9 tips for great email subject lines

Your brilliant body copy does you—and your recipients—no good if they don’t open it. Try these approaches to pique interest and get more eyeballs perusing your prose.

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An email’s subject line is just as important as the actual content, acting as its own mini-marketing campaign.

An infographic by Invesp says 47 percent of recipients open email based on the subject line.

Coming up with the perfect email subject line is as much science as it is art. Here are nine approaches that work:

1. Play on the fear of missing out. Consider psychological principles that prompt action. People fear they’ll miss out on something. By conveying urgency, you’re likelier to get the recipient to open the email.

MailChimp offers this:

Example: “24 Hour Sale! Limited Quantities!”

2. Ask a question. Pique your audience’s curiosity.

3. Be controversial. A bold can grab recipients’ attention. They’ll be curious about your meaning or the direction you’ll take on the topic.

Example: “10 Reasons Men Shouldn’t Help with the Housework.”

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