Yesterday, we discussed which types of email subject lines can really get you into trouble long-term with your subscribers. Wearing down people with misleading or sensationalist headings will result in them viewing your emails with disdain each time they arrive. It’s not just about avoiding the biggest pitfalls and mistakes, however: what about creating great email subject lines that do the opposite? Crafting the best headlines possible is a refined art that you will not master in a short period of time, but can be refined over time with analysis of email metrics and practice. Below, we’ll review the basics behind creating those great email subject lines so that you can convince people to open, click and convert.

Be Simple and Short

The reality for many is that email is a daily task checked via their mobile devices. In the past, most only accessed email through home and work computers, but portable technology is everywhere today. Because of this, your email will look different on different devices. Since most people now read their emails through mobile devices, the subject lines will appear shorter to them when they are first opened. What will your readers see? Most email browsers on mobile phones limit characters displayed in subject lines to 50-60 characters, so keep this in mind when crafting your lines. With the subject line being the first and perhaps only chance you have at pinging links, content and offers successfully to readers, being short and sweet is a good idea.

Be Inquisitive

Sometimes, it’s more about what the recipient has to say than what you have to say. Whenever you ask a question in the subject line of your email, your readers will instinctively think of an answer to that question. This subconsciously invites a dialogue, which will increase the likelihood that the reader will open the email. With the prior information you have collected from your subscriber base, you can generate specific subject lines that propose questions unique to the needs and interests of your subscribers. This makes the subject line resonate with the reader and relative to the interests.

Be Humorous

Last but not least, you can create all sorts of interest in an email by using humour in an appropriate fashion. Humour, above all else, will convince people to open your emails; you can verify this with your email metrics after you have successfully deployed a campaign using humour. The biggest problem with using humour, however, is making sure that the type of humour is acceptable to your audience. Humour that can be perceived as offensive will inevitably backfire, while using humour too often will ultimately result in eye rolls from and conditioning of your audience.

Whether you are pinging links, sending announcements or attempting to sell products, email marketing still has a place. In order to create great email subject lines, be humorous on occasion, ask questions with expectations that your audience wishes to answer, and be short with the overall delivery. These three tips will help maximize the chances that are emails are read and engaged with as much as possible.