Mortgage industry professionals use email campaigns to connect with potential customers, cultivate leads, and establish lasting relationships in an increasingly competitive market. Email subject lines are vital for email open rates because they create a positive first impression and convey trust, relevance, and urgency. If your subscribers don’t open your emails, then what’s the point?
This article takes a look at some ways to craft more compelling subject lines and boost your email engagement as a loan originator.
Key Takeaways
- The subject line is the first thing that your leads and prospects will read.
- Your email’s subject line is crucial for its success rate. It determines whether it will be opened, read, deleted, or even flagged as spam.
- Crafting engaging subject lines might include asking questions, using numbers and lists, or personalizing emails with the leads’ names.
- Loan officers in the mortgage industry must constantly refine their email marketing to stay current with market trends.
Why Subject Lines Matter for Loan Officers
When it comes to email marketing, crafting a powerful subject line is crucial to the success of any campaign. This is especially true for loan officers in the mortgage industry, where competition is high and attention spans are short. A well-crafted subject line can mean the difference between your email being opened and read or being sent straight to the trash.
According to Zippia, 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. This highlights the importance of creating subject lines that are engaging, informative, and attention-grabbing.
In addition to increasing open rates, a powerful subject line can also improve click-through rates and ultimately lead to more conversions. By providing a clear and compelling reason for the recipient to open the email, you increase the chances of them taking action and engaging with your content.
To create effective subject lines, it’s important to understand your target audience and what they are looking for. This can involve researching industry trends, analyzing customer data, and understanding the pain points and challenges that they face (i.e. rising interest rates). By tailoring your subject lines to address these specific needs, you can increase the relevance and impact of your emails.
How to Craft Engaging Subject Lines
Keep It Short and Sweet
Pro Tip: Test emails before you send them by viewing them from different devices such as a phone, tablet, and laptop.
Ask a Question
Asking a question in the subject line can encourage readers to open the email to find the answer. For example, “Are you paying too much for your mortgage?” or “Where will interest rates go next month?”
Use Numbers or Lists
Using numbers or lists in the subject line can make the email more enticing. For example, “5 ways to lower your mortgage payments” or “Top 10 mortgage mistakes to avoid.”
Use Personalization
Personalization is a crucial element in crafting powerful subject lines for loan officer emails. It helps to grab the recipient’s attention and make them feel valued. Personalization can be achieved in various ways, such as using the client’s name or referencing loan details. For example, “Kate, here’s how to save on your mortgage in San Diego.”
Consider Disruptive Marketing
If you’ve seen any of our Facebook ads, you know we like to “disrupt” people’s feeds by catching their attention in unexpected ways. Consider adding a storytelling element to your subject lines to disrupt your readers’ inboxes (just don’t be spammy).
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Crafting Email Subject Lines
1. Sloppy Grammar and Spelling
Ignoring grammar and spelling errors can make your communication unprofessional and may even lead the reader astray. Before sending out your content, always proofread it. Nowadays, you can download free plugins like Grammarly to do this for you in seconds.
2. Being Overly Technical
Using too many technical terms or too much jargon can alienate non-expert audiences, even though providing accurate information is essential. If a fourth grader couldn’t understand it, don’t hit send!
3. Not Having Clearly Defined Objectives
Before communicating, define your goals. What do you hope this communication will accomplish? This clarity will guide your message.
4. Ignoring Your Audience
You must consider your audience’s needs, interests, and preferences to ensure your message is received well. If someone doesn’t have a military background, for example, they might not be the best candidate for an email discussing VA loans.
5. Bad Formatting
Break up dense paragraphs with headings, bullet points, and spacing to make things easier for your readers. No one wants to read an essay!
6. Neglecting Visual Elements
Don’t be afraid to share charts, graphs, and personal photos to build a relationship with your email list. Visual elements keep the readers’ attention better and make emails more fun to read.
A/B Testing and Loan Officer Email Marketing
A/B testing is a popular method for testing the effectiveness of different email subject lines. It helps loan officers determine which subject line is more effective at engaging their audience, increasing open rates, and ultimately improving the success of their email marketing campaign.
How Does A/B Testing Work?
The concept of A/B testing is simple. You create two versions of your email, each with a different subject line. You then send each version to a small subset of your email list, usually around 10% of your total list. The version that performs better in terms of open rates is then sent to the rest of your list.
To ensure that your A/B test is effective, it is important to only test one variable at a time. This means that you should only change the subject line and keep all other elements of the email the same. This will allow you to determine with certainty whether the change in open rates is due to the subject line or some other factor.
Interpreting A/B Testing Results
When interpreting the results of your A/B test, it is important to look at the open rates for each version of the email. If one version has a significantly higher open rate than the other, it is likely that the subject line was the key factor in the difference.
It is also important to consider the size of your sample groups. If your sample size is too small, the results may not be statistically significant.
Avoiding Spam Filters
When crafting subject lines for loan officer emails, it is important to avoid triggering spam filters. Spam filters are designed to weed out unwanted or unsolicited emails and can prevent your message from reaching your intended audience. Here are a few tips to help you avoid spam filters and improve your email deliverability.
Common Spam Trigger Words
Spam filters use a variety of criteria to determine whether an email is spam or not, including the content of the subject line and body of the email. One common trigger for spam filters is the use of certain words or phrases that are commonly associated with spam or unsolicited emails. Here are a few words and phrases to avoid, if possible:
- Free
- Guarantee
- Act now
- Limited time offer
- Save big
- Earn extra cash
- Increase sales
- Make money fast
- No obligation
- Special promotion
By avoiding these words and phrases, you can increase the chances that your email will make it past spam filters and into your recipients’ inboxes.
Examples of Powerful Subject Lines for Loan Officers
Here are some examples of powerful subject lines that loan officers can use in their email marketing campaigns:
Educational
“The 3 things every first-time homebuyer should know.”
“Fixed vs. Adjustable: Which loan suits you?”
Reengagement
“It’s been a while! Ready to refinance?”
“See how current rates could affect your mortgage.”
Local Relevance
“Mortgage rates in [City] are dropping!”
“The [City]’s housing market: What you need to know.”
Inquiry & Engagement
“Have questions about your loan options?”
“What’s your dream home? Let’s finance it.”
Problem-Solution
“Tired of high interest rates? Let’s change that.”
“Say goodbye to hefty down payments.”
These subject lines are attention-grabbing and make the reader want to know more. They use urgency, curiosity, and value propositions to entice the reader to open the email. It’s important to note that while these subject lines are effective, they may not work for every audience. Loan officers should test different subject lines to see what resonates with their specific audience. They can use A/B testing to compare the open rates of different subject lines and refine their email marketing strategy accordingly.
Recommended Email Tools for Loan Officers
Tech is always evolving, and there are a handful of tools available for loan officers to systematize their email marketing. Here are our favorite recommendations:
A/B Testing Tools
- Mailchimp
- Optimizely
- Google Optimize
Analytics Tools
- Google Analytics
- Email Marketing Platforms
- Bitly
Subject Line Generators
- CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
- SubjectLine.com
- SendInBlue Subject Line Generator
Marketing Tips and Email Ideas Delivered Straight to Your Inbox
Are you looking to increase the effectiveness of your mortgage marketing campaigns to dominate the market? Look no further! Our team has the insider knowledge and tactics you need to succeed.
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