need to know who your audience is and what their problems or interests are. 

The goal of your subject line, as for the rest of the email, is to make it feel familiar to your prospects, like a common connection and someone who actually understands what they want. 

Make it human

Subject lines that are overly long and sound promotional often are discarded in the blink of an eye. 

Instead of a ‘salesy’ style subject line like; “Buy Now! 30% Discount!”, our goal is to come across as natural and personal as possible.

It’s an instant turn-off for your prospect as soon as they smell a hint of sales.

Don’t Use Clickbait

Your readers will genuinely feel let down if you promise something in your headline that has no relevance with what you say in the email body.

While a lot of marketers and journalists alike think clickbait is a great way of getting your content read, all it really leads to is your readers distrusting you, and in some cases leaving you with a nice profanity-filled response!

Constantly Test

Sadly, not one subject line will work forever, so it’s important for us to constantly test new subject lines to increase our open rates.

Furthermore, one subject line that performed well for prospects in one industry, might not do so well in another. 

Your subject lines could always improve. Never settle for just one.