How to write better subject lines for church emails

TL;DR

Give people a reason to open instead of simply labelling the contents. Write like a person, keep the subject short, and use preview text to support the message before asking the reader to act.

Subject lines are killing your open rates...

Let's get straight to the topic today. Recently I was talking with an old client about getting their emails opened. Specifically, their subject lines.

They knew their church emails weren’t really getting engagement, but they weren’t sure why. After a quick look, it became clear what was going on. They were assuming people wanted to open their emails. It’s an easy mistake to make. You think, “they’re part of the church… of course they’ll read this.” But most people are getting 100+ emails a day. Even emails from people they like get ignored.

So we have to play the game a little. We have to give people a reason to open. Because if they don’t open it, nothing else matters. If your church emails aren’t getting opened, it’s usually not because of what’s inside them. It’s the subject line. That’s all people see before they decide whether to open or ignore it. So here are a few simple ways to improve yours.

Write subject lines that give people a reason to open

Most church subject lines look like this: “Weekly Update” “Church News” “Sunday Service Info” They describe what’s inside. But they don’t give anyone a reason to open. Instead, write something that sounds like a sentence. “What to expect this Sunday” “Important update before tomorrow” “Are you coming this weekend?” And where you can, make it feel personal. “NAME, quick update for Sunday” Even small touches like that help.

Use a natural, personal voice in the subject line

People don’t open notices. They open things that feel like they were written to them. If your subject line sounds like a noticeboard, it’ll get treated like one. Compare: “Upcoming Church Event Information” vs “A quick heads up about this Sunday” Same message. Very different feeling.

The fact that one seems like it was written by a real person, while the other sounds like an automated message will drastically change the open rates.

Earn the open before making the invitation

“Join us this Sunday” That’s a call to action. And no one’s ready for that yet.

Create curiosity in your subject line

before you ask them to do anything.

A reason can be created in so many ways - uniqueness, newness, urgency, personalisation, questions and lots more. For example: Instead of: “Join us for this week's prayer meeting” Try: “Something a little different Wednesday night” Then inside the email, you invite them.

Keep subject lines readable on a phone

Most people are reading on their phone. If your subject line gets cut off, it won’t get opened. For example: “Important update regarding upcoming Sunday service and events” vs “Vital update for Sunday” Shorter wins.

Use preview text to support the subject line

That small line next to the subject. Most churches waste it. But it’s extra space to help someone decide to open. For example: Subject: “ Nervous about praying out loud?” Preview: “You won’t be the only one who feels unsure” That gives someone a reason to click. If you want something practical to try this week: Take your next email. Before you send it, rewrite the subject line so it sounds like something you’d actually say to someone.

And if nothing else, follow this rule - Would you open the email? If you wouldn't, it's a good sign they won't!