Cyber Monday is right around the corner, and that means you need to ramp up your email marketing efforts to get as many people to visit your online store as possible! That also means you’ll need to master the art of the email subject line. Email subject lines on Cyber Monday can make all the difference in whether:
They make someone send your marketing emails to the trash bin immediately.
They cause a customer to open your emails and see the sweet deals you have planned.
Let’s break down what you can do to make sure your subject lines cause people to click through to your site and make a purchase on Cyber Monday. These subject line best practices will ensure that your marketing emails are as effective as possible and don’t end up in digital trash cans as soon as you send them.
Be Direct (Get to the Point!)
The first Cyber Monday email subject line best practice is directness. Don’t tiptoe around the reason for your email or try to hide its true content. Not only is this ineffective, but it can also make people feel annoyed at your brand for lying to them.
Instead, be as direct as possible and make sure that your subject line gets to the point ASAP. A reader should know that your marketing email is about Cyber Monday within the first couple of words through context clues or command words (more on those below).
- Example: “See our Cyber Monday deals now, save 50%!
Keep it Simple
Next, keep all of your marketing email subject lines very simple. Your subject line should fit within a standard email browser’s display box. Anything longer and you could lose the attention of your target customer.
Plus, by keeping your Cyber Monday subject lines simple, you increase the odds of someone clicking through the mail and visiting your website. People don’t like to click on emails they don’t understand or that they feel are scams.
- Example: “Cyber Monday savings you can’t afford to ignore! 20% off all store merchandise!”
Short and Sweet
In keeping with the above advice, your Cyber Monday email subject lines should be short and sweet. Don’t drone on and on or repeat words unnecessarily. Keep the subject line as simple and short as possible to give your emails the best chances of being opened by their recipients.
- Example: “Cyber Monday sale! 50% off all store merchandise TODAY only!”
Leverage “Command” Words
“Command” words are commanding or motivational words that get people to perform a certain action. Think command words are too aggressive? Think again – command words are what get people to actually click on your emails.
Strong words work much better than passive words, although you should try not to sound bossy or irritating. Be a little commanding, not too commanding. Examples of command words include “take”, “buy”, “find”, “get”, and so on.
- Example: “Get GREAT savings this Cyber Monday with 50% off select merchandise!”
Numbers are Your Friends
When someone sees your marketing email, they’ll only spend a second thinking about it before deciding whether they will click or throw it away. For the best results, insert at least one number into your Cyber Monday marketing email subject lines.
Numbers are interesting and attractive to the human brain. More than that, we’ve all been trained by shopping to associate numbers with sales, special offers, or important dates. The more numbers you can fit into your subject line, the better. However, remember the above advice; don’t insert unnecessary numbers if they complicate your subject line or make it too long.
- Example: “40% off your favorite store merchandise Cyber Monday ONLY!”
Personal is Powerful
The more personal you can make your Cyber Monday subject lines, the better. There are tons of studies that show people respond better to personalized marketing campaigns rather than feeling like they’re just another subscriber or customer.
Your online business should already be using email marketing tools and systems for personalization. Through these tools, you can do things like:
- Include the recipient’s name in the subject line using an algorithm
- Recommend products or deals based on their previous purchase history
- And so on
While personalization can be powerful, remember that some shoppers might consider it to be inappropriate. It all depends on your target audience, their demographic, and what you sell. Leverage this best practice for subject lines wisely.
- Example: “Quick, CUSTOMERNAME! All Cyber Monday specials 20% off for today only!”
Ask Questions
Last but not least, try to ask questions in your subject lines when possible. Questions automatically invoke interest in their readers; it’s in every human’s nature to want to answer a question even if they don’t have an answer prepared.
Therefore, a Cyber Monday subject line asking a question is more interesting than one simply making a statement. Your question should directly relate to Cyber Monday and the deal at hand, of course – don’t write a question that doesn’t relate to your overall marketing goal.
- Example: “Still want those shoes, CUSTOMERNAME? Get them for 50% off this Cyber Monday!”
Summary
As you can see, there are lots of best practices you can leverage to ensure your Cyber Monday marketing emails are as successful as possible. In many cases, you can combine several of the practices above into a single subject line.
For example, “Hey, CUSTOMERNAME! Get 20% off your favorite clothes this Cyber Monday!” combines many of the above practices into a single subject line. It’s personal since it uses your customer’s name, it uses a number, and it is straight into the point with a command word (“get”). Because of all these factors, it’s a great Cyber Monday marketing email subject line through and through.
Need more advice or want to know more about how to leverage email marketing for your ecommerce business’s long-term success? Contact us today and check out the rest of our guides here!
