The suspense is killing you. There’s nothing quite like reaching the last day to register for an event or the last batch of stock and wondering if you’re going to hit that sales goal, is there? If you need a little extra boost in email performance, you need a last chance email — with an attention-getting subject line.
Savvy last chance email subject lines can help you put an end to that eleventh-hour suspense and get recipients opening, clicking, and converting.
Here’s a quick masterclass in how to write high-converting last chance email subject lines.
A last chance email subject line is a classic email marketing tactic that boosts conversions and sales by prompting recipients to take immediate action. If your recipients are opening but not clicking or browsing but not buying, this approach can help you close the deal.
Use a last chance email subject line when:
A promotional offer or discount is about to expire
An event registration deadline is fast-approaching
You’re eager to move limited stock or a bestselling item
A recipient has left an abandoned cart in your online store
Great marketing is a lesson in psychology. Content and experiences that evoke emotional responses capture our attention and motivate us to take action.
This is where psychological triggers come into play. Most last chance emails leverage at least one of three common psychological triggers — urgency, scarcity, and brevity — to spark curiosity or excitement in recipients. Let’s look at each psychological trigger and how it can be leveraged to increase conversion.
If your promotion or offer is only available for a limited time, use time-sensitive language like “last chance,” “ends soon,” or “expires” to create a sense of urgency. Whenever possible, get specific about when your deal ends — a definitive timeline creates a mental benchmark in our brains and makes us feel like we’re on a deadline. And nothing gets us moving like a fast-approaching deadline!
If stock or space is extremely limited, let recipients know that it will run out. Like urgency, scarcity is a powerful reminder that the opportunity in front of us is temporary. Scarcity language like “almost sold out” or “limited seating” can be helpful for increasing merchandise or ticket sales.
Highlighting item scarcity is also useful for encouraging online shoppers to return to their abandoned carts and complete a purchase.
Example: Just 6 cases of premium cider left — get yours now
Human beings are tribal animals, and we’re hardwired to be part of a group. In primitive times, being included in the group was a survival mechanism — it kept us safe. In modern times, being included has another, more social benefit: status. Luxury brands often use exclusivity tactics to gain customers — owning exclusive items sends a signal that we’re part of an elite group and can help us garner admiration or respect from others.
Tap into your recipients’ innate need for belonging and fear of missing out (FOMO) by using phrases like “don’t be left out” or “gain access.”
Example: Don’t miss [industry]’s biggest night — tickets almost gone
[Section callout] Don’t use urgency or scarcity tactics if there isn’t a limited supply or deadline in sight. If you create false confines, your recipients will eventually get wise to the ruse and start disregarding your messages. Remember that trust is paramount to building loyal customers, so you don’t want to use these tactics in ways that may inadvertently undermine your recipients’ trust in your brand.
Standing out in a full inbox is no easy feat but a brief subject line can help. Use clear, concise subject lines that get straight to the point and can be easily read on a mobile device without being cut off. (While mobile email clients vary, they’ll typically display 40-70 characters.)
Although you want to be concise, you still need to include detail in your last chance email subject lines. Don’t sacrifice specificity in the name of brevity. Vague email subject lines usually don’t get clicks, and they can often be mistaken for spam.
The more specific you can be about your offer, the more likely you are to get conversions. Try to include language that clarifies any of the following:
How much money your recipient can save
When your promotion or discount ends
When the registration deadline is
Which items are selling out
Which items are in an abandoned cart
How long you’ll hold an abandoned cart for
What your recipient will miss out on if they don’t buy or sign up
(You’ll see several examples below of how one or more of these details can be included in a subject line while still keeping it brief.)
You’ve probably personalized names in emails but there’s another kind of personalization that’s particularly useful for turning abandoned carts into sales: product personalization. If you can get specific about the items in your recipients’ abandoned carts, do so.
A subject line that highlights a product that they’ve previously shown interest will capture their attention much more than a generic subject line will. Bonus points if you include a picture of that product in the body of the email…
If you need a little inspiration, you’re in luck. We’ve handcrafted some last chance email subject lines that leverage the psychological triggers and pro tips we shared with you above. Read on to see how we turned those concepts into some total bangers.
Now that you know how to turn last chance email subject lines into rock solid conversions, let SendGrid help you grow the rest of your email marketing program. Our platform is built to help small business owners like you boost sales while reducing headaches:
Signup forms to help you keep building your email marketing list
