Tell the story, keep them to 1 line, & more
Email newsletter subscribers skim e-zine headlines to decide what to read. But if they can get the story from the headline and avoid reading, all the better.
E-zine headlines are important. Here’s how to write catchy email newsletter headlines that pull readers in:
- Be clear. Subscribers don’t have time to decipher muddy headlines. Don’t write teasers. Straightforward headlines are better than deceptive ones.
- Be short. When headlines are more than one line, they become difficult and time-consuming to read, according to eyetracking studies by the Nielsen Norman Group. So avoid text wrapping. And don’t forget to test on mobile.
- Don’t get your head cut off. Aim for headlines of about 40 characters — 8 words — for mobile.
- Don’t over format. Make your headline bold, and it stands out. Make it bold, underlined, centered, colored and using special fonts, and it becomes too difficult to read.
How do your email newsletter headlines stack up?
How can you reach nonreaders with email?
Just 24% of email recipients fully read email newsletters on mobile devices. The rest skim — or just glance at — their messages.
So how do you get the word out to flippers and skimmers via email headlines, decks and other display copy?
Find out at Think Inside the Inbox — our email-writing workshop that begins on Oct. 17.
You’ll learn how to get the word out to email recipients with our simple test, boost readership by choosing the right template for your email newsletter, and avoid getting your headline cut off on mobile email apps.
Plus: Find out how to write links that boost your click-through rate on mobile, where email recipients click on 40% fewer links.
Save up to $100 with our group discounts.
