The best email subject lines stand out in the consumer’s inbox.
Knowing how to write a good email subject line is key to ensuring campaign success. The best subject lines are 4-7 words long, so emojis are very appealing when it comes to saving space. They are also visual, helping to capture the audience’s attention. But emojis are not always right for every brand. Before using emojis, consider your brand personality, tone of voice and your industry. Whilst they can be a great tool, you do not want to compromise the relationship you have with your audience.
Contents:
- Why Do Email Subject Lines Matter?
- Emojis in Email Subject Lines Have A Positive Effect… Most Of The Time
- How Should You Be Using Emojis In Email Subject Lines?
- The Best Email Subject Lines
- Should You Be Using Emojis In Your Email Subject Lines?
Why Do Email Subject Lines Matter?
One of the fundamentals of email marketing is knowing how to write a good email subject line. Subject lines are the hook for emails. It is your chance to make an impression. Most users decide whether to open an email from the subject line alone. Not only that, but subject lines are also the first indicator of spam. A study from 2023 reported that “two thirds [of email audiences] report emails as spam solely on subject lines”.
With the average person in the UK receiving ‘an average of approximately 144 emails per day’, you need to stand out. The best email subject lines capture the audience’s attention. A common technique in recent years has been to use emojis to do this. But there are pros and cons to this strategy.
Emojis in Email Subject Lines Have A Positive Effect… Most Of The Time.
Emojis have been shown to have a positive effect on open rates when used effectively. The success of emojis varies largely depending on the topic of the email and the sender. Due to their informal tone, emojis are mostly suited to a B2C, E-commerce email list. They are a great tool to use around key holidays to stand out amongst all the other brand emails. However, there is a correlation between using emojis and spam complaints. The best way to combat this is to use relevant emojis and to use them sparingly.
Before deciding to use emojis in your subject lines, consider whether they fit your brand personality and tone of voice. This may not be the case if your B2B communications are formal or trying to inspire trust. But, if your emails are informal and friendly, they could be appropriate. The best subject lines resonate with audiences and result in opens and clicks.’
How Should You Be Using Emojis In Email Subject Lines?
Here are some top tips for using emojis in email subject lines:
- You should use emojis sparingly. There should absolutely be no more than three emojis in a subject line and sometimes that is too many. One emoji at the start or end of the subject line is usually enough to grab attention.
- Use them to save space. The best subject lines are between 4-7 words. Even so, subject lines are usually cut off by mobile devices after 5 words. To get your message across effectively, you can use relevant emojis in place of words.
- Do your research. Since marketers have seen that emojis can be effective, there has been a trend to overuse them. The good thing about that is that we can take learnings from this. The most effective emojis for email subject lines appear to be the wrapped gift, siren and red heart.
- Test your subject lines. Emojis are supported by most mobile devices now. But you should check that inbox providers recognise them. If an emoji is not recognised, it could trigger the contact’s spam filter.
The Best Email Subject Lines
The best email subject lines are:
- Personal – using personalisation is a proven, effective technique.
- Short – no more than 7 words.
- Impactful – emails with a sense of urgency, exclusivity or added value have higher open rates.
- Make sure the subject line is relevant to your products and audience.
A/B testing is great for trialing new techniques when it comes to your subject lines. This lowers the risk of your email underperforming overall. Send the A/B test to a small group to find out which subject line performs better. Once you have the results, amend accordingly and send the email to the rest of your audience.
Should You Be Using Emojis In Your Email Subject Lines?
There is no straightforward answer. First, consider if emojis would resonate with your audience or irritate them. Then consider how emojis fit with your brand personality and tone. Brand loyalty plays a major role in email marketing. Most of your audience will already have some investment in your brand. To continue to build that trust, your tone of voice must be consistent.
Content Director, Jane Wardle, says, “A consistent tone of voice builds familiarity and familiarity builds trust. In email marketing and content in general, that trust is what keeps people opening, clicking and coming back. Whether you use emojis or not, what matters most is sounding like you, every time.”
When used in the right way, emojis are a great tool to have in your email marketing toolkit. Subject and preview lines are two of the most important parts of an email. If these are not optimised and compelling, then your open rates will suffer.
At Pod Digital, we create bespoke strategies to ensure the best result. From subject lines to segmentation and flow, we analyse your industry and competitors to make sure you stand out. To find out how we could optimise your email marketing, or to begin utilising the channel for your business, get in touch today!
