Before your email can be read, it must be open. The key to getting your email opened is the subject line.
Think of the subject line of your e-mail as being the equivalent of a headline in a sales letter. It's that important. In fact, if you don't write a good subject line, I can almost guarantee your e-mail will not be opened, not be read, and, in fact, end up in the trash.
So what makes up a good e-mail subject line? There are three essential components every subject line must contain. They are:
- Connect. The subject line must connect with the interest of the reader. Fail this test and they'll hit the delete button.
- Attention. The subject line must rivet the attention of the prospect so that they are curious about what's contained in the rest of the e-mail.
- Propel. The subject line must be active and propel the reader to read the rest of your e-mail, leading to your call to action.
Without these three elements, your subject line will not draw your reader into your e-mail, and your e-mail won't be read.
Another way to think of this is to remember what your reader is always thinking: “what's in this for me?”
If you don't have a good answer to that question, you and your email are toast.