Sorry your subject lines suck
I don’t mean to be rude, but if I see one more “BLACK FRIDAY IS NOW ON” or “Christmas has come early!” in my dumpster fire of an inbox, I’m going to turn everyone’s internet off permanently. No more Neopets for you if you don’t start thinking more creatively about your subject lines.
Here’s why I hate your subject lines.
There are a few main offenders here.
You’re using stale comms. If I’ve seen 5 other businesses land with the same line, it’s dead to me.
You’re stating the obvious. Yes, we know it’s almost Christmas. We have calendars.
WHY ARE WE YELLING??? STOP DOING SO MUCH!!!!
You’re being too vague. “Great deals inside!” Go off king give me absolutely nothing.
You’re like everyone else. If your subject line could be copied and pasted onto your competitors email, it sucks.
How to not suck at subject lines.
Use your brand personality. Your TOV is there for a reason.
Get specific or get out.
Humour me, please (if it’s on brand for you).
Create urgency without the clichés.
Ask something rather than tell something.
Pop culture is your friend. Unlike rapid-fire linguistic trends, there are some lines from pop culture media that have gained longevity—play around with classic scripts or lyrics.
Speaking of linguistic trends—only jump on it if you’re able to turn it around in under 24 hours. I’m looking at you “very mindful, very demure”.
Do something different. Reinvent hieroglyphics with emojis. Be over-honest. Tell me NOT to open the email. Any kind of a twist is good.
Don’t sacrifice the things we know work. Put the % OFF in the subject line, but try 45% OFF for spring? Groundbreaking. or Dump your sweatpants. 45% OFF jeans on now. instead of SALE: Jeans up to 45% OFF now.
Congrats on not sucking.
Let’s make a pact. No more HUGE SALE subject lines. No more ALL CAP assaults on my eyeballs. No more exclamation point abuse. No more copying subject lines from Pinterest examples of ‘Cool Email Designs’. We’re going to write subject lines as interesting as the people we’re writing them for. Or at least are slightly more interesting than your competitor. Your unsubscribe rate will thank you.
Need help getting into the flow of eDMs? Let’s talk.
