[Email Marketing] "Re: Email Headline Goes Here". Does this really work?

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Hi guys,

I have received over the years many emails
(and from different markets and marketers)
where email headline is created like this:

=============================
"Re: Email Headline Goes Here"
=============================

I know that's not a REAL email reply. In many
cases that's just a bait to get more attention
to the email I receive and/or to get it open!

Now regardless of what others may feel about
using such practice (I've personally never used it!),
I would like to know if anyone here in the forum can
inform me about any estimated increases in response
based on:

a) Your personal experience in using such tactic;

b) Or based on numbers you know from other
marketers that have reported to you.

I mean has anyone ever split-tested just
sending a REAL email headline versus the same
headline that just starts with the words "Re: (...)"?

=============================================
NOTE: This question is for mere research purposes!
I'll admit am pretty skeptical about using this and any similar
baits, since they do not help "per se" to develop and nurture
long time relationships. These messages not only lack in
authenticity as they focus on short term attention and
not long term attention! With that said I am still curious
to know some real tested numbers!
================================================

Would love to know the numbers out of pure curiosity.

Does "crime" pay? And by how much?

(Yes, I am being funny with the topic)

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

[Steven Wagenheim]

Anything that anybody tells you here, unless they are going to share their
personal statistics, is just guess work. Personally, I don't use it.

My suggestion is to test it out and see how it works for you because every
niche is different and every list is different.

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Thanks for your post Steven.

Yes, the idea of this post was:

a) For anyone who is open to "share their personal statistics"
(as you've said well) to share them;

b) Or report stats from people who they already trust
(like business partners for example).

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

[Kevin Williams]

I delete these without reading them, but I don't have any stats to show. I don't like cheap tricks - if you want to sell me something just tell me what it can do for me in the headline.

I got a couple of these 'Re: Whatever' emails today - no idea what they said though since I immediately deleted them.

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Originally Posted by Kevin Williams

I delete these without reading them

Funny... The same happens with me in about 80%
of the cases.

...

With that said, I was mostly interested in the stats.

Anyone got any stats?

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

[andrew_writes]

I used to read the RE emails just in case it was something I missed but since I'm not on an large amount of lists anymore, It's easier for me to see they are fake.

In your post title, you also had square brackets [] , these i still read because a lot of times they are paid emails, meaning from a membership program or such.

I expect people to start using that as well to trick others into opening their emails.

[Online Business Mentor]

I haven't personally used it myself but can understand its power to get more opens...

However what I HAVE done is used it on occasions when my broadcast has an error or I have forgotten to include some important info for my subscribers...

eg If i linked to a youtube video of mine I may have hyperlinked it wrong..so just resend the email and include 'RE'

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Originally Posted by andrew_writes

In your post title, you also had square brackets [] , these i still read because a lot of times they are paid emails, meaning from a membership program or such.

I expect people to start using that as well to trick others into opening their emails.

I've made a post a few months ago about using short headlines
inside an headline to help the content relevancy and conversions
in landing pages:

[Conversions] This Micro Attention Concept Increases PPC Conversions By 8%-12% (See How)

Both posts were created using brackets... and I admit I am also
using them in emails in different niches (instead of using first name
to get attention) ... and now in blog posts like I did today.

With that said... what I've learned today after reading your post
is that many people will perceive the brackets as being a "trick"...
and I don't want to go against people.

So, while I find that they can help people sometimes in filtering
the information they are viewing (since that really makes the
"Mini-Headline" concept that I speak in the article above stick)
... then I will probably remove these brackets in future posts
and just use: TOPIC: Forum post headline

Thanks for your feedback Andrew,

Regards,

Frederico



posted an short I've been using these in emails,

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Andrew,

Just a quick post to let you know that even
Michel Fortin uses the brackets trick for email
marketing and for users who are members of
his blog... and who receive email updates like:

"[MichelFortin.com] Blog Headline Goes Here!"

I noticed that again today and I think he uses
the content inside to simply reinforce the established
BOND/RELATIONSHIP. So mini headlines can be used in
many different ways to better filter email info.

Again, just a side note... and now I would love
to get back to the main topic about the stats.
Has anyone got any stats who wants to share?

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

[Christophe Young]

No, I've never tried the Re: trick. Not my thing and I always delete any emails with that subject line. Scammers are using this trick a lot now.

[mr2monster]

My hunch is that people in the IM crowd are the only people that have a serious problem with it. It's probably not as effective to them.

Keep in mind that RE: stands for EITHER REply or REgarding...


I use it in the "regarding" sense all the time. Even in common writing, text messaging, emails, etc.


It's not uncommon for me to send a text that says something to the effect of "Oh and re: your party tomorrow, I'll be there."

So, I see no problem sending an email that says "RE: your online subscription" or whatever. I use it in my niche businesses when I actually send out emails. And for the most part, it increases my open rates although it hasn't done much for my clicks really.

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Originally Posted by mr2monster

My hunch is that people in the IM crowd are the only people that have a serious problem with it. It's probably not as effective to them.

I agree with you. That's also my hunch!

But since I've never tested, then I don't have
any validated opinion via split-testing.

Originally Posted by mr2monster

Keep in mind that RE: stands for EITHER REply or REgarding...

I use it in the "regarding" sense all the time. Even in common writing, text messaging, emails, etc.

Good point here. Yes, in the context of "regarding"
it can seem to be more acceptable such use.

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

[ChrisDouthit]

I would never use a fake RE:. I actually tried this several years ago too as I was curious why so many spam emails have it, I thought does it actually work?

Well responses were way down when I added a fake RE to the email. And why not, I know I just delete those. I know the subjects on the email I sent and if I didn’t send one with that subject I know it’s a fake RE and if that’s the case it’s a easy decision to just delete. Why would I want to read the email of someone who is trying to trick me… I wouldn’t.

[FredericoVilaVerde]

Originally Posted by ChrisDouthit

Why would I want to read the email of someone who is trying to trick me… I wouldn’t.

Chris,

That's exactly how I feel about it!

In fact, I've made this post after receiving
1-2 emails using that trick... and they were
emails from people whom I have some degree
of respect. So my immediate thinking was:

a) Either everyone is feeling "deceived" (like me and you)!
b) Or no one really cares about this trick... and it works!

With that said, I would like to get an idea about
what other people think (those who have tested)
before I can make a complete judgement about it!

I do understand that this market is more sensible
to using these tricks. In other niches the answers
might differ. In other words, markets and context
might matter here!

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde