Ideal Email Subject Line Character Limit To Improve Click Throughs
Do you want your emails to be read? Or will you let your emails get lost in the inboxes of your recipients?
The reality is that the email subject line character limit is important, as is the email itself.
The recipients will only see your subject line before they open your email. Given the volume of emails we all receive on a daily basis, subject lines determine whether or not we open the email, so their importance cannot be overstated.
Shorter subject lines are often better for receivers, especially those receiving your emails on mobile devices.
So let me show you the ideal email subject line character limits for your next email campaign.
In this article, you’ll find:
- Analyzing the email subject line character limits
- Analyzing the email subject line length (word count)
- Top performaing subject line examples within ideal limits
Okay, so let's get started with anlysis of email subject lines that I have done by referrring to the email marketing contents on the web.
Analyzing the email subject line character limits
Almost 50% of the emails are getting opened on mobile devices and hence it's very important to consider the email subject line character limit.
I have just opened Gmail app on my smart mobile device and after analyzing email subject lines found that the ideal email character limit is around 32-35 characters. Of course, this is on my mobile device however this may very as per the font settings and display size of the your recipient's mobile.
When an email subject line reaches 32 to 43 characters on a mobile device, most email applications, such as Gmail and Outlook, stop displaying it. The exact number varies depending on the email client.
Use subject lines that are less than 40 characters long to optimise them for mobile readers. Your subject line will not be cut off in the inbox this way.
Analyzing the email subject line length (word count)
I needed to aggregate subject line length by word count with hundreds of lines of data. The majority of our subject lines were between four and nine words long, and I included a 10+ word category just to be safe. Then, for all of the campaign metrics listed above, I segmented the data by word count with the immediate goal of aggregating average open rates paired with average click-to-open rates. Using these two metrics, I created a fictitious data set to see which word count length resulted in the highest level of engagement.
Nine-word subject lines were correlated with the lowest open rates, whereas four-word subject lines were correlated with the highest open rates. However, click-to-open rates did not correlate, indicating that high open rates did not correspond to high click-to-open rates. As a result, we needed to consider overall engagement rather than just open rates. It also makes sense. It is more difficult to be descriptive and actionable in four words than it is in nine. As a result, because they had a better sense of the email's content from the start, more people may click on an email with a nine-word subject line.
To identify which subject line length gave the highest overall engagement rates, the word count averages had to be incorporated into a model containing constant variables. I used the following metrics to accomplish this: sent, open rate, opens, click-to-open rate, and clicks.
For overall engagement, seven words were chosen as the winner. And if you write a subject line with only eight words, you're in for a surprise! With only one fewer word, it achieves nearly half the performance of subject lines.
I hope you've gained a better knowledge of how to evaluate your own subject lines for open rates, click-to-open rates, and overall email engagement as a result of this process. If you're thinking how many characters should be there in a email subject line, our seven-word subject lines have an average of 41 characters. But, let's face it, counting words is much easier than counting characters. That would irritate you to no end!
Top performaing subject line examples within ideal limits
How can something be brief, entertaining, appealing, tempting, and fascinating all at the same time?
email subject line within ideal character limit example 1
Great News!Character Length: 11
email subject line within ideal character limit example 2
This Week's Friday Deals!Character Length: 25
email subject line within ideal character limit example 3
December Flash Sale!Character Length: 20
email subject line within ideal character limit example 4
It's Friday!Character Length: 12
email subject line within ideal character limit example 5
Big Deals on Christmas!Character Length: 23
email subject line within ideal character limit example 6
This offer belongs to youCharacter Length: 25
email subject line within ideal character limit example 7
Lowest price guaranteedCharacter Length: 23
email subject line within ideal character limit example 8
You're just one step awayCharacter Length: 25
email subject line within ideal character limit example 9
Have A Fruitful WeekCharacter Length: 20
email subject line within ideal character limit example 10
Budget Grocery on this WednesdayCharacter Length: 32
Final Thoughts on email subject line character limit
If possible, keep the email subject line character limit under 40 characters. Keep in mind that many email systems only display the first 40 to 45 characters of the subject at the max, so keep that in mind when writing your subject line.
Now It's your turn.
Choose one of the above email subject line within ideal character limit examples to customize and make your own.
What other subject line character limit suggestions do you have? Have you discovered the sweet spot for getting your emails opened and clicked? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section!
