Effective subject lines for sales emails

[Grace_R]

Crafting an eye-catching subject line for your email can be a cumbersome task, and yet it's vitally important. If you're a retail business, it can be make-or-break when trying to drive sales. Personally, I am not clicking through every email in my Gmail promotions tab. Truly, the ones I do open come down to whether I'm enticed by the subject line. So how do you craft an effective one?

There are several approaches you can take, including:

• Create a sense of urgency - Nobody likes to miss out, so use that to your advantage. For example:
  • “Limited Time Only”
  • “Your Gift is About to Expire”
• Be exclusive - Make your customers feel like VIPs. For example:
  • “You’ve been selected”
  • “Something just for you”
• Build suspense - There's a reason clickbait headlines work. Curiosity gets the better of all of us! For example:
  • “You’re not going to believe this…”
  • “You’ll never guess what we’re offering…”

If you send out abandoned cart emails, we've got 100 subject lines ideas for you to choose from! And remember, on those days when your creative mind has simply shut down, let us do the work for you by selecting one of our recommended subject lines and preheaders on the email schedule page.

What subject lines do you use for your sales emails? Share them here!

[MelanieDiehl]

I like to use personalization for sales email subject lines: You, Your. 

I find adding numbers to the subject line, as well as words like Free (which no longer gets caught in most SPAM filters) can increase open rates. 

More than anything, though it needs to focus on WIIFM: What's In It For Me (the subscriber). Sending targeted emails with compelling subject lines is like a 1-2 punch!

I created a list of 52 Subject Lines you can access here.

[Chris-S]

Showcasing testimonials or success stories from your clients is a great way to build trust and credibility. When people see real results, they are more likely to engage with your offer.

• "Discover how [Client Name] increased their [Metric] by [Percentage]."
• "Join [Number] businesses that have improved their [Metric] with our help."

Make sure your audience knows they’re getting something really valuable. Whether it’s a discount, exclusive access, or a free resource, the value you provide should be clear and super appealing.

• "Enjoy [Percentage] off on [Product/Service] – Limited time only!”
• "Get exclusive access to [Free Resource] just for you!"

[TraceyLeeDavis]

Piggy-backing on @MelanieDiehl's recommendation for personalization, I also recommend using the recipient's name in the subject line. This is really only effective if you have all of your subscribers' first names in your database; otherwise, the filler word that you use ("friend" or "client" or something else generic) won't pack the same punch. 

[DavidFischerSolutionsForGrowth]

I am delighted to contribute to this meaningful exchange. As discussed, email subject lines are crucial as they play a key role in determining whether your emails are opened or ignored.

To put it bluntly - subject lines for sales emails should pack a wallop.

• Most recipients:
• Decide to open or delete emails based on subject lines. 
• Choose to open emails because of catchy subject lines.There are some excellent suggestions provided above. Adding to this conversation with our in-depth expertise at Solutions for Growth, I would also recommend the following tips: 

• Test Different Formats: Experiment with various formats, such as including emojis, personalization, using colons or dashes, or trying question marks versus statements to see what performs best. Run an A/B test with 2 different subject lines.

• Incorporate Emotional Triggers: Tap into emotions by using words that evoke feelings of excitement, urgency, or relief.”

• Avoid Overusing Capitals and Exclamation Marks: Use capitals and exclamation marks sparingly to avoid coming across as too aggressive or spammy. 

• Make It Timely: Reference current events, seasons, or holidays to make the email more relevant. 

• Leverage Social Proof: Include elements of social proof, such as “Join 10,000+ Satisfied Customers”

• Use Questions to Spark Curiosity: Pose a question that addresses a common concern or interest of your audience to pique curiosity and drive opens.

• Offer Solutions to Pain Points: Address specific problems or pain points your audience faces. For instance, “Struggling with …”

• Keep Your Subject Lines Short: People have short attention spans, and lengthy sales subject lines beg to be skimmed over.

• Thank the recipient: Everyone appreciates being appreciated. Saying “I wanted to say thank you . . .” or “Thank you for . . .” shows gratitude, which helps with open rates.

Click here to read more about one of our most popular articles: “Tips for Best Email Marketing Subject Lines”

There are many different ways to optimize a sales email subject line. The best method is to experiment with multiple approaches and find out what works best. At Solutions for Growth, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of customized and highly effective email subject lines, ensuring that our client’s messaging is achieved with exceptional quality. 

Can I help you with any other specific questions? Please schedule a call with me today.