By Jeremy Tiers, Vice President of Admissions Services
2 minute read
According to our latest Tudor Collegiate Strategies data, 27.1% of students say the subject line is the number one thing that got them to stop and open a college related email. It makes sense because, along with the sender, the subject line is the first thing they see when they scroll through their inbox.
We partner with a lot of colleges and universities, and as someone who sees all of the different comm flows and campaigns, I can tell you that 90%+ of subject lines follow a similar template and look/sound the same – like a marketing “mass” message. Including the student’s first or preferred name, as well as the name of your school is fine, but that’s no longer unique because that’s what most colleges continue to do.
Combine all of that with the volume of messaging and digital advertising that young people receive on a daily basis, and you can understand why so many students continue to swipe and delete, or just ignore completely.
In a nutshell, subject lines work best when they feel personal, create curiosity or excitement, and they let the reader know what kind of content they’ll find inside.
Here are a few more do’s and don’ts:
Do…
- Use keywords like you, your, support, feel, fun, important, and reminder.
- Use a phrase like “What our students like/think about…” when you include the current student point of view on a topic
- From time to time ask a question in your subject line (Ex. “Are you…?”), or make a statement such as “One question for you, that’s it” – and then in the body of your email simply ask one question.
Don’t….
- Use common spam trigger words like money, free, and prize, as well as phrases such as “Apply now.”
- Put your subject line in all CAPS – that’s another spam trigger.
- Say something that could be misinterpreted.
- Overuse emojis or Gen Z slang – students say it feels like you’re trying too hard.
Finally, always be looking for opportunities to A:B test different subject lines throughout the year.
If you want some quick advice about a subject line you’re going to use in an upcoming email, I’m happy to do it… seriously. Reply back to this week’s newsletter email or drop me a note here.
And if you found this article helpful, please forward it to someone else on your campus who could also benefit from reading it.