The subject line is the most important piece of copy in every email you send. It has a direct impact on opens and engagement and presents a potent opportunity for increasing brand awareness in the inbox.
But finding the right subject line requires the endless application of A/B tests, segmentation and just plain dumb luck…or does it?
In this webinar, Dela Quist (CEO, Alchemy Worx), Parry Malm (CEO, Phrasee) and Dave Hendricks (President, LiveIntent) bust 5 of the most common subject line myths and provide some tips and tech for testing and optimizing subject lines and getting more opens.
Below are the slides, as well as a breakdown of the major takeaways:
Myth 1: Long vs. Short (slides 8-12)
Does subject line character/word count impact opens?
Short answer: No. When you normalize the data, there is no statistical evidence that shows the number of words or characters impacts opens.
That being said, the amount of information included in the subject line can impact opens and clicks. Less information may result in more opens, since it creates a need to open in order to get the information, but more information frames the content of the email and may limit opens, but increase clicks, since the people who do open have a higher-level of intent.
Click here for more information on subject line length from Phrasee.
Click here for more information on subject line length from Alchemy Worx.
Myth 2: Mobile Matters (slide 13-15)
Does subject line length impact mobile opens?
Short answer: No. In fact, there is data that shows that the growing majority of opens now occur on mobile devices (42% Smartphone vs. 41% Desktop).
Mobile actually presents an opportunity, since longer subject lines may be more impactful when displayed at the top of smartphone email clients on open.
Click here for more information on mobile email trends from LiveIntent.
Myth 3: Subject Line Impact on Clicks (slide 13-15)
Is it true that subject lines do not impact overall click metrics?
Short answer: No. Subject lines actually do have a very large impact on clicks. A good subject line, as stated before, frames the content and can influence overall click rate. Even subject lines for emails that are never opened can impact future email performance. For instance, if you were to advertise something a set price in the subject line for three weeks, when you offer a discount in the next subject line, you will have properly framed what a good deal it was and can increase performance.
Click here for more information on subject line impact on clicks from Alchemy Worx.
Myth 4: Subject Line Impact on Deliverability (slide 18-20)
Can subject lines impact deliverability?
Short answer: Heck no. There was a period in time when spam filters would sort out emails based on keywords, but not any more. Spam filters are smart enough to know whether your email is spam or not and subject lines have no impact on that at all.
Myth 5: A/B Testing (Slides 21-22)
Is it worth A/B testing? Is it true you don’t need to split test? Is split testing really that hard?
Short Answers: Always. No. And of course, but it’s always worth it if you have a well thought out methodology behind it. It’s often not even about A/B testing so much as testing in general, knowing what you are testing for, and knowing what you are trying to get out of a particular test.
For more information on tools that help you automate and test your subject lines more efficiently and more effectively, visit:
– Phrasee
For more on Sample Sizes in A/B testing, visit here.
For more information on maximizing the revenue you’re receiving from all these opens, fill out the form on our contact us page and an email revenue specialist will reach out with more information.
