Do Your Email Subject Lines Benefit Your Dealership?
We all receive a daily influx of emails from brands we’ve interacted with and purchased from, and that means dozens of new subject lines landing in our mailboxes daily. How many of these emails do you open? What prompts you to click on the email versus deleting it straightaway? For 47% of people¹, the subject line alone determines whether or not they will open the email.
Avoid Looking Like Spam
As much as 69% of email recipients will flag an email as spam if the subject line looks questionable². (In fact, using spam words anywhere in the subject line or body can land your email in your customers’ spam folders automatically, without any action on their part, resulting in your email never being viewed at all.) Common spam words³ include “Click Here,” “Free,” “Risk Free” and “Re:” or “FWD.”
Recipients tend to favor emails that elicit excitement, curiosity or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out); promise to solve a problem and/or address a pain point or answer the all-important question, which is “What’s in it for me?” To increase the click rate on your emails, it’s important to write engaging, action-oriented subject lines, as well as avoid any potential spam words.
Get Your Audience Excited
Excitement is contagious--we can’t help but feel compelled to click on an upbeat, enthusiastic subject line. Positive phrasing such as “We’re So Happy” spurs a natural human desire to share in the joy. Using exclamation points in subject lines can help drive clicks, but can also raise the risk of your email going to spam. You can experiment with the use of exclamation points and see whether they increase or decrease your click-through rates.
Make Your Readers Curious
Think of your email as a physical book--no matter how good the story is, readers will only pick it up if the front cover draws them in. Your email subject line is like the cover of a book, and it should leave your audience wanting to know the full story. Draw them in with a fact (“What You Need to Know Before Taking Your Boat Out This Summer”), a question (“Are You Ready for the Hottest Deals on Bikes in 2020?”) or a secret (“The 12 Best Camping Spots You Never Knew”).
Give Them FOMO
Motivate your audience to click on your email by instilling a sense of urgency. With Independence Day weekend around the corner, many brands are running specials on summer inventory. Phrasing such as “Limited Time,” “Before It’s Gone” and “Savings Expire Monday” motivate customers to click the email and follow the call to action. However, be aware that “Don’t Hesitate” and “Apply Now” are two common spam phrases that could land your email in the spam folder.
Solve Your Customers’ Problems
Who doesn’t love a service that promises to solve a pain point or simplify a process? Brands who understand their customers’ needs can address them directly in the email subject line. Can your customers order PG&A items “From the Comfort of Home” or access a “Complete Checklist to Get Your Bike Road-Ready”? You might find this is just what your customers are waiting for.
What’s in It for Them?
In the end, people click on an email because they know whatever is inside will benefit them. Customers who have purchased from you in the past and have a positive impression of your brand are already inclined to click on your email because they like you. However, we all get busy and often put aside reading emails that don’t announce an immediate benefit. Your subject line should make it clear that, whatever purpose it may serve, it will be to the benefit of your customers.
As with any marketing strategy, be sure to incorporate an element of trial-and-error, as even the most comprehensive data can be affected by factors such as timing, weather, economic climate and brand perception. Start with the best practices, and then see what works best for your dealership.
³Emma