Email marketing is by far the best way to advertise online. Before any customer views an email though, they first see the subject line. These small windows of space can determine whether or not the consumer will read the article and inevitably purchase the product or visit the store. There are a few ways to effectively reach the target audience within the small space that will encourage them to open and view the advertisement.

Questions are a great way to cause intrigue within the subject line of an email. Asking a question, naturally causes people to want to answer. If able to answer, they may be interested in the email. If unable to answer, they may also be interested in the email. Regardless of the question, customers want to be involved. By asking a question, whatever it may be, readers feel as though they are a part of a conversation, rather than being shoved product in their face. A bakery, for example could choose to make a subject line of “What’s Your Favorite Muffin?” as a subject line. Within the context of the email, the question is never answered intentionally. Rather, inside the context of the article there will be muffin pictures, a column regarding muffins and maybe even a muffin quote. The question creates a call to action that will encourage the reader to interact within the boundaries of the advertising. At the end of the email the bakery could say “Tell us your favorite muffin here.” This can link to a social media site, blog or article marketing that can generate more revenue for the business. Customers will be more inclined to view the next site as they are already involved, so to speak.

Another thing to consider when choosing a proper marketing subject line is the length of which you want it to be. Most people would hate to open an email that says “There are great recipes inside, take a look.” Stick to 2-4 word subject titles as short and sweet tends to do best. Also, instead of being informative, create a subject that makes readers feel they have to know what’s inside. Not only questions work here, but short and catchy titles work well, too. Consider a title like “Hurry: Sale Ends Soon!” Not only is the title short and exciting it creates a sense of urgency within the customer. It is also written in proper AP formatting, which can go far. Most well respected business people never open emails containing grammatical errors and misspelled words, especially within the subject’s title.

Email marketing remains the best way to reach a business’s target demographic. There are a few ways to get customers more interested in the advertisements being sent. The best option is to create subject lines that draw consumers in. Consider asking a question that later leads to an action. Also, keep the titles, short, sweet and to the point. Be sure the email and title have both been spell checked and create a sense of urgency. Using these tools, businesses should see significant increases within their projected sales.

Author Bio: Trevor Richards writes for Extravision, a supplier of free email marketing trials.

Category: Advice
Keywords: email marketing, email campaign, ecommerce, internet marketing, e-commerce, sales, business