Headlines and subject lines are the first point of contact, they serve to draw your reader in – will they open it or just delete it?

The most enticing headlines and subject lines are short (8-10 words) and pack a punch. They also engage the reader by offering information that is important to them. That’s key – your message has to be about your audience, not about you.

Some tips for writing intriguing headlines and subject lines:

• Ask a question – try to see yourself from your reader’s point of view, what questions are they asking? What do they really want to know? If you can figure this out, you’re more apt to have a desired newsletter/blog.Try to think of the questions your clients actually ask and turn those questions into informative articles. Use their question in the headline.Don’t be afraid to be sensational like, “Can you trust real estate news sources, or are they just trying to scare you?” We can actually learn a lot about writing headlines from supermarket tabloids, so have a look next time you’re on the check-out line.
• Offer steps or tips – people like numbers and ideas about how they can improve their situations. Offer them “10 ways to sell your home fast” or “3 easy steps to preparing your home for sale” or “5 tips for getting more money for your home” etc.

Again, this applies to both headlines and subject lines. A lot of people forget that and you end up with an inbox full of “Our May Newsletter”s and “XYZ Company Newletter”s. These subjects don’t mention anything about your target audience – they’re all about you and your company. You have to make it about your customer, or they’re not going to care enough to read what you’ve work so hard to write.