How to optimize the length of your email subject line

As a marketer, you work hard to write great copy and create eye-catching emails. However, if your subject line discourages subscribers from reading your message, your campaign may fail.

More and more emails are opened on mobile devices and usually display fewer characters. With this in mind, you may be wondering if your subject line should be shorter to accommodate subscribers on the move.

Is there any secret to perfect subject line length?

Every subscriber list is different, so the perfect subject line length depends on many factors. But you can gain insight into the ideal length of your industry. Unlock these insights and you will surely see higher engagement and performance from marketing emails.

In this article, we will share some actionable tips to find the right email subject line length for your email marketing strategy.

Factors to consider when deciding the length of the subject line of an email

There really is no one-size-fits-all length. In fact, the ideal length of the subject line depends on many factors.

1. On which devices and clients are your emails read

In the past decade, the number of emails opened on mobile devices has increased dramatically. In 2021, mobile will account for 41.6% of the total opening volume. However, somehow, 1 in 5 emails is not optimized for mobile devices.

Although mobile optimization is more related to the code or template you use, it also has an impact on your subject line.Different devices will truncate your subject line in different ways. If you don’t test them, you might end up with some Painful and embarrassing result​​.

Fortunately, Campaign Monitor’s Inbox preview function Allows you to view previews of emails in more than 25 different email clients before sending the event to ensure that your emails look great in any inbox.

When considering the subject line length that best fits your marketing emails, consider using data to determine subscriber devices. Do most of your subscribers open email on mobile devices, or do they stick to desktop devices?

Campaign Monitor users can easily find this information in your Campaign Monitor account, located in the “Activity Reports” section under “Email Client Usage”. This will help you optimize the subject line length.

The following are some statistics of the top 10 email devices and clients in 2021, including market share:

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Since most people view emails on iPhone and Gmail, please optimize the subject line length from 41 characters (in portrait view on iPhone) to 70 characters in Gmail.You don’t want a broken experience because your Subject line is too long.

2. How did the subject line perform in the past?

It’s also a good idea to see which subject lines in your past emails have received high open rates.

Due to the trades you provide, the time of day, or the copy and sentiment of the subject line itself, there may be a high open rate.

Nonetheless, it’s worth checking out to see if you have any trends Email open rate And the length of the subject line.

So, what is the best email subject line length?

According to a study From the market, 41 characters, or 7 words, Seems to be the best choice for email subject line length, about 10 characters less than the average subject line.

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Here are some email subject lines and their character lengths to give you an idea of ​​what a 41-character subject line looks like:

When making an email subject line, remember when and how the subscriber reads the email.

If most openings occur on the iPhone, you will need to use a shorter email subject line for maximum impact. In addition, put your offer or CTA at the beginning of the subject line, where it is most likely to be seen.you can also Use title text Add more context to your subject line in the preview pane.

9 best practices for email subject lines

Finding the ideal subject line length is an important step in email marketing, but the subject line is more than just length. In order to be successful, you need to use general best practices.

1. Use a different subject line

If you use the same subject line over and over again, it won’t excite your subscribers. Therefore, instead of using the “January 2021 Company Newsletter,” try to be more creative and encourage subscribers to open emails and view the latest and most important information you provide.

2. Keep the subject line short

Short subject lines often win out. As mentioned above, research shows that approximately 41 characters is the optimal length for a subject line. However, some marketing experts recommend shortening the time.

Backlinko founder Brian Dean said that, on average, the subject line No more than 16 characters There is a significantly higher opening rate. He attributed this to two factors.

First, emails with shorter subject lines are more likely to be delivered. Second, simplicity creates a sense of mystery.

According to Dean’s idea, the theme is “Are you free to meet at 11 today?” (38 characters) and “Meeting at 11 o’clock?” (14 characters).

All in all, try to reduce your number of characters as much as possible. Moreover, imposing character restrictions on people who send emails at your company may also be a wise decision.

3. Test your subject line across devices and clients

As we mentioned before, you need to make sure that your subject line is displayed correctly on the device. Sending a test email will help you ensure that your subject line can be read well everywhere.

4. Consider your capitalization style

Although you may not think too much about how to capitalize the subject line of your email, you should consider it! There are four basic styles:

• How to write an email subject line (sentence case)
• How to write an email subject line (title case)
• How to write an email subject line (all lowercase)

Some marketing experts, such as Val Geisler Properties increase open rate A more casual and personalized feeling. In this case, you can choose sentence case or all lower case for the subject line.

5. Use personalization

use personalise Include the name of the subscriber in the subject line. You can use many other personalization options based on subscriber data.This data can be collected through your registration form or from other sources, such as Shopify or OptinMonster.

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This is a powerful subject line because it is short, raises a question, and is related to previous recipient behavior. Consider doing the same with your email.

6. A/B test subject line

If you don’t try different options, you will never know what works best, so A/B test your subject line Find the best. You can perform A/B tests on different lengths and different types of copies to understand what your email list responds to.

7. Use emoticons when appropriate

although Controversy over emoji Go on, the fact is that they will stay. Their judicious use in the subject line can make your email stand out in the seemingly endless inbox of endless lines of text.

Have Additional advantages provided by emoji. Most companies don’t use them, which can lead to Higher response rate For emails that use them. In addition, they create powerful emotional stories, which are great for shorter text lines on mobile devices.

8. Avoid spam filters

Every email that enters the spam folder misses opportunities to open, click, and convert sales.This is why, according to Yesware conducted extensive research, You want to avoid using the following words in the subject line.

Have More avoid spam filters Rather than individual word choices. (Using all capital letters will also take you there.) Anyway, remove the above spam words and phrases from your subject line.

9. Use Automation

Although this is not strictly related to the subject line, it’s worth noting that using automation in your email strategy is bound to increase your engagement metrics.Even simple automated steps such as Welcome journey It is an effective way to get a list of subscribers when they are most active.

If you can take advantage of the time or context of automated emails in the subject line, your results will only get better.

wrap up

After all, the best email subject line length varies from brand to brand. This means it is best to test different lengths to see which suits you.

If you use past data and test your subject line, you will easily know how long the email subject line should be to encourage subscribers to open your marketing campaign and take action.

For more tips on writing email subject lines, check out our post Best Practices for Subject Lines.