Email Marketing Strategies: Writing Great Subject Lines

By Chelsea Junget

MailChimp.com, an email marketing service provider, recently published a great guide to writing effective email subject lines. As most recipients use the subject line to decide whether to open an email or delete, understanding what kinds of subject lines are likely to deliver high open rates is essential to your marketing strategy. Of course, an open rate is affected by several other factors such as your list, your audience and more.

See below for actual statistics and subject lines as well as MailChimp’s take on why they work or don’t. Note: all names have been changed in the subject lines.

Subject Lines With Top Open Rates
Subject Line	Open Rate	Comment
Preliminary Floor Plans for Southern Village Neighborhood Circle Members	93%	Timely information. Implied benefit for quick action. Over 50 characters in length
Your April Website Stats	92.6%	Timely and useful information
Idlewild Camp – Important Travel Information	90.1%	Information I need now
Invitation for Murdoch, Brown, Rove & Johnson’s Snow Ball	89.7	Party invitation. Personal and timely
MotorCycling Magazine Reader Survey	88.1%	High affinity to activity/experience
Announcing Paige Elizabeth Sullivan	82.6%	Birth Announcement: Personal and useful information
Ship’s Log #5: Parus Arrives in Phuket	82.1%	Personal and timely
Nautica in Rutland Opens Soon!	79.9%	New condos – valuable information to be first in line
Updated Time Zones & Log On Information	79.1%	Required information

Inside Football: Summer Training Camp Preview Issue	74.3%	Timely and useful information

Subject Lines With Low Open Rates
Subject Line	Open Rate	Comment
Final reminder for complimentary entry to attend the West Freelands BCI Cluster Conference 2006	0.5%	Reminder and subject is too long
Tempting August NUSA Specials!	0.9%	Special, exclamation mark
SALE ends soon – up to 50% off all bras at Kara!	1.9%	Percent Off
Help Baylor create the ideal college experience	2.5%	Help – means ignore
Printers World Offers 100% Commission Up Front	7.5%	Too good to be true
3% Commission For You, $10,000 in Upgrades For Your Client	7.8%	Bait & Switch
Help Spread The News !	10.8%	Help
Don’t Let 2006 Slip Away Without a Tax Deductible Donation To the Children & Families of Omire	11.6%	Donation and too long

A couple of take-aways: It appears that long subject lines deliver low open rates – but long subject lines when they have an implied benefit work.

Percentage off, discount and other number figures listed in email subject lines may deliver lower open rates. It may be better to focus on the value of the offer enclosed in the email rather than the deal.

Of course, test, test and test again. What works in your industry and among your recipients is what truly matters. If you have not already, take a look at your email marketing statistics over the past 9-12 months and compare subject lines and open/click rates. A pattern may emerge that will help you refine your email marketing strategy for even better results.

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