As a business owner, you know email marketing is essential. But with so much competition, getting your emails noticed can be tough. You’ve probably wondered, should marketing emails subject lines be capitalized? This seemingly small detail can significantly impact your open rates and email deliverability.
Your email subject line is the first, and sometimes only, impression you make. It’s the gateway to your message. Crafting a compelling subject line is crucial for successful email campaigns. So, when asking “Should marketing email subject lines be capitalized?” remember the subject line can make or break your campaign’s success.
Should Marketing Emails Subject Lines Be Capitalized: Sentence Case vs. Title Case
Two primary capitalization styles are used in email subject lines: sentence case and title case. Sentence case capitalizes only the first word and proper nouns. Title case capitalizes the first letter of every important word.
Sentence Case: A Modern, Approachable Tone
Sentence case mirrors natural speech and writing. This offers an approachable feel that fits today’s informal digital communication. It feels casual and friendly, even to new contacts unfamiliar with your brand.
Big brands like Amazon and Google use sentence case, lending emails a personal touch. Personalized content has a higher open rate — 18.8% versus a 13% average.
Title Case: Traditional, Professional Look
Title case appears professional and polished. It’s suitable for official announcements, B2B communication, or brands valuing formality. Some companies capitalize every word.
Many feel title case conveys trustworthiness, particularly for sensitive industries like finance or law. However, title case can feel less personalized than sentence case.
Crafting Email Subject Lines that Grab Attention
Whether you choose title or sentence case, other factors influence a subject line’s effectiveness. Certain elements improve email open rates and effective email subject lines within marketing automation.
Brevity is Key
Shorter subject lines (under 15 characters) often boost open rates. However, MailChimp suggests staying below 50 characters for broader compatibility..
Clarity and Accuracy
A subject line must clearly convey the email’s purpose. Should marketing email subject lines be capitalized is less important than accurate subject matter. Almost 70% of people mark emails as spam based on deceptive or irrelevant subjects.
Numbers and Personalization
Using numbers and personalization improves engagement metrics and boosts click-through rates. Studies show a 57% improvement in open rates with numbers and email subjects.
Open rates increase 50% with names in subject lines. These strategies contribute to better user experience and customer loyalty. Using proper nouns will avoid your email feeling robotic as well.
Piquing Curiosity
Catchy email subject lines pique interest. A classic copywriting technique is posing an open question. This technique helps emails stand out amongst the competition, leading to increased opens.
Consider a famous 1926 ad: “They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano — But When I Started to Play.” This works for headlines and email subject lines.
Such subjects are effective. Open-ended curiosity compels recipients to click and adjectives adverbs may strengthen your subject lines even further.
Storytelling for Email Opens
Like the piano ad, using storytelling in your subject makes your emails stand out, enhancing open and click-through rates with a well-crafted subject line. Compelling stories stick with readers and it’s worth remembering how crucial it is.
People remember information in a story 22 times more than isolated facts. Short subject lines do well, but ensure the subject line functions properly even when cut short. Focus on capturing attention in the recipient’s inbox for higher open rates.
So, should marketing email subject lines be capitalized? There’s no single answer. Proper capitalization conveys professionalism. A casual, sentence case approach can build stronger connections. The grammatical rules and case studies show a wide array of potential email marketing successes and capitalization.
Focus on aligning capitalization with your goals and brand identity. Avoid misleading subject lines that trigger spam filters. No matter your style, subject line success hinges on conciseness, relevance, personalization, and storytelling. These elements all help boost open and click-through rates.
By combining smart capitalization with these strategies, you capture attention instantly. Crafting compelling subject lines helps businesses thrive amidst overflowing inboxes. Great subject lines are 10-15 letters long. If it’s essential, focus on an email’s purpose rather than strictly following the number of characters.
