According to a study published on HubSpot, 64 per cent of people say

“not being interested in an email subject line”

 was the main reason for not opening their emails. It doesn’t take much more than that to recognise how vital it is to craft interesting subject lines that resonate with your customers. Here are my most successful techniques to help you create irresistible subject lines.

1. Lead with a benefit

If your subscribers know they stand to benefit from you, it gives them an incentive to open your emails.

Examples:

• How entrepreneurs become self-confident
• Three ways to double your Facebook followers

2. Create curiosity

Questions are a great way to pique your reader’s curiosity and inspire them to open your emails in search for more information.

Examples:

• What does reading have to do with success?
• What should you do if someone faints?

​3. Use numbers

People like the use of numbers because it helps manage expectations. Numbers provide clarity, helping users understand what’s in-store for them when they click an article.

Example:

• What 90% of start-ups do wrong
• Nine tips to win angel investing

4. Borrow credibility from a well-known source

‘Name dropping’ a well known figure in your industry is an effective attention grabber. Many people want to know how a thought leader thinks, especially if it benefits them and what they do.

Examples:

• Zuckerberg’s top four productivity secrets
• Why Steve Jobs was wrong about big phones

5. Sell speed

Communicating what you can achieve in quicktime is a very eye-catching way of ‘hooking’ your readers. The reality is, people don’t like to wait. They want instant gratification. Focus on reducing the expected time-length to achieve a result.

Examples:

• Grow your social media following in one week
• Decrease your contractor costs in one Day

6. Be newsworthy

Keeping your subscribers up-to-date about new developments in your field builds novelty to keep your open rates high. These subject lines often work well when combined with curiosity.

Examples:

• Did you hear what Google just announced?
• Is this device the new iPhone?

7. Admit your mistakes

A slightly riskier tactic for sure but telling a story of how you made a mistake can capture attention. People want to find out how you made a mistake, and better, what you learnt from your mistakes so that they can avoid it themselves.

Examples:

• My worst sales meeting, ever.
• An awkward conversation with my boss

If your subscribers don’t open your emails, then you’re missing the opportunity to nurture them into loyal customers with regular, valued interactions. To generate high open rates, invest time and thought into crafting interesting subject lines.