Compelling subject lines are crucial to crafting an effective campaign. As 2014 begins, marketers will continue trying to master the science of messages that recipients can’t resist clicking on. Through years of trial and error, experts are beginning to pinpoint which kinds of lines lead to more clicks and sales. BizJournals recently laid down the ground rules for writing subject lines that will catch the eye of every name on a business’ email contact list.

Customers respond to concise email subject lines
Nobody wants to spend extra time sifting through their inbox to find updates from their favorite brands. BizJournals urged email marketers to capture customers’ attention by sending emails with short subject lines that get the point across in only a few words. While marketers might be tempted to give a detailed rundown of the enclosed newsletter or discount notification, readers are most intrigued by a brief preview and will likely click through out of natural curiosity. In addition, popular email clients such as Gmail and Microsoft Outlook tend to display only a small portion of a subject line, especially on smaller platforms like tablets and smartphones.

So how long does an email marketer have to convey their message within a subject line? BizJournals suggested less than 50 characters as the best range for businesses to spark the interest of their recipients. Keeping subject lines short will not only save customers the hassle of trudging through excess language but will pay off in the long run when marketers find that more people are clicking on emails and following through with online purchases.

The best email subject lines are more exciting than informative
Emails with urgent subject lines are bound to stand out against a sea of bland notifications and unwanted spam. By giving messages the tone of a pressing issue, marketers can make customers think that they might miss out on an offer if they don’t open the email immediately. BizJournals emphasized the importance of numbers in creating the pressure of a short timeframe.The eye is drawn to numbers on a screen cluttered with letters, so subject lines that include digits will more likely convince readers that the email is worth opening.

While including specific information in emails is critical to educate customers about upcoming sales, events and discounts, email marketers can’t forget that subject lines are meant to prioritize excitement over everything else. BizJournals noted that the best subject lines include a minimal amount of product information while emphasizing newness and exclusivity. Businesses were also urged to test a wide range of possibilities to see what lines draw the most attention from readers. Common methods include A/B tests and running individual pilot campaigns that can target a specific audience or demographic.

Where email marketers go wrong when creating subject lines
Sadly, there are some emails that rarely ever get clicked on. To help email marketers avoid sending out ineffective messages, Business 2 Community compiled a list of the most common mistakes businesses make when creating their newsletter subject lines. Excessive use of caps lock turns out to be one of the main offenders for inbox browsers. An email should be intriguing, not make customers feel like they are being yelled at. Businesses can capitalize the first letter of each word in a sentence to convey importance but should avoid steer clear of using capitals in every email.

Business 2 Community also cited unusual punctuation as something that can annoy email recipients. Including too many question marks or exclamation points is a waste of characters and can make a subject line appear unprofessional. To find success in email marketing, businesses need clever, exciting lines to hook their customer base.