How to write a great email subject line?

Writing a great email subject line is crucial for grabbing the recipient's attention and increasing the chances of your email being opened and read. It's your opportunity to captivate the reader and entice them to open your message.

🤏 Be clear and concise

Keep your subject line short and to the point. Aim for around 5-8 words or 40-60 characters to ensure it is easily scannable and doesn't get cut off in email previews.

💬 Personalize subject lines

Tailor your subject line to the recipient to make it more relevant and engaging. Include their name or reference something specific to them or their situation, if appropriate. Personalization can catch their attention and increase the likelihood of them opening the email. To learn more, check our dedicated article Create an email campaign - Subject.

👀 Create a sense of urgency or curiosity

People are more likely to open emails that create a sense of urgency or spark their curiosity. Consider using phrases like "Limited Time Offer," "Last Chance," or "Exclusive Invitation" to motivate recipients to open your email.

Highlight the value or benefit

Clearly communicate the value or benefit the recipient will gain by opening your email. Whether it's a special discount, important information, or a solution to a problem, emphasize it in the subject line.

🏃‍♀️ Use action-oriented language

Incorporate action words that encourage the recipient to take immediate action. For instance, "Join us for an exciting webinar" or "Claim your free ebook now."

⁉️ Limit punctuation

Your subject line has limited space, so avoid using multiple punctuation marks as they may be considered spammy. We recommend using no more than two or three punctuation marks per subject line and limiting yourself to question marks, exclamation points, and periods.

🔠 Never use ALL-CAPS

Using all capital letters in text can pose challenges for readability, as it creates a visual strain for most individuals. Additionally, subject lines composed entirely in capital letters may grab your reader's attention, but not in a positive way, as it can give the impression of shouting or yelling.

⚠️ Use emojis carefully

Adding emojis to your subject line is a fun and easy way to give your brand some personality and make your email stand out. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when you use emojis:

  • While emojis in subject lines can be useful for capturing readers' attention, overusing them can cause confusion. Limit your use of emojis to a maximum of three per subject line and keep them as simple as possible.

  • Use emojis as a supplement to words, not as a replacement, to ensure that your main message is effectively conveyed.
  • It's important to test emojis since different operating systems may render different versions of them

📖 Proofread and edit

Double-check your subject line for any spelling or grammatical errors. A well-written subject line reflects professionalism and attention to detail.

🧪 A/B testing

If you're uncertain about the effectiveness of your subject line, consider A/B testing. Send different subject lines to smaller segments of contacts and analyze the open rates to determine which one performs better. To learn more, check our dedicated article Creating an A/B Test campaign.

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🤖 Brevo AI assistant

AI algorithms can contain and analyze vast amounts of data and identify trends, behavior data, engagement, and language patterns. All these insights allow AI to create marketing content with emotional triggers that can help create curiosity, urgency, or excitement from your recipients. 

The Brevo AI assistant can help you create a subject line that will catch your recipients' attention in seconds. You can either use the generated content as is or edit and delete it at any time during your campaign creation. To learn more, check our dedicated article Auto-generate engaging marketing content with the Brevo AI assistant.

⏩ What's next?

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