Subject Lines For The Holidays
Monday, December 10th, 2007We looked through our inbox and picked out a few holiday subject lines that we thought were good as well as some that needed help.
Let’s start with some basics about subject lines…
1. Most important information goes at the beginning of the line.
2. Don’t use all capital letters.
3. Make sure your subject lines are not too long. 40 to 50 characters max.
4. Don’t repeat your from address.
5. Don’t overuse the word “Free”.
6. Don’t overuse punctuation.
Having reviewed a couple of basics, let’s look at a few subject lines that we found, that needed help.
Subject Line: Old Navy: Your Holiday Offer is Here
Problem: Does not tell you what the offer is.
Subject line: Macys.com: FREE SHIPPING + The Gifting Event: Great gifts for everyoneAND YOU!
Problem: Too many capital letters, subject line is too long, too much punctuation. Spacing is not proper.
Here are some subject lines we thought were well done.
Shutterfly: 2 days to enjoy holiday cards on us
Brookstone: Full-size authentic arcade games–just like you remember
Frontgate: Remember, Save 20% Site-wide at Frontgate.com
Here are a few generic subject lines we liked.
Gift baskets for less than $45.
Gifts under $15, No S&H.
Buy before December 5, get 20% off.
Order by 12/23, Holiday delivery guaranteed.
Stocking Stuffer Special - Get a $10 gift card with purchase.
If you come across any especially noteworthy subject lines, let us know about them.