Quick Guide to Writing the Best Subject Lines for Your Review Request Emails

Online reviews serve as a powerful trust-building tool for potential customers. One of the most effective ways to solicit these invaluable reviews is through well-crafted review request emails. However, with the ever-increasing influx of emails, customers receive today, standing out in the crowded inbox has never been more challenging.

In this blog, we'll help you write striking and compelling email subject lines to get your customers to open and respond to your review request emails.

Why are review request emails important?

Before learning the strategies for writing attention-grabbing email subject lines, let's understand the importance of sending review request emails to your customers.

Recent surveys suggest that only 12% of consumers leave reviews. While you might think of numerous reasons why customers tend to skip leaving reviews, it's surprising that most people don't leave reviews because they weren't reminded to do so. Their failure to leave reviews doesn't always guarantee dissatisfaction. In fact, our article about negative online reviews shows that 95% of unhappy customers are more likely to publicize their opinions.

41% of consumers who leave reviews say they did so because they received a review request email. This is how vital review request emails are. While most online booking and reservation websites have automated review request emails, it's still imperative for business owners like you to implement a creative review collection process that will not just help strengthen your online reputation but will also foster a better customer relationship.

Why is it important to have a good subject line for your review request email?

The average person receives 100 to 120 emails per day. With this kind of figure, it's not surprising to know that most people often skip emails.

screenshot of an email filled with unopened emails with different subject lines — How everyone's email looks like these days. Source: Brevo

47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line. Consider your review request emails as gifts–those with sparkling gift wrappers are more likely to be opened first than others. A well-crafted subject line not only boosts the open rate of your email but also sets the tone for the recipient's engagement with your request.

How to write a good subject line for your review request email?

Crafting a compelling subject line requires finesse and creativity. Here are some proven strategies to captivate your recipients' attention:

a. Use personalization

Emails with personalized subject lines generate 50% higher open rates than those that don't. Including the recipient's name or referring to a recent purchase can create a personalized touch that encourages interaction.

b. Keep it short and sweet

A subject line should be concise and to the point. Avoid using overly complex language or lengthy phrases. The Gmail app for iOS and Android displays up to 70 characters of the subject line in the inbox. Any content that goes beyond this will be cut off.

c. Show gratitude

Expressing gratitude in your subject line can make your request more genuine and less transactional. Remember that you're requesting something from a customer who has already completed a purchase from your business.

d. Highlight promotions or incentives

If applicable, mention discounts, exclusive offers, or incentives to motivate recipients to leave a review. However, remember that you shouldn't use incentives to obtain positive reviews. To learn more about this, read Spotting Fake Google Reviews: A Guide to Identifying and Dealing with Fake Reviews.

e. Spark curiosity

When recipients are curious about the content of an email, they're more likely to open it to satisfy their curiosity and discover what lies within.

f. Cite data or statistics

Incorporating data or statistics in subject lines lends credibility and authority to your message. Numbers can provide specific insights or results, making recipients curious about the context and prompting them to open the email to learn more.

g. Appeal to their emotions

Subject lines that evoke emotions create a connection with recipients on a personal level. People are more inclined to engage with content that resonates with their feelings, whether excitement, empathy, joy or even concern.

f. Minimize the use of punctuation marks

Excessive punctuation marks or symbols might trigger spam filters or give the impression that your email is just clickbait. These negative impressions wouldn't just prevent you from receiving reviews but will also diminish your mailing list. Be mindful of words and phrases that may trigger spam filters, too.

g. Warm up your mailing list

Before sending review request emails, consider sending value-driven content to nurture your relationship with recipients, increasing the likelihood of positive responses.

example of a great value email from a hotel dining and destinations — Example of a great value email from a hotel. Source: Campaign Monitor

What is a good subject line for a review request?

While there are general approaches to writing compelling subject lines, writing industry and audience-specific ones will increase your open rates. Here are some industry-specific examples that can inspire you when writing your own subject lines:

Hospitality Services

"[First Name], share your experience and unlock exclusive rewards!"

This subject line offers personalization, a call to action, and the promise of exclusive rewards, creating a sense of anticipation and value for the recipient.

"[First Name], rate your experience and help us improve!"

It combines personalization and the invitation to help, showing that the customer's opinion matters and that they can contribute to the business's betterment.

"[First Name], special thanks from our CEO!"

Personalization, gratitude, and the involvement of the CEO make the subject line compelling and attention-grabbing.

Gathering reviews for your hotel? Read our complete article for more tips: Online Reputation Management for Hotels - All You Need to Know.

Restaurants

"[First Name], quick question about [Menu Item]."

This example allows you to gather reviews and social proof for a specific menu item to promote your best seller or upsell less purchased ones.

"Did you savor every bite? Share your thoughts to get 15% off!"

This subject line appeals to the recipient's emotions offers an incentive, and encourages sharing their experience.

"How can we improve our [Menu Items / Customer Service / Location]?"

It directly asks for the recipient's input, creating engagement and suggesting that their opinion matters.

Local Businesses

"[First Name], thanks for supporting our business. How can we improve?"

It combines gratitude with a call for input, making the recipient feel valued and their feedback important.

"[First Name], you're one of our top customers…"

This subject line makes the recipient feel special and highlights their significance to the business.

"[First Name], did we earn your trust?"

It poses a direct question, engaging the recipient's thoughts and possibly sparking curiosity about the content.

Looking for ways to boost your local business? Read our complete article: The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Local Business Listings.

Products

"Love our products? Enjoy 20% off on your next purchase."

This subject line uses the recipient's affection for the products as a hook and offers an immediate incentive for opening the email.

"73% of our customers think this about us. How about you?"

It employs social proof through statistics, prompting the recipient to consider their own opinion in comparison.

"[First Name], we need your help."

Personalization and the direct appeal for assistance make this subject line straightforward and compelling.

Monitor and respond to guest reviews easily with MARA

Responding to online reviews can be a daunting task, but it’s an essential part of your review collection strategy. Without it, your guests might feel unappreciated, which may discourage them from posting reviews in the future.

Fortunately, you can streamline your review management process with the AI Review Assistant, MARA. This intuitive tool is designed to ease your Online Reputation Management process, making it more efficient, personalized, and time-saving. It offers the best and most personalized AI for responding to and analyzing your guest reviews.

Streamlined Review Inbox

One of the key features of this tool is the Review Inbox. Your review inbox makes responding to reviews as simple as hitting "Generate reply" and clicking "Send". The Review Inbox connects to multiple review sources, including Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, giving you a panoramic view of all your reviews. And you can even configure review response automation: Why not allow MARA to automatically respond to simple reviews, like 5-star Google reviews with no text, ensuring you never miss a review? Daily notifications about new reviews keep you updated and in control.

MARA Review Inbox — Show your appreciation to your guests through a simple review response.

AI-powered Review Analytics

Review collection isn't just about boosting your rankings. In fact, the most part of gathering online reviews is to extract guest insights.

To help you understand and analyze the multitude of reviews, the Review Assistant also incorporates Review Analytics. This provides actionable, easy-to-understand insights that are tailored exclusively to your business. With MARA, you can quickly get the gist of all your reviews without needing to read each one. The analysis is so detailed that you can find out about specific issues like "water in the pool is too cold" or "lack of a vegan breakfast option”. These insights help optimize the guest experience without requiring you to be a data expert.

MARA Review Analytics — Extracting data from collected reviews.

Personalized responses for each review

MARA's AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about personalization too. The Brand Voice feature allows the AI to adapt to your tone, making sure your responses sound authentically you. Plus, with Smart Snippets, you can "teach" the AI how to respond to recurring praises or complaints. Your AI then incorporates this information into its responses, but always with different words, providing more personalized, relevant replies.

This review response assistant has quickly become a game-changer for over 2000 customers. Its promising capacity to elevate your overall rating, amplify response rates, glean insights from customer feedback, and economize both time and money, is the reason behind its growing popularity.

Final Thought

Crafting enticing subject lines is crucial for garnering reviews, but equally important is responding to them with care and authenticity. Embrace the synergy between these aspects to create a holistic strategy that boosts engagement, loyalty, and drives continuous improvement. With the right software like MARA, managing online reviews becomes streamlined, allowing for personalized responses and valuable insights. So why hesitate? Try MARA for free today and elevate your review management process in minutes.

This post is part of our hero content series on “Online Reputation Management for Hotels - All You Need to Know".

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Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you ask for a review in an email subject line?

When sending a review request email, it’s best not to directly ask for a review in the subject line. Use subtle terms like “Share us your thoughts,” “How was your experience,” or even pique their interest with an intriguing subject line like “Our team needs your help.”

What is the most effective email subject line?

Writing effective subject lines is not a one-size-fits-all task. However, some strategies may help you craft your high-converting subject lines, such as using personalization, keeping it short, minimizing punctuation marks, and warming up your email.

What should I put in the subject line of an email?

Convey a concise and intriguing message in your email subject line. It shouldn’t necessarily be a summary of the email but any message that may get your audience to open your email. However, remember not to use clickbait, excessive punctuation marks, and emojis, as they may trigger spam filters.

How do you ask for feedback and review?

To ask for feedback and reviews, craft a polite and specific message acknowledging the customer's experience with your product or service. Make it easy for them to provide feedback by including a direct link and expressing gratitude for their valuable input.

How do you write a catchy subject line?

Writing a catchy subject line involves using language that sparks curiosity, emotion, or interest. Keep it concise, use powerful words, and consider incorporating personalization, numbers, or intriguing questions to compel recipients to open your email.