13 Email Subject Line Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Oh subject lines… 🤔 This is actually one of my favorite parts of email marketing! 🤪
So much fun, so creative but at the same time so much pressure. Not to worry!
In almost 20 years of being an email marketer (Yikes! LOL), I have made my fair share of little and HUGE mistakes. This is why I wanted to share with you my top subject line mistakes and of course, how to avoid them.
Why is the subject line such an important part of the email?
Well, it’s the first thing that the user sees when they are checking their email (or the last thing they see from you if your subject lines are not working!). If a person is receiving hundreds of emails per day, the only way to stand out in that ocean of email messages is through the subject line. Never underestimate the power of your subject line!
But first, let’s quickly break down what a great subject line consists of….
Gets the person’s attention
Short and descriptive
States urgency
Relevant to the content of the email
Easy, right???? Of course it is…. Now let’s get into what to avoid…
1. Blank Subject Line
Please, please, please, always write something in your subject line. Do not leave it empty. Will it stand out? Sure, but for all the wrong reasons. Make sure you make that part of your pre-send checklist.
2. No pre-header text
What is that?!? You can view that as an extension of your subject line (it can be from 35-90 characters). Sort of like a sub-subject line (is that a thing? 🤣)
3. ALL CAPS
Why are you screaming at your customers???! All CAPS means shouting (in case you didn’t know!) Use caps to highlight something that is already in all caps. For example, FDA, USA...
Source: AWeber
4. Too loooooooooooooong
Like I mentioned at the beginning, a good subject line is short and to the point. Don’t give it all away! Make sure you keep it 8-10 words max and up to 60 characters (including emojis).
5. Too short
Don’t go to the extreme. It’s all about balance. Don’t just use Hello. The person might perceive it as not trustworthy and mark you as spam. Big NO-NO!
6. No sense of urgency
If your email requires an action to be taken by the person, convey it in the subject line. For example, if you have a limited time offer, do mention that in the subject line. I like to use Ends today or tonight to really create that sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
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7. Too detailed
Yes, that is a thing. You have to give them a reason to open the email. If you give them all the information, why would they open?
8. Typos
Always, always double and triple check the spelling. I have sent the word TEST or TBD in the subject line and once you send it, you can’t take it back! How many times did I send an email with the word TEST in it? Too many to count, ALWAYS CHECK!
9. Spam words
There are several words that might indicate a “spammy” email. Just make sure you use it in the correct context. Spammers have ruined the word FREE for us all! Anything related to money, sales, etc… BE CREATIVE.
Source: Yesware
10. Special characters or symbols
Special characters such as accents or symbols such as &, %, # might not display correctly in some email providers ( like Gmail, AOL, etc). This also includes emojis. (give example)
11. Cropped text
Sometimes, the length of the subject line is too long and part of it might get cut out at an awkward spot. For example, the word analysis or analyze (be careful with this one 🤣)
12. Using FW: or RE:
I can’t stand when companies use FW: (which stands for forwarded email) or RE: (which stands for replied email). Leave this for personal emails. This would make me unsubscribe. It’s misleading and totally “spammy”. Just don’t. ⛔
13. Excessive punctuation!!!!!!!!!!????!?!?!?!!!
You want to grab attention but not like this. Don’t be that person. Oh and don’t use 100 million emojis either. Again, It’s all about balance.
In the end, it’s all about what is relevant to your business. How do you find out what is relevant? Through A/B testing. Most email platforms have this feature so make a test plan and test your your subject lines at least once per month!
Here are some tools I use to check my subject lines...
http://emailsubjectlinegrader.com/
https://www.omnisend.com/subject-line-tester/
Need help? Contact me and let's chat - Consultation and Email Audits available.