Improve your email subject lines

Simple, Straightforward Advice to Immediately Improve Your Bottom Line

As a journalist covering the Internet marketing beat, I’m constantly asked for advice on how to use the Web to grow profits. My advice for all marketers and business people is quite simple. Before you worry about your website, or anything that costs lots of money:

Improve your email subject lines.

It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s cheap, and it can have a dramatic impact on your bottom line. If your company is sending mass emails to customers or prospects (and whose company isn’t these days?), then don’t make the most common mistake marketers make and use a boring subject line (such as “Company Newsletter”).

The Power of Effective Email Subject Lines

Email subject lines are the first thing recipients see in their inbox, and they play a crucial role in determining whether your email gets opened or ignored. A well-crafted subject line can significantly increase your open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, your conversions and sales.

Here are some key reasons why focusing on email subject lines is so important:

1. First Impression: Your subject line is your first (and sometimes only) chance to grab the recipient’s attention.
2. Inbox Competition: With the average person receiving dozens or even hundreds of emails per day, your subject line needs to stand out.
3. Mobile Optimization: Many people check emails on mobile devices, where subject lines are often truncated. This makes the first few words even more critical.
4. Spam Filters: Poor subject lines can trigger spam filters, preventing your email from even reaching the inbox.
5. Brand Perception: Consistently good subject lines can improve your brand’s reputation and increase engagement over time.

Tips for Crafting Effective Subject Lines

1. Be Specific and Relevant: Instead of vague subject lines like “Company Newsletter,” try using the first 20-30 characters to say something of specific interest to your readers. Give them a clear reason to open the email rather than deleting it.
2. Create Urgency: Use words that imply time sensitivity or limited availability, such as “Limited Time Offer” or “24-Hour Sale.”
3. Ask Questions: Pique curiosity by asking a question your audience wants answered.
4. Use Numbers: People are drawn to specific numbers and lists, e.g., “5 Ways to Boost Your Productivity.”
5. Personalization: Include the recipient’s name or other personalized information when appropriate.
6. Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Stay away from words like “free,” “guarantee,” or excessive punctuation that might trigger spam filters.
7. Keep it Short: Aim for 40 characters or less to ensure the full subject line is visible on most devices.
8. A/B Testing: Always test different versions of your subject lines to see what resonates best with your audience.

The Importance of A/B Testing

One of the most crucial pieces of advice for improving email marketing performance is to consistently test different versions of your subject lines. Will “50% off all raincoats” make you a lot more money than “$50 off all raincoats”? You don’t know until you test.

Here’s how to approach A/B testing for email subject lines:

1. Choose Your Variables: Decide what element you want to test. This could be the wording, length, personalization, or use of emojis.
2. Create Two Versions: Develop two different subject lines, changing only the element you’re testing.
3. Split Your List: Randomly divide your email list into two groups.
4. Send and Analyze: Send each version to its respective group and compare the open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
5. Learn and Iterate: Use the insights gained to inform future subject lines and continue testing.

Everyone I’ve ever spoken to who tested their email subject lines was very, very glad they did. The results can be surprising and often lead to significant improvements in email performance.

Leveraging Email Signatures for Profit

While we’re on the topic of email marketing, there’s another simple yet often overlooked strategy that can drive significant results: optimizing your email signature.

You’re on your computer all day long, and I’m willing to bet that sending or replying to emails is one of your primary tasks. Taking a quick look at my Sent folder, I see 3,632 sent emails over the past 6 months. That’s about 15 emails a day! I know some of you are going to have a LOT MORE than that.

Here’s an affiliate marketing tip that I still don’t see being used effectively – EMAIL SIGNATURE LINKS!

The Power of Email Signature Links

Email signature links are a passive yet powerful way to promote your products, services, or affiliate offers. Here’s why they’re so effective:

1. High Visibility: Every email you send becomes a potential marketing opportunity.
2. Trust Factor: People receiving personal emails from you are more likely to trust and click on links in your signature.
3. Targeted Audience: Your email contacts are often already interested in your field or industry.
4. Cost-Effective: Once set up, email signatures require no additional effort or cost.
5. Professional Appearance: A well-crafted signature with relevant links can enhance your professional image.

How to Optimize Your Email Signature

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating an effective email signature:

1. Include Essential Information: Your name, title, company, and contact details should be prominently displayed.
2. Add a Call-to-Action: Include a brief, compelling call-to-action that encourages recipients to click your link.
3. Use HTML Formatting: Make your signature visually appealing with appropriate use of colors, fonts, and even a small image or logo.
4. Keep it Concise: Limit your signature to 3-4 lines of text to avoid overwhelming recipients.
5. Include Social Media Links: Add icons linking to your professional social media profiles.
6. Use a Link Shortener: If you’re including an affiliate link, use a link shortener to keep your signature tidy and track clicks.
7. Rotate Your Offers: Consider changing your signature link periodically to promote different products or services.

Setting Up Your Email Signature

The process for setting up or editing your email signature varies depending on your email client. Here’s how to do it in Microsoft Outlook:

a. Click on the Tools menu bar
b. Select Options
c. Click on the Mail Format tab
d. Click on the Signatures button in the lower right corner
e. Click Edit or New to make changes to your signature

For other email clients or webmail services, you can usually find signature settings in the account or general settings area. A quick Google search for “Edit your email signature” along with your specific email service will provide detailed instructions.

Maximizing Your Email Signature ROI

To illustrate the potential impact of email signature links, let’s consider a conservative example:

If you sent out 3000 emails like I did over the past 6 months and only one half of one percent of those people clicked and converted on your offer, that’s 15 sales. Depending on your product or affiliate commission, this could translate to thousands of dollars in additional revenue – all from about 30 seconds of work to add a link to your email signature!

Best Practices for Email Signature Marketing

1. Relevance: Ensure your offer is relevant to your typical email recipients.
2. Professionalism: Maintain a professional tone and appearance in your signature.
3. Mobile-Friendly: Test your signature on mobile devices to ensure it displays correctly.
4. Legal Compliance: Be aware of any legal requirements regarding email signatures in your industry or region.
5. Regular Updates: Keep your signature current with your latest offers or most relevant content.
6. Tracking: Use UTM parameters or a link shortener to track clicks and conversions from your signature links.

It’s easy to get caught up in complex strategies and expensive tools. However, some of the most effective tactics are also the simplest. By focusing on improving your email subject lines and optimizing your email signature, you can see immediate improvements in your marketing performance and bottom line.

Remember, the key to success with these strategies is consistency and testing. Continuously refine your subject lines based on performance data, and regularly update your email signature to keep it fresh and relevant. These small, consistent efforts can lead to significant results over time.

So, before you invest in costly marketing campaigns or website overhauls, take a few minutes to implement these simple, straightforward strategies. You might be surprised at the impact they can have on your business growth and profitability.