I recently received an email from a local bakery. The subject read “We Want to Give You a Free Cupcake.” I get a lot of email solicitations and newsletters and most go unread and deleted. But I saw the words “cupcake” and “free” and thought “Yeah! I want a free cupcake!” Upon opening and reading the email, I soon realized that I had to show up at an event with a coupon to get the cupcake. And suddenly it wasn’t so deliciously intriguing. But what’s important here is that I OPENED and READ the email. And that’s 90% of the battle.
It’s important to remember that the subject line of your email is critical to the success of your campaign. It can literally make or break your efforts. If it is to salesy or spammy, it will likely be deleted if it makes it through the recipient’s spam filter. It should grab the reader’s attention with something that’s relevant to them – a “hook” if you like buzzwords.
DO:
- Send the email from a real person at a real email address
- Include your company name at the start of the subject (this helps the recipient better recognize your email as legit)
- Include contact information in your email
- Use relevant, engaging keywords in the subject line – recipients will read emails they can relate to
- Check your newsletter stats over a period of time and track opens/clicks from campaign to campaign to see what works.
DON’T:
- Use all caps
- Use exclamation marks
- Use spammy words like “free” (yes, in my example the word free did spark my interest, but most spam filters will block emails that use words like “free”)
- Use symbols like $ (dollar sign) in the subject
I’m sad to say that I am a sucker for cupcakes and puppies. Think about what’s important to your customers or constituents and go with it. And don’t be afraid to change the message or tactic if its not working.
Cupcakes by Cookies to Cocktails
