{"id":9810,"date":"2024-11-19T07:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insights.fmgsuite.com\/?p=9810"},"modified":"2026-04-08T20:43:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T03:43:51","slug":"clickworthy-subject-lines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/7e78e84f-a80e-4b05-ba90-7dd3f9d29edc.express.conves.io\/clickworthy-subject-lines\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write Effective Email Subject Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"

269 Billion. No, it\u2019s not the GDP of Bangladesh (although it is close). It is how many emails are sent worldwide every day. On average, a business professional receives around 125 emails a day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Email marketing is one of the most potent weapons in the battle to find more clients. Some researchers have attributed a 3800% ROI for email marketing. One of the most challenging aspects of email marketing comes when you realize not enough people are even opening the messages you send. What can you do to get more eyes on your emails? What differentiates emails that get read from the ones that don\u2019t? Or, what is ideal length of an email subject line?<\/span><\/p>\n

Improve Open Rate and Click-Through Rate<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are two terms you need to be familiar with when analyzing your email marketing performance:<\/span><\/p>\n

Open rate<\/b> is the percentage of emails you send that get opened.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clickthrough rate<\/b> is the number of people who actually click on a link within an email.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To give you a yardstick, those in the financial services profession achieve, on average, a 20.47% open rate and a clickthrough rate of 2.59% in their email marketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how do you improve these metrics? The most straightforward strategy for increasing your open and clickthrough rate: Using more effective email subject lines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Around 80% to 90% of all emails are deleted immediately. Along with the email sender, the subject line plays a huge role in whether or not your email is opened or deleted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Write an Effective Email Subject Line<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here are six ways a financial advisor can write better email subject lines and achieve maximum ROI on their email marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Make Email Subject Lines the Ideal Length<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the first questions people have when trying to improve their email subject lines is, \u201cHow long should they be?\u201d <\/span>Marketo<\/span><\/a>, a leader in online marketing, has determined the optimal length for email subject lines is 40 characters or about seven words. This is ten characters less than the average email subject line sent, meaning most people are using subject lines that are too wordy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Email is accessed through a number of devices; desktop browsers, email aggregators, mobile phones and tablets, and even watches. It is important to realize that when you are writing an email line, it should be understandable wherever it is displayed. Also, remember that for the last three years, more email is accessed on mobile devices than on desktop computers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Don\u2019t Get Flagged as Spam<\/span><\/h2>\n

Over <\/span>69%<\/span><\/a> of emails end up in the spam folder, the graveyard for emails. There are many words that filter used to identify spam emails. One major offender is numbers and symbols that look like they belong in a used car advertisement, like \u2018#1\u2019, \u2018100%\u2019, and \u2018$$$\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only will these phrases trigger spam filters, but they will also communicate to savvy internet users that the email might be dubious. Using all caps in your email heading and misspelled words are also red flags for spam filters and humans alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Use Natural Language in Email Subject Lines<\/span><\/h2>\n

The tone of your email is one of the most important ways that you can define the way you communicate with clients and prospects. One of the best ways to keep your tone natural and professional is to imagine yourself talking to a client face-to-face. How would you say what you want to say in your normal speech?<\/span><\/p>\n

Service professionals need to walk the line between professional and conversational, but this is something you do in person every day. Putting that same tone into your email will increase your open rate and help define your online persona throughout your email campaigns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Include a Deadline in Your Email Subject Line<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the ways humans assign value to an opportunity is how long they have to respond to an invitation. One of the most successful products in the world is McDonald\u2019s McRib. The fact that it is only offered a few times a year increases the perceived value of the sandwich and leads to ever-increasing sales. There is even a <\/span>McRib fan page on Facebook <\/span><\/a>with over 7000 likes.<\/span><\/p>\n

While your services obviously occupy a much different niche than a barbequed sandwich, the concept is still applicable. By constraining time or implying scarcity, the perceived value of your email\u2019s subject will increase. For example, if you are hosting an event, create a greater sense of urgency by including a timeframe. Instead of \u201cRegister for our Annual Financial Markets Review Bruncheon,\u201d consider something along the lines of \u201cLimited Space Available for our Upcoming Event \u2013 Reply Soon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t Sell Too Hard in Your Email Subject Line<\/span><\/h2>\n

There is a fine line between information and sales jargon. Email subjects that come across as a pitch are usually skipped or deleted. Instead, focusing on communicating real value without too much smoke and mirrors will have a much greater effect on your open rates.<\/span><\/p>\n

The email marketing company <\/span>MailChimp<\/span><\/a> wrote in a recent post:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to email marketing, the best subject lines tell what\u2019s inside, and the worst subject lines sell what\u2019s inside.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Your email isn\u2019t an advertisement; it\u2019s an informative piece of content. Treat it like one. The point of a subject line is to quickly highlight what your email contains. Set your readers\u2019 expectations and clearly explain what your email is all about.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Offer Value in Your Email Subject Line<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s face it. Everyone wants and expects something from you when you send an email. This doesn\u2019t have to be something tangible, such as an event invite or complimentary service. It could be information, such as an article, video, blog post, or whitepaper.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re sending a monthly <\/span>email campaign<\/span> with educational content, mention that value in the subject line. You can do this in two ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n