5 Tactics to Boost Your Email Campaign’s CTR Without Changing the Subject Line

In the quest to boost email campaign performance, we’ve gathered insights from top marketing professionals on enhancing click-through rates without tweaking the subject line. From utilizing A/B testing to implementing a gamification strategy, here are five specific tactics shared by a Content Marketing Manager, a CEO, and other experts.

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Utilize A/B Testing

A/B testing your email content has helped me so much in the past! Without changing the subject line, you can still A/B test your CTA and mix up the content in your emails—or even experiment with deals, discounts, images, or GIFs. Lastly, you can also play around with the format and timing of your email campaign. Your campaign might perform better at certain times of the year, week, or day!

Nicole Lee, Content Marketing Manager, Upland Software

Enhance Email Preview Text

We have discovered that adding some flair to the email preview text is a really useful approach. That brief preview that people receive before opening an email? We make it brief and striking, especially because the majority of people check their phones for emails. Our motto is “short, sweet, and to the point!” 

Without changing the subject line, we can increase our click-through rates by creating captivating preview content that entices visitors to read the entire thing through. It’s as if our emails have been magically infused! Besides, it’s all about making a good first impression, isn’t it? Thus, we take care to ensure that the preview language piques readers’ interest and compels them to click and learn more. And, well, it’s been functioning flawlessly for us!

Kartik Ahuja, Digital Marketer, kartikahuja.com

Incorporate Engaging Videos

One effective strategy I’ve leveraged to enhance the click-through rate (CTR) of an email campaign, without altering the subject line, is the inclusion of videos.

Videos can amplify CTRs by a significant margin, offering an engaging and compelling way for the audience to connect with the content. They not only make the email more interactive but also provide a dynamic medium to convey our message, making the content not just informative but memorable too.

Marco Genaro Palma, Chief Marketing Officer, PRLab

Personalize Email Content

In one of our email campaigns at RankWatch, we focused on personalization beyond the subject line to enhance the click-through rate (CTR). As the CEO & Founder, I’ve always believed in the power of directly speaking to our audience’s needs and interests. We implemented a strategy where we segmented our email list based on past engagement and tailored the email content to reflect each segment’s specific interests and behaviors. This meant creating multiple versions of the email body, each aimed at addressing the unique pain points or interests of different segments of our audience.

The result was a significant uplift in our CTR, demonstrating the effectiveness of personalized content. Without altering the subject line, we made our emails more relevant to each recipient, increasing the likelihood of them engaging with our message. This approach improved our email campaign’s performance and reinforced the importance of understanding and catering to the nuances of our audience’s preferences. Personalization at this level turned our emails from broad broadcasts into targeted conversations, deepening our connection with the audience and driving better results.

Sahil Kakkar, CEO & Founder, RankWatch

Implement Gamification Strategy

Without altering the subject line, we recently tested a gamified component in an email campaign to increase click-through rates. The advertisement highlighted our newest range of fitness trackers. Even though the email’s subject line only said “Get Fit & Tech Savvy,” it contained a delightful surprise: a discount code game called “Spin to Win!” Users could spin a wheel to receive different fitness tracker discount percentages. This gamified component promoted the investigation of the new product line in addition to adding excitement and a sense of chance. 

As subscribers interacted with the game and looked over the product details, click-through rates to the tracker pages skyrocketed. This experiment demonstrated that gamification can effectively increase user engagement and, eventually, prompt product consideration even without a creative subject line.”

Faizan Khan, Public Relations and Content Marketing Specialist, Ubuy UK

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