B2B Email Marketing: How to Write the Perfect Subject
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 10:56 am
Confession–our headline might be a tad misleading. There’s actually no such thing as a universally “perfect” subject line. If there was, your inbox would become a monotonous wasteland, with every marketer using precisely the same tone, format, length and style.
Here’s the good news: With time, testing, and some creativity, you can craft the (nearly) perfect subject line for your audience. Notice the emphasis. Your email list is absolutely unique, filled with a cohort of people that don’t just vary from other industries–but from your competitors. That means the subject lines that will work for you will only work for you.
All you need is find them.
In this blog we’ll tell you how, using our testing process and data how to save russian number for whatsapp We’ll explore why subject lines matter, why they’re more of a science than an art, and how you can build out your own testing process to find your perfect (or as perfect as possible) subject line formula.
Feature image for email marketing blog.
How to Find (Your) Perfect Subject Line
Why Subject Lines Matter
Why Subject Lines Aren’t... Everything
How to Find Your Perfect Subject Line
How We Found Our (Almost Perfect) Subject Line
Conclusion
Why Subject Lines Matter
The vast majority of email inbox interfaces present the user with the sender’s email, timestamp, subject line, pre-header, and (sometimes) the first few lines of content. That means there are only two reasons you likely open any given email.
You trust the person it’s from.
You believe it’s going to contain useful information.
As B2B marketers, it’s enormously difficult for us to be part of the first cohort. We can certainly earn a spot as a trusted contact over time with high brand authority, but we can never compete with bosses, coworkers, or family.
That means we have to rely on option 2, convincing the recipient that our email is useful. That puts significant pressure on the subject line. It’s your front door–the split-second of attention you get to persuade them to come inside. That means subject lines are the number one (though not the only) factor that will make or break any email campaign.
Why Subject Lines Aren’t... Everything
In the complex, niche B2B industries where we work (sectors like contract manufacturing or biotech), the sales cycle can simmer for months. We look at subject lines, then, as part of an email strategy that compounds brand authority and action over time–not an urgent firesale of instant action. You won’t see siren emojis or “LAST CHANCE” or many of the quick-click ALL-CAPS language launched by consumer e-commerce campaigns.
There’s only one metric that subject lines can even affect—email open rates. For us, that’s only the first rung of a tall ladder that leads toward lead conversion. The click-thru-rate is a far more useful indicator of success because it’s a clear sign of intent and interest. And the content and call-to-action within the email affect CTR far more than the subject line itself. It’s why you’ll see a more cautious, more authoritative, less click-bait style tone in our emails as opposed to the ones sent by D2C brands.
Here’s the good news: With time, testing, and some creativity, you can craft the (nearly) perfect subject line for your audience. Notice the emphasis. Your email list is absolutely unique, filled with a cohort of people that don’t just vary from other industries–but from your competitors. That means the subject lines that will work for you will only work for you.
All you need is find them.
In this blog we’ll tell you how, using our testing process and data how to save russian number for whatsapp We’ll explore why subject lines matter, why they’re more of a science than an art, and how you can build out your own testing process to find your perfect (or as perfect as possible) subject line formula.
Feature image for email marketing blog.
How to Find (Your) Perfect Subject Line
Why Subject Lines Matter
Why Subject Lines Aren’t... Everything
How to Find Your Perfect Subject Line
How We Found Our (Almost Perfect) Subject Line
Conclusion
Why Subject Lines Matter
The vast majority of email inbox interfaces present the user with the sender’s email, timestamp, subject line, pre-header, and (sometimes) the first few lines of content. That means there are only two reasons you likely open any given email.
You trust the person it’s from.
You believe it’s going to contain useful information.
As B2B marketers, it’s enormously difficult for us to be part of the first cohort. We can certainly earn a spot as a trusted contact over time with high brand authority, but we can never compete with bosses, coworkers, or family.
That means we have to rely on option 2, convincing the recipient that our email is useful. That puts significant pressure on the subject line. It’s your front door–the split-second of attention you get to persuade them to come inside. That means subject lines are the number one (though not the only) factor that will make or break any email campaign.
Why Subject Lines Aren’t... Everything
In the complex, niche B2B industries where we work (sectors like contract manufacturing or biotech), the sales cycle can simmer for months. We look at subject lines, then, as part of an email strategy that compounds brand authority and action over time–not an urgent firesale of instant action. You won’t see siren emojis or “LAST CHANCE” or many of the quick-click ALL-CAPS language launched by consumer e-commerce campaigns.
There’s only one metric that subject lines can even affect—email open rates. For us, that’s only the first rung of a tall ladder that leads toward lead conversion. The click-thru-rate is a far more useful indicator of success because it’s a clear sign of intent and interest. And the content and call-to-action within the email affect CTR far more than the subject line itself. It’s why you’ll see a more cautious, more authoritative, less click-bait style tone in our emails as opposed to the ones sent by D2C brands.