Amazing subject line that will simply force you to open your email and not get angry when you do!

[George Wright]

Hey everybody,

We've had a ton of threads about the subject lines that make us angry. I hate it when they say..... This subject line really gets me angry..... I remove myself from all lists when the subject line says.... How dare you to start your subject with RE:

OK, I get it.

So what is an acceptable subject line. What doesn't make you mad. What will you open every time without blowing a gasket. Tell me, Tell me.

Thanks,

George Wright, P.S. Whatever you say here stays here because if it gets out everyone will be using it by midnight tonight. Shhhhhhhh!

[CDarklock]

How about... the actual subject of the email?

Like let's say you have a new system you're promoting that helps you get more targeted traffic. You could send email with a subject that says:

"Check out my new targeted traffic system!"

Or maybe you have a free report on how to get cheaper PPC ads. You could send email with a subject that says:

"Free tips to stretch your PPC ad budget!"

Or then again, maybe you're just ranting about how much you hate Google sidewiki. You might have a subject like:

"Man, do I hate Google sidewiki!"

Now, will this guarantee that I open your email? Nope! But when I do, it DOES guarantee that I won't be mad... because your subject SAID you were going to talk about traffic, or PPC, or sidewiki. If I opened the email, I must have wanted to know what you had to say! And if I didn't, why did I open it?

[George Wright]

So CDarklock,

You are saying we should be honest. I like it. Thanks. What a concept.

George Wright

Originally Posted by CDarklock

How about... the actual subject of the email?

Like let's say you have a new system you're promoting that helps you get more targeted traffic. You could send email with a subject that says:

"Check out my new targeted traffic system!"

Or maybe you have a free report on how to get cheaper PPC ads. You could send email with a subject that says:

"Free tips to stretch your PPC ad budget!"

Or then again, maybe you're just ranting about how much you hate Google sidewiki. You might have a subject like:

"Man, do I hate Google sidewiki!"

Now, will this guarantee that I open your email? Nope! But when I do, it DOES guarantee that I won't be mad... because your subject SAID you were going to talk about traffic, or PPC, or sidewiki. If I opened the email, I must have wanted to know what you had to say! And if I didn't, why did I open it?

[ildarius]

Stupidest are subjects like "this is probably the most important email blah blah", that definetly pisses me off because you know it's the most important email to them in terms of sales, not to me in terms of information!

[AndrewCavanagh]

Here's the dirty secret most copywriters WILL tell you if you ask:

Writing great subject lines for emails requires WORK (sorry to use a 4 letter word).

You need to get to know the subscribers who'll be reading the email and the kinds of things that appeal to them.

You need to research the product or whatever the email is promoting so you know the benefits of that product etc to your subscribers.

And you need to use specific words, numbers etc and a very short statement in your subject that appeals to your prospect and leads them into reading your email.

Unfortunately there is no single subject line that will do that. Every list has different people on it...most emails are promoting different products, free gifts, etc etc.

To hit a home run with email marketing takes a combination of plain old fashioned hard groundwork and testing.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

[BIG Mike]

Maybe I've just grown blind to subject lines or maybe it's a habit from my corporate days, but the only thing that gets me to open an email immediately is the name of the sender.

If I got 3 commercial emails, one from John Reese, one from George Wright and one from CDarkLock, I'd look at what the latter two subject lines were and be more apt to open them first. Not knocking Reese at all - but I have more interaction with you two than I do him, so I'm more interested in what you two have to say.

Everything else is opened in the order received - with a lot of commercial email just being deleted unless the first sentence or two really grabs my attention. So Reese's email would get opened at some point too, but just not immediately.

I don’t have any idea how many people tend to open all email they receive (except for the obvious spam), but I also wonder if that doesn’t skew open rates when testing subject lines. My point here is that the subject line wasn’t directly attributed as the reason for opening it.

That said, our best open rates tend to be when we put Incansoft or BIG Mike in the subject line and/or followed by subject lines that are humorous, but related to the body of the email, which goes to show that what we think as consumers is not always the same as what actual testing proves.

[ezine ads]

Originally Posted by George Wright

What will you open every time without blowing a gasket. Tell me, Tell me.

I don't know if I can help you ... let's see ...

1) I don't read commercial emails called these days newsletters. "Subscribe to my mailing list (?!) and you'll get free this ecourse, ebook, report, whatever." Or even worse ... "insert here your name and primary email address to get free this ecourse" (nothing about a newsletter that will follow AFTER that ecourse) In this second case, assuming that I know that you're going to subscribe me to your "newsletter" is WRONG. After getting the course I will unsubscribe irrespective of your newsletter's subject lines. I don't plan to learn anything from amateurs (or cheaters).

First conclusion: don't assume anything on my behalf and tell me the truth. It doesn't cost you too much Otherwise, you'll waste your time writing great subject lines

I used to subscribe to such "newsletters" because I wanted to know the market. I unsubscribed, but not because of a subject line. Because there was nothing to be read. Actually it was something ... "My good friend John Doe (or John the Guru, as appropriate) has just launched the best, the amazing, the terrific, the awesome, the great NOTHING and you won't be able to live without. Buy it now using my aff link for a miserable price of x and you'll get bonuses of 100x. So what are you waiting for? Get this nothing and gimme your money"

***

2) I do subscribe to newsletters. Newsletters that contain info on topics I'm interested in. I open them ... irrespective of the subject line - many times I don't even read the whole subject line (I don't read what comes after the newsletter's name).

From my perspective this is the magic formula: I have to be aware what I subscribe to (what I'm going to receive from you), then ... brand outside - good content inside

Adrian

P.S. For avoidance of doubt, "you" and/or "your newsletter" above don't have to be understood by anyone as "George" and/or "George's newsletter"

[Rupps]

For me the subject line needs to be what the email is really about. I get hundreds if not thousands of emails a day and I need the subject line to get to the point.

Rarely will I open a "teaser" subject line email, but I did the other day and it really pissed me off. The subject line was something like "creator of __ kills himself". I thought before opening that it was just a teaser line, but curiosity got me and I opened it. So that marketer using that subject line succeeded in me opening it, So what? I immediately unsubscribed from his list.

If you are promoting an offer the subject line should be: best bonus for (name of product), my bonus for..., why I like..., etc.

[Ken Leatherman]

Try telling the truth. Man that rings my bell in a very good way. (Of course it dosen't take much to ring my bell). As Big Mike and others stated I do open the ones that I know and have a proven track record to me.

One that works for me is, By Invitation Only To ... but I do add at the back of it "and a hilarious joke", "good joke", "a laugh for you", "Monday morning joke" etc. Then I put the joke at the bottom of my e-Mail. That way most folks at least skim the body of the e-Mail before reading the joke. (my opinion only)

I have no stats to tell you how many are opened but I can tell you I have sign ups to my memberships and cash in my PayPal account. Best stats in the world as far as I'm concerned.

Ken Leatherman
The Old Geezer

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Like Big Mike, I get hundreds and hundreds of e-mails every day. I ignore the subject line and scan the senders names for e-mails I'm interested in opening.

[Bev Clement]

When a person is themselves in the subject line. Today I received a number of emails all with the same subject line, and I knew they would be promoting something. They got deleted without being opened.

However, when the email is from a list which always gives good content, then I will open those immediately.

I often don't read the subject line, just who the sender is. I would rather open an email from someone I know and trust, than open it because of a specific subject line.

But, as others have said, keep it honest.

Don't tell me here is your download link, but then find I have to sign up using their affiliate link, and buy the product before getting the link. Deceptive doesn't work

[Roy Carter]

Originally Posted by Bev Clement

However, when the email is from a list which always gives good content, then I will open those immediately.

Therein lies the key I reckon

[Michael Mayo]

Same thing here.

I look at whom the email is from and then if it is some one I am interested
in knowing what they have to say, I open it.

Heck, one email I open every time it arrives is from Frederick's of Hollywood
and I didn't even sign up for it! Believe my wife signed up for it with my
email account. It puts a smile on my face every time I open one!
I love my wife!

Have a Great Day!
Michael

edited-
PS. I just received a Frederick's email and tomorrow is my Birthday so I think
I'll print this one out and give it to the wife. Happy Birthday to me!

Originally Posted by BIG Mike

Maybe I've just grown blind to subject lines or maybe it's a habit from my corporate days, but the only thing that gets me to open an email immediately is the name of the sender.

If I got 3 commercial emails, one from John Reese, one from George Wright and one from CDarkLock, I'd look at what the latter two subject lines were and be more apt to open them first. Not knocking Reese at all - but I have more interaction with you two than I do him, so I'm more interested in what you two have to say.

Everything else is opened in the order received - with a lot of commercial email just being deleted unless the first sentence or two really grabs my attention. So Reese's email would get opened at some point too, but just not immediately.

I don’t have any idea how many people tend to open all email they receive (except for the obvious spam), but I also wonder if that doesn’t skew open rates when testing subject lines. My point here is that the subject line wasn’t directly attributed as the reason for opening it.

That said, our best open rates tend to be when we put Incansoft or BIG Mike in the subject line and/or followed by subject lines that are humorous, but related to the body of the email, which goes to show that what we think as consumers is not always the same as what actual testing proves.

[Joseph Then]

I actually respond to email subject like:
"Guess where am I now?"
"Greetings from [country]"

[Colin Theriot]

Originally Posted by AndrewCavanagh

Here's the dirty secret most copywriters WILL tell you if you ask:

Writing great subject lines for emails requires WORK (sorry to use a 4 letter word).

You need to get to know the subscribers who'll be reading the email and the kinds of things that appeal to them.

You need to research the product or whatever the email is promoting so you know the benefits of that product etc to your subscribers.

And you need to use specific words, numbers etc and a very short statement in your subject that appeals to your prospect and leads them into reading your email.

Unfortunately there is no single subject line that will do that. Every list has different people on it...most emails are promoting different products, free gifts, etc etc.

To hit a home run with email marketing takes a combination of plain old fashioned hard groundwork and testing.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

This is the truest thing here so far.

The keyto getting attention in any case is to create an anomaly in the "pattern" that exists where you're trying to stand out from. To do this with an email subject line, you CAN'T guess, and you CAN'T even just look at the competition. You have to know what your prospect's inbox ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE so you can make your subject lines arresting.

Remember, we can't choose what we pay attention to, and our brains are just little pattern recognition machines. To get attention, you need to break the pattern. But to break the pattern, you need to KNOW the pattern.

But opening the emails is just the first step. Once you've gotten the open, you need to reward the hell out of it to condition your readers that there's VALUE inside. Because eventually, even if you're GOOD at it, your subs will start ignoring those subject lines all over again.

But if you're providing good CONTENT, they'll keep opening the emails anyways. They'll even save them for later. Yes, I've been told people have kept my MARKETING EMAILS to READ LATER.

A brief PS - I recently unsubscribed from someones list whose subject was something like "So and So Kill Self - shocking news". Of course the email was about how So and So's server melted during his launch and he was practically "killing himself" to make good on his sales.

Helpful hint: Suicide is not a "clever" or "funny" way to get an open, guy. You know how Collier said you want to enter into the conversation your prospect is having in their heads already? Care to guess what kind of conversation you're starting there if your reader is someone whose family has had a suicide?

Remember - there are real people on the other side of these screens.

[Jason Moffatt]

Free Beer!

[Colin Theriot]

Originally Posted by Jason Moffatt

Free Beer!

Ah, an old classic. The problem is delivery. If you don't live up to that promise, you're going to cheese a lot of people off.

[JR Rich]

The only point of a subject line is to get the d**m email opened!

These days, people receive so many emails from so many sources, you're in serious competition just to stand out from the sea of other emails vying for your attention.

The subject line is one of two 'markers' available to get that attention. The other is the sender himself. If the sender has viable 'creds' with you, chances are you'll probably open it.

Subject lines are very much like a sales letter headline - it's got to grab the reader in that critical first half-second or you're going to lose them. That's why subject lines - like headlines - are constantly tested by the professional marketers to see what works and what doesn't.

One way to test your subject line is to sub-divide your list into two segments. Send one version of the message with subject line #1 to half your list and version #2 to the other half. Whichever one wins is now the 'control'. Repeat with a new subject line against the control.

Eventually, you'll have a stable of effective subject lines that can be used for a variety of promotions.

Like Andrew Cavanaugh says above, it takes work to make this happen.

Regards,
--JR Rich

[Jason Moffatt]

Originally Posted by Colin Theriot

Ah, an old classic. The problem is delivery. If you don't live up to that promise, you're going to cheese a lot of people off.

Yeah, luckily I'm not a Master-Bait & Switcher.

I'll actually buy the rounds!

[Jason Moffatt]

Originally Posted by jrrich814

The only point of a subject line is to get the d**m email opened!

I gotta disagree with that.

I could write... firstname, your mom was the best I ever had.

While a ton of people may open it, I'll probably make little $$$ and risk a few black eyes.

If all we were doing was trying to get people to open the mail, you'd see a lot more creative subject lines.

Personally, I'm going for the most "income", not the most opened emails.

I agree that the first thing you need to do is get them to open the email, but that is not the "only" point of a subject line. The subject line needs to be congruent to the email and the call to action of that email.

[Christophe Young]

Subject lines like "You've won the lottery" and "Claim your $500 gift card" really get my attention!

Nope, actually I remember when I first received an email like the ones above and I thought they were real. I got all excited and thought I won money. Of course, we're all onto that little game now but I'll bet they still work on some people, which is why I still see them in my inbox.

I stick to "How to..." subject lines when sending to my list. I prefer those and they work well.

I automatically delete all the "Re:" emails in my inbox. They are always spam if not from a friend.

[actionplanbiz]

Ill open...

webinar
(solo ad)
Breaking news
New FTC Stuff
Important
Heres Proof

[JohnMcCabe]

My wife's hobby is entering online contests and drawings. If she really likes the prize, she enters one of my email addresses.

Seems Hooters had a good contest or something awhile back, because I've been getting, and opening, their emails ever since.

Boy, did I hit the jackpot 29 years ago...

Originally Posted by Michael Mayo

Same thing here.

I look at whom the email is from and then if it is some one I am interested
in knowing what they have to say, I open it.

Heck, one email I open every time it arrives is from Frederick's of Hollywood
and I didn't even sign up for it! Believe my wife signed up for it with my
email account. It puts a smile on my face every time I open one!
I love my wife!

Have a Great Day!
Michael

edited-
PS. I just received a Frederick's email and tomorrow is my Birthday so I think
I'll print this one out and give it to the wife. Happy Birthday to me!