How to Write the Perfect Gift Invitation Subject Line

By Mary Matton on February 10, 2021

Learning to write the perfect gift invitation subject line can mean the difference between getting a meeting on the books and another email sent straight to the trash. It sets the tone of the relationship you’re beginning – or further – developing. Not to mention, you can undermine the sincerity of the gift itself if your call-to-action is too direct or spammy. 

Using our own research and analysis, this guide will help you craft the perfect gift invitation subject line  – one that gets attention and drives action – to get you more opens and more chances at a booked meeting.

Just the Facts about Crafting Subject Lines 

Throughout the course of March 2020, our BDRs sent over 1,000 digital gift invitations. Within those 1,000 invitations, we conducted a series of experiments to measure the effectiveness of subject lines to learn what does and doesn’t work. 

Now, if you’re an A/B test, conversion rate optimization junkie like me, allow me to nerd out with you about the experiment details really quick. 

As mentioned, 1,000 emails were sent. Our team tested 10 total variations against 1 control subject line. Of the variations, 4 subject lines performed better than the control and 3 performed worse than the control, those other 3 didn’t have enough data to show statistically significant change. 

The results are in.

The Art of Writing The Perfect Gift Invitation Subject Line

We began by comparing subject lines that were both personal and generic against the control subject line. Not surprisingly, the personal subject lines greatly outperformed those that were generic. 

Our BDR team found that referencing the research they or Alyce had done on the prospect boosted their open rates. If you’re too generic or impersonal, your email will be lost in a sea of sameness in your prospect’s inbox. 

They began by testing subject lines that put the gift recipient at the center of the experience and experimented with variables such as emojis, verb selection, and shared interests.

The control subject line was:  

A gift for you…

Best Performing Subject Lines:

• • Hi {name}, picked out a gift just for you! 🙂 +260% increase in opens
  • A gift for you and your dog +109% increase in opens 

Honorable Mention:

• Hi {name}, here’s a gift for you! Hope this helps #overcomingWFH +52% increase in opens
• For a fellow {college} alum +5% increase in opens 

Worst Performing subject lines: 

• Hey {name}! Here’s a Donation -85.8% decrease in opens
• {name}, I hope this brings a smile -62.6% decrease in opens
• {name}, picked out a gift for you!  -17.1% decrease in opens

( *% in open rates are compared to the control )

TL;DR – It Pays To Be Personal

A trend started to develop as we analyzed the results of these experiments. 

The subject lines that performed the best held one of two components:

1. A relevant anecdote that oriented the gift recipient to what the gift was and why it was useful. ( ie, “for your dog,” “#overcomingWFH” )
2. A one-to-one moment where the gift recipient was at the center of the experience ( “Just for you” ).

It’s important to remember you are not selling in your subject line. The most powerful subject lines – those that drive the highest results – will combine both of these components.

Pro Tip: Add the recipient’s #5to9 interests in the subject line. i.e. “Hoping the premier league starts up again soon”

One of our BDRs learned that her prospect was a huge a Third Eye Blind fan. Armed with this information, she composed a subject line using lyrics from one of their most popular songs.

With just a small personal touch, this email was a huge hit with the gift recipient. With just a bit of research and some creativity, this BDR was able to create a subject line that felt one-to-one and personal. That elevated experience not only got an open, it also got a meeting on the books. 

To learn more about how this BDR crafted the message, our post on How to Write the Perfect Gift Invitation Message will share some tips and tricks.

Our Key Takeaways:

Subject lines are the first thing your prospects see when they receive an email from you and have a huge influence over whether the person on the receiving end will open your email.

The gift message sets the tone of the relationship you’re beginning or further developing.  If you’re too generic, your email will be lost in a sea of sameness in your prospect’s inbox. Learn how to write the perfect subject line for every gift invitation message by being relevant and creating a one-to-one moment.

We want to hear from you! What are your tips for writing the best gift invitation subject line?

Photo by Lauren Mancke on Unsplash