The Most Effective Email Subject Line Length

Are you facing issues with regard to email open rate? Do you want to learn more about the best email subject line length? There is no doubt that the email subject line is the first impression to be taken into account, and whether a person will proceed to open the email or not depends a lot upon subject line.

It needs to be attractive. It needs to have right subject line length. The research conducted in this area has brought to light that around 6 to 10 words subject lines have highest open rates.

A well composed email subject line is the one that generate highest open rate for marketers. There were around 260 million emails delivered from 540 campaigns which were judged before any conclusion was made. Let’s know about it to analyze the data and use it to generate better marketing return.

  • Subject lines with 6 to 10 words generated approximately 21% open rate, well ahead companies’ standard.
  • Subject lines with 5 or less words have approximately 16 percent open rate.
  • Subject lines with 11-15 words have around 14% open rate, though 52% of the emails were in this range.

It cannot be denied that the email subject line is the most critical component to ensure the success of an email marketing campaign, as people make their decision to read the message or not accordingly.

The study shows that succinctness is useful to attract customers and engage them with the offers, as they read the line and gain interest. Ultimately, the probability that the email will be opened and convert leads to customers increases. In addition – concise, brief and short subject lines are optimal for mobile users, as they could easily be displayed on their mobile gadgets, further emphasizing the value of utilizing such practices.

Personalized approach has also been useful in engaging and retaining customers. Emails with recipients’ first name displayed a 2.6% increase in open rates, as opposed to those without names. Another emerging trend that has grabbed consumers’ attention is the incorporation of movie titles or song lyrics in the subject line.

Such subject lines proved to perform considerably better. This tactic was used to target certain customer segment. Indeed, it is supposed to be a creative way to hyper-target and capture the audience’s attention.

Not only is it important to understand which practices actually work, but also be aware of the practices which prove fatal. For example, flash sale email campaigns have lengthy subject lines and have proven to be ineffective.

Bottom line, subject lines exceeding 20 words should absolutely and always be avoided. Furthermore, it is important to understand the right email frequency rate, both in the context of timing as well as subject line text, such that your prospects are kept informed, but not frustrated.

Share what is the length of your email subject line that got higher open rate?