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4 MIN. READ
B2B prospects make thousands of small decisions every day. Will they follow a link to read an article or open the email they just received? You can sway these decisions by crafting powerful headlines. Whether you’re grabbing the recipient’s attention, making a promise or telling them why they should engage with your content, B2B email subject lines that resonate with your audience can help you get more out of your email campaigns.
So what makes a good subject line? Let’s take a look.
The B2B marketing world is constantly shifting and keeping up with the latest trends is essential to crafting a fresh subject line. With 47% of subscribers opening emails based on the subject line, it is essential to make your mark with a subject line with some punch.
Statistics on email subject lines are revealing. Consider that subject lines that create FOMO (fear of missing out) in the recipient, have a 56% higher open rate. Similarly, email subject lines that imbue a sense of urgency (using the work “alert) are opened 61.8% more, while personalized email subject lines are opened 56% more (more on email marketing statistics to know in 2022 here).
Additionally, in an increasingly competitive email environment, subject lines are the best way for your campaign to stand out. The average recipient gets several marketing emails each day, with 77% of email marketers using email newsletters to reach out to prospects and leads.
A subject line that uses power words, facts and figures, or personalized elements will stand out, while a generic title will blend in and probably get overlooked.
Besides, a good title can shape how the recipient perceives your brand. If you use the subject line to make a promise and deliver on it in the content of the email, the recipient will immediately perceive your brand as trustworthy. Once you earn their trust and show you can deliver something valuable, it will be easier to get prospects to interact with your campaign again.
You also have to keep in mind that B2B customers increasingly expect experiences that reflect the B2C buying process, including content that is engaging and personalized. You can meet these expectations by crafting personalized B2B email subject lines.
As of March 2021, 45% of all email traffic was spam. This percentage has been decreasing, but spam remains an issue. Unfortunately, some practices that are meant to grab your prospects’ attention can cause your emails to land in a spam folder or get blocked altogether.
There are two things you can do to avoid spam filters:
• Rules-based spam filters look for spam trigger words. You might be tempted to use some of these words to advertise a special offer in your subject line, but, as a general rule, it’s best to stay away from words like free, discount or 50% off.
Related: How to Avoid Spam Filters in Your B2B Email Campaigns
• Spam filters also look at your sender reputation, and your open rate is one of the factors that influence your sender reputation score. If you send thousands of emails and only a few get opened, your score will drop, and email filters will be more likely to block your messages. You can preserve your score by launching highly targeted email campaigns with strong subject lines that translate into a high open rate.
Another thing to keep in mind is that recipients can report your emails as spam. Even though your intent is to deliver a genuine offer, some prospects might flag your emails and hurt your sender reputation if you use overly salesy language in your subject lines.
You can achieve a higher open rate by keeping a few simple rules in mind:
1. Remember that almost half of all marketer emails are opened on mobile. You can accommodate smaller screens by keeping your subject lines under seven words or 30 characters. Besides, keeping your titles short and straight to the point can be more engaging.
2. Use power words to grab your audience's attention and evoke an emotional reaction. You can inspire them to take action or sympathize with a problem they’re experiencing.
3. When possible, use facts and numbers. Keep in mind that numbers like 100% or #1 can trigger spam filters, but genuine facts and numbers from studies can add value to your emails and intrigue your recipients.
4. Personalize your subject lines to stand out, for instance by using the prospect’s name or referring to something their company does.
5. Use action verbs to inspire the recipient to do something about the pain point they’re experiencing, starting with opening your marketing email.
6. Engage your audience by asking a question. It’s another strategy you can use to evoke an emotional response.
7. Use A/B testing and track your open and click-through rates to help you determine which strategies work best with your target audience. You should also keep an eye on the percentage of your emails that get reported as spam.
8. Consider the C.U.R.V.E. method, which stands for Curiosity, Urgency, Relevancy, Value, and Emotion, and calls for email subject lines to contain at least two of these elements.
9. Keep your email subject lines brief. Like really brief. 36% of marketers stick to 21 to 40 characters in their subject lines, while another 34.6% use 41 to 60 characters or less. Consider also your mobile users; iPhone recipients will not be able to read your subject line past 32 characters.
10. Take note of the marketing emails you open yourself. What was it that caused you to open that email from a solicitor? What about the subject line compelled you? Is there a way to model your own subject lines after that stunning email you received? How could you make it even better?
With nearly a half million industrial business profiles, including one million executives, IndustrySelect can help you target the right recipients for your next email marketing campaign and provide you with the kind of information you need to craft personalized B2B email subject lines that will get your messages opened. See a sample profile here or get started now with a free demo!
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