Subject lines are the make-or-break element of email marketing. The subject line is often your prospect’s first encounter with your brand or new marketing campaign. It should offer value, communicate the personality of your business, and entice people to open and read your email.

Despite this, many firms pay little attention to this important aspect of client involvement, which is a significant error we don’t want you to make.

Not only will not thinking through your subject line limit your outcomes, but it can also harm your sender reputation and send your emails to the spam bin.

The more times you’re reported as spam, the less deliverable future emails will be, lowering the return on investment of your campaign (ROI). But don’t panic; mastering your topic isn’t tough if you’re aware of the most prevalent traps and actively work to avoid them.

Let’s take a look at some subject line blunders to remember and avoid.

1. Creating a broad topic line
   Customers want authenticity, which means they don’t like the generic, one-size-fits-all emails that many marketers send.

When your consumers opt-in to your emails, you’ll have access to a wealth of data that can be used to define your target audience – age, gender, geographic area, interests, occupation, and, of course, their name.

Use all of this important information to create subject lines that connect with your readers and pique their interest, resulting in increased opens and click-throughs.

Sending generic, off-the-shelf subject lines will result in your emails being sent to the garbage folder or spam folder.

2. Ignoring preheader text
   Many marketers are unaware of what this is, despite the fact that the preview, or preheader, language in your email may make or break your open rates.

Preview content shows in your clients’ inboxes immediately after your subject line, as seen below:

When writing personal emails, this is usually extracted from the opening phrase, but in the marketing world, it is usually picture alt text or browser instructions, such as the one below:

Most email service providers (ESPs) offer marketers with a box in which to choose which content appears in the preview. Using 35-90 characters to pique the recipient’s attention — and complement your subject line — can help you achieve high open rates.

3. Failure to use urgency in the subject line
   Subject lines that communicate a feeling of urgency are 22% more likely to be opened than those that do not. Use this power by writing a subject line that conveys urgency or scarcity:

Williams-Sonoma addresses this wonderfully in their subject line, “Final Hours to Save on Soaps, Lotions, and More.” They’ve provided recipients a cause to click right away without employing spammy or deceptive language.

4. Failure to optimize for mobile
   With around 81% of people using their smartphone to read emails on a daily basis, it is vital that your emails, including subject lines, be optimized for mobile consumers.

By previewing your email across all channels before sending, you can ensure that your subject line does not transform into strange characters, numbers, or code when viewed on a mobile device. Unrecognized language or shapes in the subject line will doom your email.

5. Excessive use of emojis
   Emojis may boost email open rates, but they have limitations that you should be aware of before using them.

If your product or service is more conservative, a smiley-face may not be the best vehicle to represent your business. Consider that emojis are presented differently across platforms, so they may seem weird to certain viewers.

However, they do work in certain instances, so use your best judgment and audience data to determine whether they’re fit for your business.

Wrap Up
Subject lines are your brand’s initial point of contact with prospective consumers, and they may contribute to a successful, lucrative email marketing campaign if utilized appropriately.

Avoid making subject line blunders like the ones in this article by being acquainted with typical faults and having numerous proofreaders check through your marketing emails before sending them.