Author: Franz Malten Buemann

I moved five times in the last year. And every single time I moved, I forgot to sign up to have my mail forwarded to my new address.
Mail forwarding is an important step in any moving process, as it ensures you don’t lose any valuable information that’s sent to you.
And the same can be said for your website: If you’re moving a website from one URL to another, you need to take the necessary steps to ensure your visitors get sent to the right place. In the world of tech, this is called a 301 redirect.
Here, we’re going to discuss what a 301 redirect is and when you need to use one, as well as how to redirect a URL in HubSpot or WordPress. Additionally, we’ll explore the differences between a 301 and 302 redirect.

301 is one of many possible HTTP status codes, some of which you’ve probably heard of (including 404 – Not Found, 403 – Forbidden and, 500 – Server Error). When you visit a web page and the server sends the page normally, the status code it attaches to that page is 200 – OK.
You can think of a 301 redirect like a mail forwarder. Once you’ve moved a piece of content away from a specific URL, anyone who tries to visit it will receive a 404 – page not found message.

To improve their user journey, you can ask the server to forward visits from the old URL to a new location — the new home of your piece of content — using a 301 redirect.

Now, when you attempt to visit the old URL, the server will send back the 301 – Permanently Moved status code, and then move you on to the new location.
This happens so quickly that you’re usually not aware of it, and will simply find yourself on the piece of content for which you’d searched. You might notice that the URL is different from the one you clicked on or typed in. Or you might have a browser extension such as Ayima Redirect Path which lets you know when you’ve been redirected.
The other key role that a 301 redirect fulfills is with search engines. Having useful status codes that correctly signal where content has moved to allows search engines such as Google and Bing to keep their index up-to-date.
Essentially, a 301 redirect will let search engines know: “Hey, you know that piece of content that users enjoyed clicking on from the SERPs? Well, it now lives over here, so take all that visibility you associated with this page, and transfer it over to this new URL.”
This is why 301 redirects are important for SEO.
Now that we’ve covered that, let’s dive into how you can do a 301 redirect for yourself. 
How to Do a 301 Redirect In a CMS
The actual process of implementing a 301 redirect varies from CMS to CMS and platform to platform. While we aren’t able to discuss the specifics of every CMS platform, we can take a close look at HubSpot and WordPress. Hopefully, these instructions should help you get started regardless of the CMS you use.
How to Redirect a URL in HubSpot
HubSpot makes it simple to add 301 permanent redirects inside the tool. To set up a redirect in HubSpot:
1. Click Settings (the cog in the top right corner).
2. In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Website > Domains and URLs.

3. Click the URL Redirects tab, then click Add URL redirect in the top right.

This reveals a right-side panel. We’ll go over some use cases later, but for now let’s look at the options in this panel.
Standard
In most cases, you will want to implement a single page-to-page redirect. In this case, choose Standard.

Next, you’ll want to add the Original URL and the Redirect to URL for your old and new URLs, respectively.

Click Add URL Redirect and the redirect will be added to HubSpot.
We also recommend testing your redirect. First, wait a few minutes for the change to apply to the server. Next, try visiting the original URL in an incognito browser window and check that it works as expected.
Flexible
In some cases, creating single page-to-page redirects is very inefficient. For example, if you have just moved an entire folder of content, you may have 15 pages within a subfolder that you now need to redirect. In such cases, it’s a better idea to use a Flexible redirect.
You can think of a flexible redirect as a formula or a rule. It will allow you to redirect everything within a certain folder to a different folder while keeping the rest of the URL the same.
When you select Flexible redirect, HubSpot will automatically provide you the link to the flexible URL pattern redirect help page, which will give you specific guidance on how to use the syntax for this feature.
More Options
Under More Options, HubSpot offers various advanced variations on these redirect types.

It will allow you to deliver a 302 Temporary Redirect or a proxy redirect (redirect the content of a live page without changing the URL shown in the visitor’s browser) instead, choose the order which HubSpot moves through the redirect rules when resolving a URL (which may change which valid rule is triggered), disable a redirect if content is present at the URL, preserve query strings, force HTTPS, and force trailing slashes on the end of all URLs.
How to Redirect a URL in WordPress
If you aren’t a HubSpot customer, then you will need to apply 301 redirects differently. WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world, so it makes sense for us to touch upon how one might go about looking at redirects in a WordPress context next.
However, it’s important to note that WordPress itself is very flexible. Installations of WordPress can vary wildly, and so there is no one-size-fits-all guide we can provide as was the case with the HubSpot CMS.
If in doubt, consult your web developer when it comes to adding URL redirects.
Apply a redirect via the server itself.
The best way to apply redirects from a speed and technical point of view is via the web server itself, rather than relying on WordPress. WordPress does not offer a facility to implement 301 redirects out-the-box, although there are plugins available that will give you access to this functionality.
The process of applying 301 redirects via the server itself will vary depending on the software stack your server is using. You might be using Apache, Nginx, IIS, or some other platform, each of which requires a different approach. This may also vary depending on your hosting provider.
If you do not know how to apply a redirect via the server itself, it’s not something we’d recommend fiddling with as it may lead to an interruption of service for your website — instead, we’d suggest consulting with your IT team, host, or web development partner.
Redirect a URL using a free WordPress plugin.
Sometimes in marketing, you must compromise that optimal solution for the solution you can actually achieve. This may be one of those cases. If you are not able to implement a redirect via your server, consider using a WordPress plugin. This is not the optimal method — plugins are slower, and you’ll have to rely on third-party code, so proceed at your own risk.
Each plugin interface will be different, so consult your chosen plugin’s documentation for specific guidance. Here, we’ll briefly walk through how to set up 301 redirects with the free Redirection plugin:
1. Install and activate the Redirection plugin.

2. Navigate to Settings > Redirection and follow the setup instructions.

3. At the end of setup, you’ll be taken to the plugin Options menu. To add a new redirect, choose Redirects from the top menu.

4. Under Redirects, you can view all of your active 301 redirects and add new ones. To add a new 301 redirect, under Add new redirection insert a Source URL (the old URL) and a Target URL (the new URL).

5. Click Add Redirect. You’ll now see the new redirect in your list of active redirects.
When to Use a 301 Redirect
Here are some specific cases where you will want to reach for the 301 redirect as a tool.
1. Changing a URL.
Maybe your original URL was poorly optimized, or you are re-organizing the folder structure of your website URLs.
Moving a piece of content in HubSpot CMS is very simple — just change the URL on the settings tab of the content’s edit page, and HubSpot will automatically add a URL redirect for you. Be sure to check that this is working before you move on.
2. Recreating a piece of content.
Sometimes, you might want to completely rebuild your old piece of content on an entirely new page — for instance, if you decide you want to use a different web page template. 
In this case, you’ll want to make sure that you have implemented a simple 301 redirect from the old URL to your new one. Once this is in place, be sure to unpublish and archive the old page.
If doing a lot of these, we suggest using a flexible rule or, if a flexible rule is not appropriate, using a tool such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider in conjunction with Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel to map your redirects in bulk, and then import them into HubSpot.
You can do this on the URL Redirects page using the Import button:

HubSpot will provide you with a sample file to structure your redirects, and a link to the bulk upload redirects help page.
3. Consolidating several pieces of content.
If you have decided that you have multiple pieces of content that overlap, compete for the same keywords, or all cover the same topic, you might want to consolidate them. However, you will not want to throw away the search engine visibility that these old pages might have achieved.
Once you have created your new, consolidated resource, you should set up a simple 301 redirect from each of the old pages to the single new page.
4. Migrating content from one domain to another.
If you’re moving your website from one domain to another, it is vitally important that you implement page-to-page 301 redirects from your old content to your new content.
This is easy if the site is moving a domain, but remaining the same in terms of structure and layout. If the content is changing or being restructured, it is still important that you make sensible redirection choices that honor your users’ original intent, in order to pass the visibility of each of your old pages to their new counterparts.
When implementing page-to-page 301 redirects from one domain to another, you have a specific challenge to keep in mind: your redirects must be served from the original URL.
It is useless if, for instance, you’ve connected HubSpot to your new domain, but not your old domain, for you to then host the 301 redirects for your old domain onto HubSpot. You will need to work with your IT partner, web development partner, and/or HubSpot partner to ensure that serving redirects from your old domain has been accounted for. We recommend that these remain in place indefinitely.
5. Migrating a Website During a Phased Web Launch
You may be moving your website from one domain to another as outlined above, but due to project constraints, you are using a phased launch approach. This means that you’re launching the core website pages in phase one, then a second wave of pages in phase two, and so on.
In this case, we recommend creating a phased redirect map. All URLs from your old domain should be accounted for, and a redirect outlined for each phase.
For phase one, you will expect to implement 301 redirects for all the pages that will be accounted for on the new site. You will also add 302 redirects for all other pages, usually to the new website’s homepage. This will prevent users trying to visit your old domain from receiving a 404 error, without confusing search engines by having your pages suddenly redirect to seemingly irrelevant content.
As you launch each phase, you should update your redirects, replacing your 302s with 301s as the counterpart content becomes available.
Once again, these redirects must be implemented such that they are served from your old domain.
In general, you should expect to use 301 redirects on your website. However, there are a few cases when you might want to use a 302, instead, including:

You might be using a phased website launch plan.
You might be redirecting users as part of functionality where SEO does not apply, such as login gateways or e-commerce checkouts.
You might be using a temporary holding page, and do not want to confuse search engines or damage your search engine rankings by signaling that you’re permanently redirecting your detailed, rich content to an empty holding page.

301 Redirect Mistakes to Avoid
Now that you understand the importance of the 301 redirect, we’ll review common steps in the process to make sure you don’t make a mistake that could adversely impact your site’s SEO.
1. Setting up a 302 redirect between versions of your domains.
301 redirects point the power of inbound links from one URL to another, and although it might not look like it, http://blog.hubspot.com and blog.hubspot.com are two different URLs. Make sure you set up a 301 redirect from all of the different iterations of your brand’s domain to boost your search engine results.
2. Setting up a 301 redirect after creating a new page.
Back in 2010, Toys ‘R Us purchased the toys.com domain without setting up a 301 redirect first, and their new site’s SEO results plummeted because it was re-crawled by Google as a brand-new domain without inbound links from the original Toys ‘R Us domain pointing to it. Be sure to set up the 301 redirect before migrating your website content so your site doesn’t lose traffic in the process.
3. Using a 302 redirect during content migration.
Unless you’re temporarily migrating your website’s content while updating or repairing your website, use a 301 redirect to maintain the inbound links and your search rankings while making changes to your domain.
4. Having redirects link to outdated content.
If you don’t set up redirects from the older internal links on your website (such as a link to your company blog on your homepage), you’ll create a bad user experience for site visitors who click on these older, not-directed links. The old internal link will eventually kick over to the new domain, but it might take several seconds or show a white screen in the meantime.
5. Redirect a page with a different intent than the destination page.
This will be a breeze with proper organization and record-keeping, but make sure that you’re redirecting to the correct pages. To illustrate, you wouldn’t want to redirect a user looking for your homepage to your blog page.
Keeping this transition smooth will contribute to SEO being accurate, and will lead to more happy visitors to your site.
Whether you’re thinking about overhauling all content in a site migration, or you’re just refurbishing some outdated web pages, 301 redirects help. If you’re planning out this new stage, think about incorporating them in your project; your SEO won’t take a dive and website visitors will continue to find the helpful content they’re looking for.
Other Types of Redirects
There are other types of redirect too, including:
1. 302 – Temporarily Moved
This functions almost identically to a 301 redirect. In this instance, however, we are acknowledging that the move is temporary. For a user, this makes no practical difference, but for a search engine the message is clear — don’t worry about ranking this new page, as it won’t be around for long. Stick to using the old one, it will be back.
2. Meta Refresh, or Javascript Redirects
This is different from the previous two approaches. The page will load normally with a 200 – OK status code. Then, a script runs on the page that moves the user onto another page.
There may be certain edge cases when this is the only practical option, but in general you should avoid this approach. It is not associated with SEO best practices and often can provide a confusing user experience.
Addressing Internal 404 Errors
Your SEO or web team might have identified some broken links on your website. In this case, it’s best practice to create a 301 redirect to forward users from the broken URL through to an appropriate resource — one that is fundamentally congruent with the piece of content they were expecting to find.
However, you should also look to update the offending hyperlinks to point to the new URL, as well. Having a website that relies on 301 redirects for internal navigation is not the best practice.
Addressing 404 Errors Reported in Google Search Console
Sometimes, you will see Google Search Console reporting 404 pages that you don’t even link to internally. So where do these come from?
Google Search Console populates its “Coverage” section from all kinds of sources. Sometimes the URLs are simply ones that it has seen before on a previous incarnation of your website, or it might have seen an external link on some other website.
Your mindset should be that if Google has seen this URL before, a user might have as well. They might have it saved as a bookmark, or have it written down in an email, or on a third-party website, and they may still click on it. That being the case, you want to make sure that those users receive the optimum user experience, so you should try to create 301 redirects to push these users to an appropriate piece of content that is fundamentally congruent with the piece of content they were expecting to find.
Don’t leave your old links hanging — use a 301.
301 redirects are vitally important for maintaining a healthy website. They serve a core function in signaling to both users and search engines when your website content moves and changes, and ensure that as your web presence evolves, your user journey remains clear and logical, and your visibility in search engines is preserved between iterations.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with implementing redirects in your current website environment. Then, test your website’s SEO strength — as well as speed, mobile-friendliness, and security — with our free Website Grader.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2010 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

I’d venture to guess you get tons of emails in your inbox every day.
From coupons to daily deal sites, from newsletters to your mother wanting to know when you plan to visit — it’s a lot to sift through, never mind actually open.

So what makes you want to take that extra step to actually open an email? Often, it’s the subject line. After all, it’s your very first impression of the email. From that first impression, you’ll do your best to judge the content inside.
If you’re an email marketer, or just someone who happens to send emails on behalf of your company, you don’t want to be one of those ignored (or deleted) emails in your subscribers’ inboxes. You’ve got to make sure your email subject lines are top-notch — and what better way to learn how to do that than by examining some great examples of subject lines?
Let’s take a look at a few examples that, old or new, we’re crazy about — plus what makes them so great.
(While you’re at it, check out our Out-of-Office Email Generator to make your email address even more delightful to your contacts.)

1. “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring”
Sender: Warby Parker
Not too long ago, a HubSpot alum received this email two weeks before he needed to renew his prescription — talk about great timing. And when your eye prescription is expiring, it happens to be an excellent time to upgrade your glasses. By sending an email at the right time, Warby Parker increased its chances of this email getting opened.
But timing isn’t the sole reason we included this example. This subject line is brilliant because it appeared at the right time and with the right tone. Using conversational words like “uh-oh,” keeping the subject line sentence case, and leaving out the period at the end, the subject line comes across as helpful and friendly — not as a company trying to upsell you.
2. “Best of Groupon: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)”
Sender: Groupon
It’s hard to be funny in your marketing, but Groupon’s one of those brands that seems to nail it again and again. After all, who can forget this classic unsubscribe video?

This subject line is no exception. The quip, “(Unlike Our Nephew Steve),” actually had us
laughing out loud. Why? It’s completely unexpected. The first part of the subject line looks like a typical subject line you’d get from Groupon, highlighting a new deal. The parenthetical content? Not so much — making this one a delightful gem to find in your inbox.
3. “👗 Free (Cool!) Clothes Alert 👖”
Sender: Clover
First of all, we have a not-so-secret love for emojis in email subject lines. Personally, I’m partial to turquoise — so when I see an email implying that I might somehow be able to obtain free turquoise clothes, chances are, I’m clicking.
That’s part of what makes this subject line work. It draws the recipients’ eye by using visual content (emojis), and it hints at an offer of something free. That hints at an incentive to open the email: There’s something to gain inside.
4. “The timer’s going off on your cart!”
Sender: King Arthur Flour
Similar to Warby Parker, this subject line makes use of urgency. If I don’t take action on my King Arthur Flour shopping cart — like actually buying the items — it will be cleared, and I’ll have to start all over again.
Okay, so maybe this is a low-risk scenario. But when it comes to my baking goods, I personally don’t like to take any chances, or risk forgetting what I was going to buy. That’s where the personalization aspect of this subject line comes in: King Arthur Flour — especially its online shop — tends to attract both professional and home bakers who take all things culinary a bit more seriously than, say, someone who only buys flour on occasion from the supermarket. And wouldn’t you know? Those are the same bakers who probably don’t want to spend time building their shopping carts from scratch.
The moral of the story: Know your audience when you’re writing email subject lines. Is there something that they take seriously more than others? If so, incorporate that into your copy.
5. “What Did You Think? Write a Review.”
Sender: REI
I received an email with this subject line about a week after buying a portable stove at REI for a camping trip I was going on. I had just gotten back from that trip, too. It was perfect timing for them to ask me what I thought of it.
Companies ask satisfied customers to write reviews of their business all the time. But when you specifically send these requests to the people who just purchased something from you, you’re being smart with your mailing list and reaching recipients whose interest is still warm.
Another reason this subject line works? It’s not expecting a good review. REI is genuinely asking me what I thought of the stove I bought. Maybe I hated it (though I didn’t). The company just wanted me to speak up.
6. “Important Weather Advisory”
Sender: RCN
Any time we see a weather-related alert, our ears perk up. In RCN’s case, it isn’t just a way to lure recipients into opening an email. The subject line above is RCN’s way of updating its customers to potential power outages and driving attention to the brand that provides them with cable and Wi-Fi — even during inclement weather.
If you can hitch your email marketing campaign to an event you know people pay attention to, and have something helpful to offer in response, you’ll see your email open rate soar.
7. “1,750 points for you. Valentine’s flowers & more for them.”
Sender: JetBlue
It’s such a specific number … 1,750 … of course you’re going to open this.
Coming from an airline, an offering of “points” might as well be gold to someone who likes to travel. And if that recipient also has a significant other, sending this email leading up to Valentine’s Day is a home run.
The best part about the subject line above is how particular JetBlue was about the number of points available. Instead of, say, “20% your next return flight of 1,000 miles or more,” this subject line gives it to you straight: 1,750 points, and all you have to do is buy flowers for your loved one. You’re already wondering how far you can fly with 1,750 points, I can tell.
8. “Rock the color of the year”
Sender: Etsy
In six words, Etsy was able to promote a product solely by its color, and inform you that there is apparently a “color of the year.” The email is truly too intriguing not to open.
Etsy is an ecommerce website for user-created marketplaces, and the reason we were impressed by its subject line above was because of the way it uses mystery to drive value into a suite of products. This email isn’t an invitation to buy clothing or jewelry; it’s an invitation to find out what the color of the year is.
9. “*Don’t Open This Email*”
Sender: Manicube
Ever been told to not do something? Being asked to refrain from something can actually have the opposite effect — you now want to do that thing even more.
That’s the strategy behind Manicube’s subject line. It’s a simple but effective way to make people curious enough to open your email. (Just be sure that the contents of your email actually have something worthy of that subject line.)
10. “How to live at home 24/7”
Sender: Feather
If you’re anything like me, the COVID-19 pandemic had you wearing PJs from day to night, only changing when you had Zoom meetings at work. As a social distancing precaution, you likely used delivery services instead of going out and getting food on your own — which means that you were effectively living at home 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
This email from Feather, a furniture rental store, perfectly encapsulates a frustration many of us faced: How do you live at home 24/7 without feeling like you’re going crazy? With this subject line, Feather promises to help you find a solution by using furniture that makes it easier to stay at home for extended periods of time.
Try it: Use a “How To” subject line to tell recipients what they can achieve with your products. Then, in your email, include links to the products that will help them achieve those goals.
11. “What Can You Afford?”
Sender: Zillow
Imagine getting this subject line in your inbox from a website showing apartments for rent. It’s both exciting and encouraging (“Here are a bunch of apartments right in your budget. Yay!”), but also kind of competitive — pitting your cash against what the market offers. Would you click it? I certainly would.
Personalizing emails to cater to your audience’s emotions — for which there’s a broad spectrum, when it comes to real estate — is key to getting people to open your emails. You don’t have to be a psychologist to know how to take advantage of them, either. In addition to principles like urgency, crafting an email subject line that implies scarcity is another great way to increase your conversion rates.
12. “As You Wish”
Sender: UncommonGoods
When writing emails, you should also think about the recognizable names and references that make people tick. For example, take this subject line from UncommonGoods forwarded to us from HubSpot’s Content Director, Corey Wainwright, who happens to be a die-hard fan of The Princess Bride. Apparently, “As You Wish” is a pretty big reference to that movie, so when she saw this subject line in her inbox, she just HAD to click.
Even though she knew logically that the email was part of a larger-scale send, it almost seemed like it was tailored to be sent personally to her — after all, why else would it include a reference to Princess Bride in the title?
UncommonGoods knows its buyer persona like the back of its metaphorical hand. While it may not send emails to individual subscribers with references to their favorite movies in the title, it does have a general understanding of its subscribers and their interests.
13. “Where to Drink Beer Right Now”
Sender: Eater Boston
Okay, you caught me: I’m a beer lover. But that’s not what hooked me here. The subject line arrived in my inbox just at the time I needed it: at 6:45 on a Wednesday evening. Absolutely. Genius.
Think about it: You’re just over hump day and want to decompress with a few coworkers after work. Right as you’re about to head out, you get a notification on your phone that says, “Where to Drink Beer Right Now.” Perfect timing makes this subject line something you can’t help but click on.
For your own emails, think about how timing will affect how people perceive your emails. Even if you send an email in an off-peak hour, you could get higher engagement on your email — if you have the right subject line.
14. “Not Cool, Guys”
Sender: BuzzFeed
We love BuzzFeed. If nothing else, its staff knows how to write great copy — and that sentiment includes an exceptional email marketing team. Many of my colleagues have signed up for BuzzFeed’s daily emails, and pretty much any day of the week, they win for best subject line in their inboxes.
While there are a few of BuzzFeed’s subject lines here and there that aren’t anything to write home about, it’s the combination of subject lines and the preview text that is golden. They’re friendly, conversational, and, above all, snarky.
Here’s the text that followed the subject line above: “Okay, WHO left the passive-aggressive sticky note on my fridge. Honestly, who acts like this?” That conversational tone and snark pull us in over and over again — and it’s the preview text that completes the experience for me.
We’re not all equipped to be snarky writers, but most email platforms have the preview text easily available to edit. How can you use that little extra space to delight your customers (oh, and probably improve your email metrics)? Maybe you could use the subject line as a question, and the preview text area as the answer. Or maybe it’s a dialogue: The subject line is one person, and the preview text is another.
You get the idea. By using that space, you have more opportunities to attract new subscribers.
15. “DO NOT Commit These Instagram Atrocities”
Sender: Thrillist
No matter how humble people are, most don’t like to do things wrong … so why not play on that natural human tendency in an email subject line, especially if you’re in the business of helping clients (or prospective clients) succeed? Thrillist certainly does in the subject line above, and it makes the language even more vibrant by using do not — a great takeaway for B2B marketers.
Instead of using the typical contraction “don’t,” Thrillist spells it out and adds the all-caps for effect. That way, you’ll notice the subject line in your inbox, and then find it harder to resist clicking on it.
Think about how going negative in your marketing might be a good thing. For example, many of us have anxiety about looking silly and stupid, so figure out how you can play to those emotions in subject lines. Of course, it’s important to back up that subject line with encouraging, helpful content, so that you’re not just ranting at people all day.
Getting negative can get your subscribers’ attention — this subject line certainly caught mine.
16. “Everything you wanted to know about email copy but were too afraid to ask”
Sender: Copy Hackers
Here’s another great example of leveraging your audience’s full plate to your email marketing advantage. Who hasn’t refrained from asking a question out of fear of looking silly or out of the loop? Excuse me while I sheepishly raise my hand.
” … but were too afraid to ask” is one of those phrases that, to us, probably won’t go out of style for a long time. People seek insights from Copy Hackers — an organization dedicated to helping marketers and other professionals write better copy, as the name suggests — because, well, they have questions. They want to improve. And when that audience is too afraid to ask those questions, here’s Copy Hackers, ready to come to the rescue with answers.
What does your audience want to know, but might be too embarrassed to ask? Use that information to craft your content — including your email subject lines.
17. “🐶 Want a Custom Emoji of Tullamore & 6 Months FREE Walks? Book a Walk Today for Your Chance to Win!”
Sender: Wag!
For reference, Tullamore is the name of my colleague Amanda Zantal-Wiener’s dog. And the subject line she received, written above, is another winning example of perfect emoji placement — especially when it’s a cute dog.
Here’s a great example of how personalization goes beyond the email recipient’s name. Wag!, an on-demand dog-walking app, includes the names of its customers’ pets in a portion of its email subject lines. But this type of personalization is more than just a first-name basis. If there’s anything my colleague Amanda loves more than free stuff and baking goods, it’s her pup. Wag! knows that, and by mentioning Tullamore by name in the subject line — in tandem with an offer, no less — it caught her attention and piqued her interest.
18. “Abra-cord-abra! Yeah, we said it.”
Sender: Quircky
This punny email subject line from Quirky is plain fun. We’re suckers for puns in the right situation.
What we like most about it is the second part: “Yeah, we said it.” The pun in the beginning is great and all — it refers to a new invention featured on Quirky’s site to help everyday consumers detangle their numerous plugs and cords — but the second sentence is conversational and self-referential. That’s exactly what many of us would say after making a really cheesy joke in real life.
Many brands could stand to be more conversational and goofy in their emails. While it may not be appropriate to go as far as Quirky’s subject line, being goofy might just be the way to delight your email recipients.
19. “🔥 Hot freebie alert! 15 free gifts, you pick 5.”
Sender: Shutterfly
Shutterfly, a company that allows you to print your photos on interesting products or other frames, gets visual with its subject lines by occasionally using an emoji. Due to the company’s nature and creative audience, the fire emoji in this subject line draws the eye without feeling desperate.
The email subject line also pops because it has a lot of buzzwords, including “hot,” “freebie,” “gifts,” and “alert.” In just one line, it is able to give the potential reader a good reason to open it, especially if they love using Shutterfly.
The content inside the email aligns perfectly with the subject line by announcing a freebie promotion. This strong alignment between the subject line and message keeps people from skimming the email.
20. “From chaos to calm ✨🏡”
Sender: Open Spaces
If you’ve ever had a cluttered home, you know how chaotic it can feel. Open Spaces takes advantage of that by suggesting how you’ll feel after you use the company’s products.
Its emoji choices also indicate how your home will look and feel: Sparkling clean. I’m not a huge fan of cleaning, but Open Spaces promises to make it easy in the simplicity of their subject line. The brand also proves that it knows its target customer exceedingly well — if you want to create “open spaces,” you likely won’t tolerate chaos in your home.
In the same way, try to allude to the feelings that your target customers want to feel, as well as their goals and inner desires. You can also let emojis speak for you. For instance, if Open Spaces had used the subject line “From chaos to calm: Get a sparkling clean home,” the focus would be off of the “from chaos to calm” piece, which is what readers most care about.
Now that we’ve covered the best subject lines in general, let’s dive into the best newsletter subject lines.
Newsletter Subject Lines
Newsletter subject lines must work harder to get the recipient’s attention, because they allude to information only. In contrast, a subject line offering a discount will automatically make the recipient want to click.
Newsletter subject lines must hook the reader and get them to click. The examples below do an excellent job at it.
1. “China Falls, Sleepy Unicorns, And The Deals Aren’t Bigger In Texas”
Sender: Crunchbase
The Crunchbase Insights email has an interesting way of wrapping details about all the stories it will present you in one subject line. This is eye-catching because it seems like an odd mashup of words, but gets to the point about three complicated stories at the same time.
When it comes to email, Crunchbase is known for their longer, text based emails. They all read like a more conversational letter to the email recipient and casually discuss and hyperlink Crunchbase’s top stories. While the subject lines feel interesting and eye-catching, the emails often report deeper business news that cut right to the chase.
This subject line shows how you can be punchy, but also fun and creative when trying to pull in your audience.
2. “Watch Out for This Amazon Phishing Scam.”
Sender: WIRED
In this subject line, WIRED includes Amazon, a large company name. Including the name of a big brand can be a great way to boost open rates because people who enjoy or use products from big brands might click into a subject line that discusses them.
Additionally, when a brand name is combined with negative words like “phishing” or “scam,” people might open the email much more urgently so they can learn how to avoid running into the issue being discussed.
WIRED also lists the story last in its newsletter. This is an interesting way to get your readers to scroll through the entire email and see the other stories before they get to the story that led them to click into it.
3. “Buffer has been hacked — here is what’s going on”
Sender: Buffer
Next is a subject line from Buffer. A few years ago, Buffer got hacked — every tech company’s worst nightmare. But Buffer handled it exceptionally well, especially on the email front.
What we admire about the subject line is that it’s concise and direct. In a crisis, it’s better to steer clear of puns, snarky comments, and emojis. People want to see that you’re taking the situation seriously and be reassured that the world isn’t ending.
Because of the way the subject line is worded and formatted, you feel like Buffer is calm and collected about the issue, and is taking your personal safety into consideration. That’s pretty hard to do in just a few words.
4. “Google sees smartphone heroics in Oreo. It’s The Daily Crunch.”
Sender: TechCrunch
If you’re subscribed to a newsletter from a publication like TechCrunch, chances are, you signed up because you’re either interested in or want to learn more about technology. To reflect that, the media outlet crafts its daily email roundups (“The Daily Crunch”) with a subject line that reflects one of the latest, most compelling news items in the industry.
Here’s the thing: Staying on the cutting edge is hard, especially with something that evolves as quickly as technology. So by writing email subject lines that reflect something that’s recent and relevant, TechCrunch is signaling to email recipients that opening the message will help them stay informed and up-to-date on the latest industry news.
Think about the things that your audience struggles to keep up with — then, craft an email roundup and matching subject line that reflects the latest news in that category.
5. “Black Friday shoppers are the worst customers”
Sender: LinkedIn
This subject line is likely the boldest of the Black Friday emails you’d see in your inbox in the days before Thanksgiving. Yes, it’s a bit judgmental, but it actually came in a LinkedIn Pulse newsletter, promoting an article one of its users wrote on the topic of holiday marketing.
And there’s no doubt the title resonates with how some people feel during the most hectic holiday shopping day of the year.
LinkedIn has nothing to sell on Black Friday, so the subject line above does little harm to its business. Nonetheless, commenting on a popular cultural observation can show your confidence and help you relate to your community.
6. “Tips to increase remote collaboration”
Sender: Asana
This simple subject line from Asana, a project management platform, gets straight to the point: If you open the email, you’ll find remote work tips beyond. The subject line also effectively capitalizes on an increasingly common trend that rose during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Its simplicity and trendiness ensures that you’ll want to open the email.
And chances are that if you’re using Asana, you’re likely using it to collaborate with colleagues whom you might not see every day, even if you’re not fully remote. Asana effectively appeals to a wide range of potential users and buyers with this subject line.
7. “I got Botox — & THIS is what it looked like”
Sender: Refinery29
Okay, so maybe your business doesn’t involve Botox. But still — are you intrigued? I am, and despite my better judgment, I clicked.
That’s the power of leading your emails with a story: It sparks curiosity, which works in two ways. There are times when our natural curiosity can pique our interest without context, such as in the example above. But in this case, the subject line implies that there’s an intriguing story ahead. Why the heck did this person get Botox? And what did it look like? As the saying goes, “Inquiring minds want to know.”
Think of the stories behind your industry, and then, find ways to include them in email newsletters and frame them within the subject line in a way that piques your recipients’ collective curiosity.
8. “Improve Your Website from Concept to Code 💻”
Sender: Namecheap
Want people to open your newsletter? Tell them how they’ll benefit straight away like in this newsletter subject line by Namecheap. It used this subject line for Inspire, its monthly newsletter, and like in the WIRED example above, it left the subject line story last so that users scroll through the entire email.
Like many examples on this list, it uses an emoji to draw the eye and keeps the tone of the conversation more casual and fun. In contrast, the subject line “Improve Your Website from Concept to Code” feels much more wooden and unfriendly.
9. “The best options for grocery delivery”
Sender: Wirecutter
Simple, right? But effective. This newsletter subject line from Wirecutter gets straight to the point and solves one of the biggest challenges we faced during the pandemic: How to get groceries while social distancing. If you’d never used grocery delivery services up until that point, you’d likely be at a loss for what services to use.
Wirecutter realizes that and immediately invites you to open the email with a simple and actionable subject like.
10. “‘I didn’t realise architecture was so dangerous’”
Sender: Dezeen
Dezeen is an architecture and design publication whose newsletter subject lines always feature a comment from a user. Only one comment is chosen every week.
This approach is brilliant for various reasons: 1) It makes you wonder why the user made that comment and will make you click through, 2) It makes you want to comment on the publication’s posts to potentially get featured, and 3) It takes the work out of writing a subject line. Indeed, Dezeen doesn’t have to write a subject line at all, because its readers do it for them.
Here are a few comments that have been featured of late:

“Absolute garbage”
“The cardboard box aesthetic”
“Meet The Flintstones”
“Does it come with a smoke machine?”

If you have a publication that’s often commented upon, consider using one of the comments as your subject line.
HubSpot Email Marketers’ Favorite Subject Lines
Above are some of the best subject lines we’ve gathered, but we asked both former and current marketers on our team to give some additional favorites and what makes them so good:
1. “Show them what you’re made of”
Sender: Canva
“Using empowering, positive, and defiant language to leverage the use of Canva tools — love it.”
— Lucy Reddan
2. “Drooling over email designs 🤤”
Sender: Really Good Emails
“Emojis always catch my eye amongst the 100+ emails I receive on a daily basis. As an email geek myself, this subject line matched my interests and piqued my curiosity.”
— Ashley Riordan
3. “Can you help me name this dance, [First Name]?”
Sender: Marie Forleo
“It’s personalized and piques my interest because A) I’m being asked for input and B) I want to be in the know about this mysterious dance (#fomo).”
— Christina Perricone
4. “Who you gonna call?”
“If you can make a pun, include a social reference, or even just a familiar phrase, it’ll catch people’s attention.”
— Clint Fontanella
5. “Shoes You Can Wear All Damn Day”
Sender: Everlane
“Swearing is controversial in email marketing, but I think it worked really well in this email from Everlane. Not only was it a clever and concise way to introduce their new line of footwear called ‘The Day Collection,’ but it also aligned with the brand voice they use in other emails and across their website.”
— Anna Fitzgerald
6. “You were on point last week 🎯”
Sender: Grammarly
“Grammarly is so good about rewarding you and making you feel good about your writing.”
— Jordan Pritikin
7. “Hmm…No writing activity last week?”
Sender: Grammarly
“If or when you turn their plugin off, Grammarly’s retention strategy is great. They reach out with subject lines like these that immediately drive me to click through and turn their plugin back on. Very well done.”
— Jordan Pritikin
8. “‘Not intended for swimming’”
Sender: Dezeen
“I’m a sucker for architecture, and Dezeen’s weekly newsletter tells me the top new projects that come up, as well as their reader’s responses to them. My question is: What’s not intended for swimming? And if it’s not intended for swimming, why did the architect build it? Boom, you’ve got my interest. And my click.”
— Ivelisse Rodriguez
9. “Our #1 most asked question…”
Sender: Supergoop
“What an easy way to get me to click — by trailing off and leaving the rest of the content in the email. Nicely done, Supergoop.”
— Ivelisse Rodriguez
10. “[First Name]! You’re One of HubSpot’s Top Blog Readers 🎉”
Sender: HubSpot
“No one actually likes taking feedback surveys. Not unless you earn money, and not many of them offer that. When I received the above email from our very own HubSpot blog, I clicked straight through, and voila! There it was: A feedback request. Turns out, flattery does work.”
— Ivelisse Rodriguez
The Best Email Subject Lines are Simple and On-Brand
When writing subject lines for your emails, keep it engaging, simple, and on-brand. Don’t forget to appeal to the emotions and needs of your target buyers, and most importantly, have fun — include emojis, puns, or references to pop culture. Your emails will get opened, guaranteed.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

In marketing these days, you can’t swing an enthusiastic micro-influencer without hitting someone who’s talking about video content. And it’s not without merit.
A recent Wyzowl study revealed that 69% of consumers prefer to watch a short video to learn more about a brand’s products or services.
With 84% of people saying they’ve been convinced to make a purchase based on a brand’s video, it’s clear video marketing is the future and product demo videos are a lucrative path forward.

There are many different types of product demo videos, so I’m sharing a few of my favorites below, along with tips on how to get started on your own product demo video.
Want to skip straight to the videos? Click here.
1. Identify the goal.
Purchases? Subscriptions? Education? Brand awareness? Decide what your video is trying to achieve and what you want the viewer to walk away with.
What action do you hope the viewer takes after watching your video, and what business need does it fulfill? For example, “After watching our product demo video, we hope the viewer submits a demo request form.”
2. Determine your audience.
Has the audience for this video purchased with you before? Are you introducing a new product or feature to them? Or, is this video reaching people who have never heard of you? What will this audience be concerned with? How long will they want to watch? What buyer persona will you be gearing this video for?
All of these are important questions to answer.
For example, let’s say you’re introducing software that regulates the temperature of various areas in your office.
The audience for your video might be harried office managers who are constantly fielding requests to turn the temperature up or down.
They’re concerned with keeping their colleagues comfortable without breaking the bank on electricity costs.
3. Set a budget and a timeline.
Do you have $7,000 or $80,000 to make this product demo video?
Identify your budget so you know how to proceed. This is also the time to set expectations. If you have a $500 budget, you’re not going to come out with a video on par with Apple’s latest release – and that’s alright.
Oh, and don’t forget to outline when you need this video to be completed. Even the biggest budgets can run up against roadblocks if the timeline is too limited.
4. Decide between in-house or agency.
This decision will likely be dependent on your budget. If you have a lot to work with, interview agencies that can give you quotes and creative pitches for your project.
If you have a small budget, you can still create a great video with a smartphone that has a high-quality camera. You can also screen record your computer to use as B-roll as you navigate through your platform.
Work with what you have and be proud of whatever you create.
5. Structure your video.
Will you tell a story? Highlight pain points? Use text or visuals only? Decide how you want to communicate your goal and how you’ll bring it to life.
If you’re working with a creative agency or freelance videographer, they may help you define the structure. If you’re going it alone, use videos like the ones we’ve listed below to inspire you and define which format will work best for your product and goals.
Another factor to consider is length. How long should a product demo video be, you ask? Two minutes is the sweet spot. However, you can go up to five minutes, if your demo goes into detail about use cases and features.
6. Choose between animation and live-action.
Animation can sometimes be a little cheaper than a live-action video.
Work within your budget and skill level. In addition, narrow down which option best highlights your product and the scope your project requires.
7. Write a script.
The script is a crucial part of your video. It defines the tone, pace, and message.
Start with a project brief, move on to an outline, and navigate your script, section by section, making sure it speaks to the goals you’ve previously outlined.
Call out opportunities for B-roll throughout, and always conduct a verbal run-through before getting behind the camera. This will help you see if anything sounds unnatural and should be reworked.
For more tips and a video script template, check out this blog post and accompanying video on how to write a video script.
8. Create a marketing plan.
Once you’ve shot, edited, and finalized your video, it’s time to decide how you’ll share it with your audience. YouTube, your website or campaign landing pages, and special email campaigns are all great channels for distribution.
But don’t overlook less obvious opportunities, like including your video in your email signature, sharing it in partner blog posts, and incorporating it into your sales team’s pitches.

Product Demo Video Examples
1. The Lip Bar

In this demo, a model shows makeup users how to use one of the brand’s products: the “Caffeine Concealer.”

At just under five minutes, the model incorporates the product into their makeup routine and explains the application method as they go.
Here’s why this works: While the demo allows viewers to see what the product will look like in real life, it also helps show consumers just how easy it is to add it to their daily beauty routine.
2. Airtable

This classic product demo video uses animation to show how users can benefit from it.

What this video does well is demonstrate several different use cases, taking a broad, top-of-the-funnel approach that will attract the masses.
Airtable also do something else that’s incredibly smart. As the seconds tick by and viewers hypothetically click out of the video, the information shared gets more specific, with specific tactics and features.
Airtable knows if someone has stuck around over one minute into their demo video, this is likely a qualified lead who wants to learn more.
3. Zendesk Sunshine

Zendesk leads with pain points in their product demo video.
“Customer relationships are complicated … made up of fragmented pieces of what you know about your customers … it’s kind of all over the place,” a narrator explains. But Zendesk gets it: “What seems like chaos is actually everything you want.”

The viewer immediately feels like Zendesk understands them. It’s a full 50 seconds into the video before Zendesk even introduces a solution.
We never actually see the platform at work, but that’s not really the goal of this video. That’s what makes it an effective demo. 
4. SurveyMonkey

At nearly two minutes long, this product demo packs a powerful punch with visuals of SurveyMonkey’s benefits and features as well as a walk-through of the product interface.

Why it works: Viewers see just how easy it is to send a survey using SurveyMonkey. They even see how it integrates with other platforms like Slack.
This is a workhorse of a demo video, but the viewer witnesses how SurveyMonkey can integrate into their daily workflow – and how easy the product is to use, from sign-in to send.
5. Headspace

Is there anything harder to sell on the internet than meditation? Headspace makes it seem easy with their modern, relatable animated product demo video.

They offer a “healthier, happier life” and show you how the app works for a variety of users with differing goals and times.
This demo works well because it’s an inclusive video that communicates a lot without overwhelming the viewer.
6. Esusu

Esusu, an app created by Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneurs Abbey Wemimo and Samir Goel, aims to help people in marginalized locations with financial planning. The demo created by the company gives viewers a look inside Esusu’s platform and the tools it has to offer.

Specifically, this demo walks through how families can use the platform together to build each member’s credit, save funds together, or send funds to each other.
One great thing about the intro above is that it establishes a pain point by asking the audience if they’ve ever dealt with bad credit or poor savings. Then, it highlights exactly how Esusu can help them.
This demo is also a great example of how a quick and simple tour of an app can show potential users exactly what they need to know about navigating and using this type of financial planning app.
7. Apple

This glossy product video introduces the new iPhone 12 by showing what it can do. Simple text alerts the viewer to the features and capabilities through vivid visuals.

The goal of this product demo is to wow rather than educate, and that’s exactly what it does.
8. Slack

Slack uses this brightly hued video to break down a common misconception about their platform: that it’s only for sending private messages. They walk viewers through how teams can communicate using their interface.

“It’s way more than just a place to talk,” explains the actor, “we keep all of our files here too.”
The video is feature-heavy, but the actor chimes in with how those features translate into benefits as he walks viewers through a demonstration of Slack.
A simple “Get started with Slack, today” closes out this informative video with a clear call-to-action.
9. The Origins of Nike Free

This product demo tells the origin story of the Nike Free running shoes.

What works well here is the context the brand provides for the idea and vision behind the product.
The shoe creators share a bit about how the shoe was designed and call out benefits like, “more natural movement” and “nice, modern evolution.”
A simple tagline at the end reads, “Engineered for modern motion.”
10. Duolingo

Duolingo kicks things off with social proof from The Wall Street Journal: “Far and away the best free language-learning app.”

What follows is a description of how the platform works, backed with more data on how effective it really is.
If you want to prove that your product works, sometimes facts are more alluring than a demo of the product itself.
11. IKEA Place

There’s nothing wrong with stating your purpose upfront.
“Hey, IKEA would like everyone to know about Place, our new augmented reality app,” explains this demo video.

What follows is a demonstration of the app and a video montage of people struggling to design and furnish new spaces.
“We want to make it easier for people everywhere to imagine a better place,” the narrator explains.
Why this works: It addresses a pain point and explains why this product is here to solve it. Not every demo has to use this formula, but it is a great place to start. 
12. NoseFrida

Your baby is cute until she’s not.
The narrator in this demo explains what happens to a baby’s nose when they’re sick – and why your baby gets fussy.
Immediately, he’s identified the viewer’s pain points and explained the problem with NoseFrida’s competitors.

The narrator begins to explain how to use the NoseFrida, a device that allows parents to physically suck snot out of their baby’s nose and effectively ruins your days of carefree milkshake sipping forever (take it from me).
It’s here that the company does something brilliant. They know their customer’s biggest purchasing block is the gross-out factor this product elicits, so they confront it head-on.
“Breathe easy, we know what you’re thinking,” the narrator says. They then explain how NoseFrida is designed to be hygienic and safe.
Know your product has a big red flag for customers? Try addressing it bravely, like NoseFrida does, instead of tip-toeing around the elephant in the room.
13. Craftsy

How do you get people to part with their most valuable asset: their free time? Online learning platform Craftsy, formerly known as Bluprint, has the right formula.

They first engage users by letting them know they have something for everyone. The narrator says, “Whether you’re just getting started with a craft or looking to advance your skills, our world-class instruction is here to help.”
The video then outlines the various lessons consumers can take, from baking to knitting, emphasizing the value of having seasoned instructors to guide them.
14. Sphero

Are you known for one product but want to introduce another? Sphero knows a little about that.
A few years ago, the brand created a robot called BB-8 for a little-known movie called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Lucky for them, I hear that panned out.

In a Kickstarter video for their newest robot, they begin by featuring the iconic BB-8 robot that skyrocketed their success. Once the viewer knows who they are, they present their new robot: The Sphero RVR.
The rest of the video features the robot’s engineers speaking about what their new creation does and why it’s special. We believe them because they’ve tethered this new creation to their past authority.
What works well here is that Sphero establishes its credibility straight on by referencing past success then introduces their new product and its features. 
15. Ring Door View Cam

This is another great example of showing viewers instead of telling them what your product can do.
The video shows everyday people using Ring’s Door View Cam in a variety of ways.

We see them use the mobile interface, benefit from the speaker, and avoid danger using the camera.
Many times, demos outline the benefits but what’s better than seeing it in action? That’s why use cases are great for demos.
16. Peloton

This product video begins with an origin story of the Peloton bicycle and quickly moves to the benefits (i.e., you can ride it in your bedroom without waking your partner).
Before you know it, the video is speaking to viewer pain points, “One of the challenges with boutique fitness is that it can be inconvenient.”
Their solution? Peloton.

Thousands of classes, experienced instructors, community, and ease of use.
Close-ups of the machine in use highlights certain features, but what this video demonstrates most is the experience you’ll have using Peloton.
“This is what I’ve been missing,” says one video participant.
I can’t help but think that’s the primary goal the makers of this video had for their viewers.
17. Zoom

This is a classic example of a product demo video. A solid, feature-heavy script that immediately jumps into how professionals can use and benefit from Zoom.

What works well here: The viewer sees the product being used as they listen to how it works, and they’re left with a clear picture of what Zoom can offer them.
18. Gusto

I’ve saved the most comprehensive product demo video for last. This example, from HR software provider Gusto, clocks in at an impressive five minutes and fifty-six seconds.
What follows is a careful walk-through of the product, its benefits, and how to pick the perfect plan.

Viewers who make it to the end likely signal to Gusto that they’re ready to speak with a salesperson. This video probably works best for buyers further along in the buyer’s journey.
Key takeaway: If your goal is to introduce your product/service to new audiences, stick with a shorter option that’s quick and easy to consume.
Using Product Demo Videos in Your Marketing Strategy
Product demo videos might take a bit of time and planning to create, but once they’re live, they can be an effective piece of your brand’s overall video marketing strategy.
As consumers seek out more video content while researching products, marketers are also finding that videos are their most effective asset. Like them, you’ll want to leverage video marketing and product demos to guide your prospect to the customer stage.
Want to create your own video? Check out our ultimate guide to video marketing.
Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in June 2019, but has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The best billboards demand your attention with bold fonts, in-your-face messages, and bright, eye-catching graphics. The best Facebook ads take the exact opposite approach.
If you want to reach and engage with potential customers on Facebook, you need to create ads that blend as seamlessly as possible into the rest of the content on their newsfeeds. This means focusing on simple, high-quality images, straightforward messages, and most importantly: minimal text.

Facebook has found that the best performing ads include images with little to no text. Formerly, they had a “20% rule,” which stated that in order to run an image-based ad on Facebook, your image must contain less than 20% text. It even created a text overlay tool to help advertisers determine whether their images had too many words.
The 20% rule is no longer a requirement, and the Facebook overlay tool is inactive. However, it’s still smart to follow the 20% rule and keep text to a minimum in your image-based ads.
It’s important to note that you should use the 20% rule only for the text contained within images in your ad. It does not include text on your ad outside of images, like the description copy or call-to-action button.
There are a few exceptions to the 20% rule, including images of book covers, album covers, event posters, video games, and some product images that contain text (e.g., a cereal box).
Text-based logos are not an exception to the 20% rule. You should count your logo when deciding how much text to include in your image.
So, why exactly did the Facebook 20% rule exist, and why is it still relevant today? It all comes down to what users want to see and engage with in their newsfeeds. Ads with less overlay text perform significantly better than images crowded with text, so sticking to the rule creates a better experience for both users and advertisers.
Facebook Text Overlay Tool
The Facebook text overlay tool is no longer active, but it’s still wise to carefully choose the text you’ll include in your images.
While you’re creating an ad, it can be tricky to evaluate the exact percentage of text covering your image. The following examples will show you some of the ways you can add text in a way that will naturally generate engagement.
Before designing your ad, be sure to review specs and sizes for your images and Facebook’s guidelines for image-based ads.
1. Ad With Acceptable Text Overlay
Your best approach when creating a Facebook ad is to use little to no text.
In this example of an ad image, there’s only a small text-based logo and no other copy. This image contains 4% text.
An ad with a simple image like this will blend more easily into users’ news feeds and is much more likely to gain exposure and engagement among your target audience.
The best part is that it might strike curiosity because it doesn’t share much; instead, viewers will have to read the description to find out what the ad is about.
2. Ad With Minimal Text Overlay
In this next example, there are two lines of text, bringing the text percentage to 12%. The logo has been removed from the corner.
It still works because the text doesn’t cover 20% of the image. The text also helps the viewer understand what the ad is about.
Nevertheless, consider adding the copy into the body of your ad instead of your image. Since the image and the description are visible at the same time, you can use the body only to describe your offering.
3. Ad With Excessive Text Overlay
This final example is exactly what Facebook does not want to see. It contains a whopping 44% text-to-image ratio.
While the copy is well-written and the offering is clear, this ad contains too much text over the image. The information displayed here could easily be incorporated into the body copy of your ad, creating a much cleaner look in users’ news feeds.
It might be tempting to throw important information onto your images like this, but you risk alienating users who are turned off by busy copy.
Now that you have an idea of what a good ad looks like, how can you put it into practice in your own ad? Let’s take a look.
Facebook Text Overlay Best Practices
The best way to capture users’ attention on Facebook is to use an eye-catching image with no text.
The 20% rule isn’t just an arbitrary recommendation — it helps advertisers reach their target audiences more effectively, and prevents users’ news feeds from becoming overwhelmed with disruptive advertisements.
If you do want to add text to your image, you should use the following best practices for overlaying text over your Facebook ads.
1. Choose the right font size.
Believe it or not, font size is even more important than the amount of text you overlay over your image.
Smaller font sizes naturally won’t take up as much space, reducing your text-to-image ratio. Bigger font sizes will make you exceed the 20% rule straight away, even if you’re only including two or three words. That said, you don’t want to make the text too small; otherwise, viewers will have to squint to read what it says.
The font size you choose will depend on the size of your image and whether you’re adding a heading or a whole sentence. For headings, try to stay under 42 pixels; for sentences, try to stay around 24 pixels. Play around with font sizes to find what best works for the image.
2. Include only a heading or one line of text.
There’s no reason to include more than one line of text in your Facebook ad. You have the body of the ad to include enough context and information for the viewer to click your link.
If you add text, consider only adding a heading — such as an offer, a call-to-action, or a discount. That’ll maximize the impact of the text and ensure viewers see something that will compel them to click.
For instance, “Buy 1 Get 1 Free,” “Apply Now,” and “30% Off” are all eye-catching phrases that will warrant a second look and don’t take up too much space. That brings us to the next point: Choose only the best and most eye-catching text to add to your image.
3. Choose eye-catching, impactful text.
When adding overlay text to your Facebook ad, be sure to choose a line of text that will 1) Catch your target audience’s attention and 2) Hint at the value they’ll extract if they click through to your offer.
In the body of the ad, you can go into greater detail about your product or offer. But in your image, include only the text that will help someone decide whether they want to read more.
4. Use an alternative text overlay tool to see your text-to-image ratio.
While Facebook’s text overlay tool is no longer available, you can use an alternative that mimics Facebook’s original tool. We recommend trying these:

No Limit Creatives Text Overlay Tool
Social Contests Text Overlay Tool

They’re virtually identical in functionality, so simply choose the one that’s most convenient for you and your browser.
To use them, upload your image and select the squares that have text. On the right-hand column, the tool will tell you whether you’re above or under the 20% text-to-image ratio. That way, you know for sure whether you’ve added too much text to the image.
5. Take advantage of a grid to align the text.
In a free tool such as Canva, you can typically overlay a grid over your design as you’re creating it. Simply go to Elements > Grid and scroll until you find a grid that best works for your design. (Be sure to lower the transparency of the grid so you can see your ad beyond it.)
Use the grid as a guiding tool for aligning your text and ensuring it doesn’t take up too many boxes. If your grid has nine boxes and one line of text takes three boxes horizontally, then you know that the text is too big. If it only takes up one box, it might be too small.
Without a grid, you might lean on gut feeling only — and while your gut feeling can be of great help, it’s best to approach text overlays with as much exactitude as possible.
The 20% Rule Will Help You Create Better Facebook Ads
While Facebook no longer requires advertisers to adhere to the 20% rule, it’s still a valuable guideline for adding text to your Facebook ads. Keep text to a minimum and you’ll ensure your Facebook ad packs as much impact as possible, significantly boosting your ROI and encouraging viewers to engage with your brand.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

With each new release, Salesforce is adding tons of new functionalities to Lightning Experience. Which make you more productive and help you to provide a better customer experience.  Currently, the Winter’22 release is available under the pre-release program. On the and 27th of August, Sandboxes will be upgraded, as a result, your organization will get the look
The post Top Ten Gems of Salesforce Lightning Experience Winter’22 Release! appeared first on Automation Champion.

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