How to write a subject line that captures a reader’s attention

There is one surefire way to get your ideal audience to read your content: a strong headline or subject line, one that grabs attention.

First things first: by subject line, I’m referring to the copy in your email campaigns that appears in people’s inboxes next to your name. By headlines, I mean the title of blog posts, opt ins, e-books, White Papers and all that jazz.

Both have the same goals:

1. Grab attention

2. Entice or compel people to keep on reading

Subject lines

Subject lines offer an opportunity to pack a personality-filled punch and stand out in crowded inboxes; they bring a brand voice to life. They facilitate brand recognition and build anticipation while giving a teaser of the forthcoming content to boost that much coveted high open rate.

There’s significant research about how to improve open rates, including stats that suggest using a first name in the subject line will increase your click-to-open rate. So, if your open rate isn’t great, have a go at adding a first name to some upcoming campaigns and see if it works for your audience and how it feels for you as you’re writing. If you have an engaged Instagram audience this is the sort of question you should ask your following to gauge how your audience would feel about receiving a digital marketing email with their name in the subject line.

Another consideration to increasing open rates is to be creative, thought-provoking (not click-baiting!), interesting, or maybe even a little bit FOMO-inducing. Let your email list in on what you, and your brand, are up to.

Alternatively, ask your audience what they are up to, and what they want. Question-based subject lines can be tied to problems and benefits, or upcoming sales, or a hack you’ve discovered. Think: Has this happened to you? Do you want to save time or money? Want a freebie?

The other thing you can try — if it’s in line with your brand, of course — is bringing your funny bone to the forefront of your subject line. Puns are fun, pop culture references can help your brand stay relevant, and emojis are an easy way to convey personality, warmth and humour — again, if they fit your brand.

Lastly, when it comes to subject lines, you must take advantage of the pre-header or preview feature! All providers come with a standard pre-header along the lines of ‘If you can’t read this in your email, click here to open in your browser’. Replace their default message with something that’s tied in to your subject line — or use it to compel or entice.

For example, for a promotional approach, the subject line might be ‘Do you want to save time and money?’ with a preheader of ‘You really don’t want to miss this email’. Another example of a subject line/preview power combo is a subject line of ‘I just lost 10 hours and $200 clearing out my inbox,’ with a preview reading ‘Don’t make the same mistake I made’.

Bottom line, the goal is to entice people to open your email and read it, and keep on reading to the bitter end.

Headlines

Headlines are a content marketing basic — and they are also essential to get right. When writing a headline you need to think: what’s in it for me? Not ‘me’ the writer, but rather ‘me’ the reader — your reader.

Think about what’s grinding your readers’ gears and how you address it. A popular and effective structure is expressing the problem expressed as a headline: How to lose weight.

Now, let’s extend that a little bit more and add what you can offer as a solution: How to lose weight without feeling hungry.

The powerful combo

Problem + the solution your brand can offer = perfect headline

When it comes to headlines, another option is to highlight a list, making it easy for your readers to understand what you’ll be telling them:

• Five easy ways to …
• My number one tip to …
• Five ways you can …
• My ten favourite hacks to …
• The top three must dos for …

Or you can try capturing attention through potentially controversial or provocative questions:

• Think you’re getting the best rate for your home loan?
• Is professional organising all about matching boxes? Think again!
• Is sugar really the villain?

Like all good things, figuring out what is going to resonate best with your reader and fit in with your brand is a process of trial and error.

But when it comes to online content and marketing emails, subject lines and headlines are essential to get right. They are integral to how we capture our readers’ attention and, in turn, their business.