Many people run an email marketing campaign in hopes of selling product and generating income. Many business people struggle when attempting to develop these subject lines. In order to maximize the effect of an email marketing campaign, it is important to understand the dynamics of an effective subject line. A powerful subject can have a dramatic influence response rates. Email marketers should spend the time necessary to create an enticing subject line for their campaign. In the recent survey, 35% of email users stated that the subject line is the main determining factor in opening an email. This certainly makes sense. Other than the ‘from’ portion of the email, the ‘subject’ line is the only other element that is visible from an email inbox.

Here are 5 reasons why the subject line is a crucial component to the success of an email campaign:

1) Its the First Line of Communication:
The subject line is the first line of communication an email marketer has with his or her audience. If the subject line does not capture the readers’ attention, the email will likely be disregarded and the likelihood of a successful campaign will diminish.

2) Helps Your Offer Stand out from the Crowd:
With spam email on the rise, it is critical that business people use a captivating subject line to help their offer stand out in comparison to other competing email offers. Email recipients are busy people and only read what is important to them. If an email subject line does not create an immediate interest, the email is deleted and disregarded. To avoid this, try working in a benefit statement to build value or formulate a subject line to pose a question in the readers’ mind to build interest.

3) Proper Design will Bypass Spam Filters:
Another reason to have a strong subject line in an email marketing campaign is the need to bypass spam filters. If the recipients’ email server has spam blockers in place, it is imperative that the subject line is worded accordingly to avoid "catch phrases" that are indicative of commercial related email. Avoid phrases or words like "Free", "Limited time", "Discounted", "Mortgage", "Special offer", "Buy now" or other variations that are commonly used in commercial email marketing campaigns. Building a subject line that steers away from these types of words and phrases will assist you in getting more emails delivered into your prospects’ inbox.

4) Helps Make a Personal Connection:
When examining the most popular subject lines apparent in bulk email campaigns, there are similarities that are immediately noticeable. Most of the top subject lines appear to be a response to a customer inquiry or action, or they seem to be from a friend of the recipient. Campaign subject lines are no longer impersonal. Instead, they are designed to make an immediate personal connection with the recipient so that he or she is more likely to open the email.

5) Increases the Chance that Your Email will be Read:
Bottom line, compelling subject line will entice a larger audience. Attractive subject lines that contain numbers tend to produce higher open and read rates. "Top 10", "Save 10%", "3 Great Ideas", etc. are great ways to go. In addition, the use of a celebrity or a famous figure’s name can captivate the reader’s attention through an association with a living icon.

The importance of a strong subject line cannot be disputed. In just a few words, it can "make" or "break" an entire email advertising endeavor. Spend time on your subject line strategy and pay attention to your open rate changes over time. Monitor your trends and you will find your way to higher open rates and improved conversions on all your email marketing campaigns.