Five Great Subject/Headline Strategies

Whether you are sending an email or a folded self-mailer, the subject/headline needs to motivate the reader to take the next step, namely open and read on. Here are four strategies to get more of your readers to do just that.

Inject Urgency

People like deals. And the thing about deals, they always come with a deadline. The first tried and true strategy for a great headline: Inject urgency. 24 hours only! Expires Friday! If your punchline is a good dead, include the deadline in your headline.

Ask a Question

A good question is a leading question. What's the single biggest..? What investment vehicle had the highest returns over the last...? Where can you find the three bold new colours for this...? Questions pique interest, and interest translates to opens.

Begin a Joke

Knock knock. Why did the chicken cross the road? Better yet: Why did the chicken cross I-95? Start a joke, and maybe make it a variation on a known joke formula. People like to laugh, and they like a little wordplay. Have some fun with it.

Start a Cliffhanger

Carol never saw it coming... What a great subject line for an email promoting the best party supplies store if you are planning a surprise birthday bash! Subject lines like these demand closure and pull the reader in. It's the definition of engagement.

What They All Have in Common

In each example above, what rings true? Our biggest take-away: Trust the creative. The headline is just the hook, it isn't the close. You'll have a paragraph or two to state your value proposition and set-up your call to action once the reader opens your email or unfolds your self-mailer. Sure, the headline ties into the benefits and ultimately the call to action, but don't try to do too much. If it achieves the open, it had done its job.