Imagine you’ve spent an hour crafting “the perfect” email to a prospective Shipper, you add a subject line like “Interested in working with you”, hit send, and the email is never opened. You see, email subject lines are often slapped onto an email without giving them much thought, and that is a BIG mistake. If you are a Freight Broker wanting to prioritize email marketing, you should be optimizing your subject lines.
Whether you’re just getting started or refining an existing email marketing strategy, our 3-part guide lays the groundwork for creating email campaigns that support steady business growth.
In part one, we took a look at: What actually is email marketing and why does it matter?
Now, in part two, we’ll focus on how Freight Brokers can write email subject lines that Shippers actually open. We’ll also explain why subject lines matter, what triggers higher open rates, and how brokers can avoid common mistakes that cause emails to be ignored or deleted.
So, if you’re looking for practical strategies for improving engagement, testing subject lines, and aligning your email messaging with Shipper expectations, keep reading.
Why Subject Lines Matter in Freight Broker Email Marketing
According to research compiled by Invesp, 47% of emails are opened based on their subject line alone. If you have built a long-term relationship with a Shipper, they are more likely to see your name and that factors into their interest in opening your email as well. But in general, when your email lands in the Shipper’s inbox, your subject line gives you a 50/50 chance of it being opened.
And when we dig a little further, we find that 69% of people report email as spam based on the subject line without even opening it. This is a startling insight because if your email is marked as spam, you lose the privilege of being in the Shipper’s inbox again.
These percentages highlight that the subject line alone is one of the strongest influences on an email being opened or marked as spam. Say it with us: subject lines matter!
What Makes Freight Shippers Open an Email
Knowing that subject lines matter in an email being opened, let’s optimize them. Out with the generic, long, vague email subject lines and in with personalized, actionable, concise, relevant, and urgent ones.
Personalized
One way to be intentional with subject lines is to be personal. Use the Shipper’s name, business, recent project, or specific needs. When you personalize the subject line it shows your email is meant for them and not spam.
Example: Quick win for your [Origin → Destination] shipments, [First Name].
Solution-Focused
Show your immediate value by addressing problems the Shipper has such as carriers for difficult lanes, reducing costs (be careful not to over-promise and under-deliver), avoiding claims, and so forth. It may be helpful to ask a question or tap into curiosity.
Example: Struggling with tough lanes? I’ve got carriers ready.
Concise
Shippers are busy. Just as you should keep emails short and to the point, you can do the same with your subject line. In general you should keep your subject line under 7 words, but experiment with less and see what happens.
Example: Fewer claims. Better on-time performance.
Relevant
Relevancy is similar to personalization because it shows your email is worth their time. Show relevancy by indicating the Shipper’s specific industry, commodity, or current needs.
Example: Stable capacity on your high-risk lanes.
Urgent
A well-known marketing tactic is urgency. If an email subject line feels timely, it is more likely to be opened. Use time-sensitive words like: today, immediate, now, and so on. You can also refer to current weather events that might be causing disruptions the Shipper is likely concerned about.
Example: Weather delays hitting your freight? We can help now.
Please be careful to use authentic urgency. Fake urgency is likely to get your email deleted or marked as spam.
Best Email Subject Lines for Freight Shippers
Any copywriter will tell you one of the top rules of writing is never start from scratch. You can even start an email address just to subscribe to emails from people who are known for their marketing. Then when you need inspiration, scroll through your inbox and notice what catches your eye. Keep a list of subject lines that get you to open emails. Try to adapt that subject line for the email you’re writing. You can experiment with capitalization, punctuation, and emojis as well.
Here are a few to get you started:
- Quick win for your [Origin → Destination] shipments, [First Name].
- [Shipper Name], let’s lower your freight costs on your [Lane/Route].
- Capacity secured for your [Product Type] loads this week.
- Available capacity for [Shipper’s Region].
- Struggling with tough lanes? I’ve got carriers ready.
- Reducing claims + cutting costs on lanes.
- Fixing capacity gaps and late pickups on your shipments.
- Reliable carriers for your toughest lanes.
- Lower freight costs without sacrificing service.
- Fewer claims. Better on-time performance.
- Stable capacity on your high-risk lanes.
- Cutting costs on your repeat weekly shipments.
- Weather delays hitting your freight? We can help now.
- Immediate capacity for disrupted lanes…starting today!
- Protect your shipments today from weather & capacity gaps.
Did you notice personalization? Solution-focused? Relevancy? Urgency? Concise? There isn’t one formula for a subject line that works, so keep in mind you should always be testing to see what subject lines have the highest open rates for you.
Common Subject Line Mistakes Freight Brokers Make
While each of the above tactics are helpful for increasing the likelihood your email will be opened, there are also some common mistakes that are likely to decrease your open rates.
- Being too vague or generic with subjects like “freight quote”.
- Deceptive wording like “action required” when it isn’t or “Re:” when you didn’t actually send a previous message.
- Using all caps or excessive punctuation such as “!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!!”. This can trigger spam filters.
- Forgetting about mobile view. Longer subject lines get cut off on phones. Are Shippers accessing their email primarily on their phone, desktop, or both?
- Using too many salesly words like “free”, “risk-free”, “amazing”. Words like these can also automatically put your email in the Shipper’s junk box. If you’re not sure which words to avoid, you can do an online search for “spam words to avoid in email subjects” for a longer list.
Avoid these common pitfalls and remember if you are new to all of this, quick online searches can help. There are also free tools to help analyze your subject lines to help build your confidence in writing them. You can search for “free email subject tester” to find one.
How to Improve Email Open Rates for Freight Brokers
You can improve email open rates by optimizing your subject lines using the tips we’ve already mentioned. Is there anything beyond the subject line you can do as well? Yes!
Timing
The best days to email Shippers are Tuesday through Thursday from 6:30am -8:30am and 12:00-1:00pm at their local time. Avoid evenings, Fridays, and weekends.
Show You’re Human
Shippers want to know they’re communicating with an actual person, not a corporation. Be sure to have a human name in the “From” field. For example: Nate @ XYZ Logistics is better than XYZ Logistics. If you are using an email service provider (which we highly recommend), you also have the option to make sure the “from” field is your name and branded email address to build trust.
Add Preview Text
Underneath or to the right of a subject line, depending on your browser, is a preview of what’s inside the email. This is either the first line of your email or text you decide. Add text to the “preview text” field if you use an email service provider. This is additional real estate that can get your email opened. Don’t waste this space! Here’s an example:
Subject: Reliable carriers for tough lanes
Preview: Covering Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas this week
Send Follow-Up Emails
Even if that first email isn’t opened, consistency matters. Sometimes the first email isn’t opened, but the second or third is. Try changing the subject lines when you follow up rather than “Re:” Use a different tactic such as urgency, solution-focused, or personalization. Persistence matters.
Testing and Optimizing Subject Lines Over Time
Always be testing! Keep a spreadsheet to track your subject lines. Include metrics such as: day and time sent, subject, open rate, click rate, replies, bounce rate, unsubscribe rate. If you use an email service provider, you can easily find this information in reports they automatically create for each email campaign you send.
Pay attention to common themes or patterns with subject lines that have your highest open rates. Do more Shippers open subjects focused on lanes, service, risk reduction? A typical open rate is 20-30%. So anything below this indicates you should try something new. Anything above is a winner!
Writing Subject Lines That Support Long-Term Relationships
As we’ve said before, email marketing is worth the effort if you want to build long-term relationships with Shippers. Even if you write the most amazing email, if it isn’t opened, it doesn’t matter. So after you write your email, write a few subject lines that spark curiosity, are problem-focused, create urgency, direct, or personalized. Then test variations, track, and see what works best.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to add email marketing to your overall sales strategy. Be sure to prioritize optimizing your subject line so those emails get opened.
Read this next: Email Marketing Part 3 (coming soon!)
Questions People Also Ask
What makes a good email subject line for Freight Brokers?
A good email subject line is clear, relevant, timely, and solution-focused.
How long should an email subject line be?
Most effective subject lines are between 30 and 50 characters, or under 7 words.
Do personalized subject lines increase open rates?
Yes. Personalization often leads to higher open rates. This can include a Shipper’s name, company, and so forth. We recommend testing to see which subject lines have the highest open rate.
What are common email subject line mistakes?
Being vague, overly sales-focused, or misleading. This causes emails to end up flagged as spam or deleted.
How can Freight Brokers test subject lines?
Subject lines can be tested by sending small batches and comparing open rates. Some Email Service Providers also include the option to test two subjects for the same email to a small percentage of recipients (this is called A/B testing). Then, they’ll automatically select the one with the highest rate to send to the rest.