Subject Line Vs. Content

In the days of direct mail we used to say: "A good list will make up for bad creative. But good creative will never make up for a bad list."

To your question I would say: "A good subject line will make up for bad email content, but good content will never make up for a bad subject line."

Reason? Because people will never open your email in the first place.

Nathan,

That's a good question. I'd say neither is "more important" than the other when you consider the overall goals of your email campaign/program. (If open rates were all that mattered to you then subject line text would be more important.) However, subject lines are the gateway to your content and, therefore, like a book cover, have to accomplish quite a lot in roughly 40 or so text characters you come up with. Therefore, it is arguably more important to more critically analyze the structure of you subject line than a series of words in the body of your email of the same length.

Chris

I agree with Howard for the most part. However I have a caveat. I think you give yourself the best shot if both your subject line and the hook of your message emphasize value to the recipient.

This means the value statement (hook) has to be visible in the preview pane (whether horizontal or vertical) without the recipient having to expend an ounce of effort to see it. And it better be focused on what's in it for them and not on your company or products.

I do a lot of work for IT companies and find that if you can get that one-two punch, you can increase your open rates. So think carefully about using big graphic headers in the body that are just wasted space unless the prospect downloads the graphic. If you do that then Howard is definitely correct - the subject line will rule.

Often that space can be used most effectively with compelling content that backs up your subject line.

Nathan,

Great question. It reminds me of "what came first ... the chicken or egg?"
The open rate will be driven by a compelling headline. The call to action will be supported by the content. Your future access to the prospect's attention will depend on both.

Cheers,
Bill

They serve two different purposes:

Subject line: gets the receiver to open the email

Content: keeps attention & drives action

The subject line comes first, but the content drives action, so they both need to do their jobs.

They are equally important. If the email doesn't get opened, you've lost them. If the email gets opened and the content is disappointing, then you've lost them. However, because the email is the first important issue, I strongly recommend that you test two subject lines each time you run an email effort. Testing subject lines tells you much about what your targeted market wants.

Here are some options with examples:

Test two benefit statements to learn which approach works best:
Get your product to market faster
Streamline collaboration to boost productivity

One can be what you know is your best benefit tested against the offer you are making:
Streamline collaboration to boost productivity
Request your "Developer's Survival Guide"

Each time you test a subject line you learn such things as:
1. Which approach is the most effective to get your email opened.
2. Which benefits are the most compelling for your audience.

By leveraging this learning in future programs, each email effort should be more successful than the last.

Nathan, I would agree with the topics above; they are different aspects of a combined challenge so neither is more important. Here's a video on YouTube that takes the direct mail "teaser" metaphor a bit further for email content and subject lines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oAg7uO4Py0

Nathan,

Chris makes a great point. The subject line is the gateway into your content. Therefore, if your subject line doesn't grasp attention immediately, your content will never get read. While each aspect individually is important, without a attention-grabbing subject line that makes your prospect think "Wow, I've got to read this" it doesn't really matter what your content says. You could have the best developed content anyone has ever seen but if your subject line doesn't get them to move onto the content then it doesn't really matter.

Hi Nathan,

Short answer: both are equally important.

The Subject line of the email is what will entice the viewer to open it--or delete it without opening. The more generic your Subject line the higher the open rate; however, your goal should not be to get a high open rate but a high click-through (i.e., response) rate. So, I suggest a more detailed Subject line with keywords that identify who you are trying to reach with your message.

The Content of your email should persuade the reader that it is in their best interest to do whatever it is you want them to do next (i.e., click through to more content, make a phone call, change/make up their mind on an issue, etc.). If your email content isn't compelling enough to "hit them between the eyes" (as I like to say) with your message, then it has failed and your whole email campaign has failed.

Success is a combination of factors so they're both important...

An overly long or confusing subject line will get the message deleted instantly so your wonderful content will never get seen.

Inappropriate content and the message will get junked and they'll probably unsubscribe.

The trick is to test, test, test. Time of day, weekday, subject line, 'from' name, layout, offers, calls to action etc. should all be A/B tested. Also, will the audience be heavy mobile users? If so, limit the subject characters.

And to make it more complex, brand awareness and perception need to be factored in - a 'witty' subject line might work for an ad agency, but a law firm you've never heard of?

Finally, work out what success looks like - what are you looking for? Open rates, click-throughs, downloads etc. This should drive your testing regime.

You can't go wrong with content, but the subject line must capture the audience from the get go. I agree with James Roberts in that it's a combination of both. However, spam filters are getting good at filtering what's spam and what's not, so regardless of your content you must prepare a good subject line. All in all, I feel the subject is more important than the content because it sets up the expectations and sparks the interest initially.

Great question, Nathan.

I think content is more important because a subject line is easier to correct. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to create a subject line, but it takes a talented writer to create your content. If you want repeat customers, content is more critical than a good subject line.

Both are equally important. Neither can be glossed over.

Subject Line = do I open this email or not.
Content = does the subject line speak to this content appropriately.

...and I disagree with Craig's assertion that subject lines are easy to create, but content is not. Both need careful consideration, and both have a significant impact on how well the email is received.

I have run dozens of subject line tests, as well as content/copy tests, and both can make or break sales.

The best advice to give is: pay attention to both, make each the best they can be, and always TEST, TEST, TEST.