3 Essentials to Getting Your Email Opened

Before your email can be read, it must be open. The key to getting your email opened is the subject line.

E-mail

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:

  1. Connect. The subject line must connect with the interest of the reader. Fail this test and they'll hit the delete button.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Ray Edwards is a world-renowned copywriter and communications strategist, writing for some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business including New York Times bestselling authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Tony Robbins. Ray is a sought-after speaker and author, hosts a popular weekly podcast, and blogs at RayEdwards.com.