A new low is reached in email subject lines

[Shannon Herod]

As I understand it, the people who got that email had already purchased the product in question. I agree with you on the matter of taste. However, as I've said previously, there is a large difference between a bad joke and a deliberate lie in an attempt to sell something.

Great point. I do however think you are missing the fact that the email was selling something.

There are many steps in the sales process and the email that was sent was one of those steps.

Even though your point is well taken, I believe you somehow missed the pitch in the email.

The email was not intended to sell that product, but it was intended to sell something.

It was a downright despicable (not tacky) move. Should he be forgiven? That is for each individual to decide.

Having recently lost my father to lung cancer and still currently dealing with hospitals because of my wife's seizure disorder makes me want to pick up my monitor and shove all 24 inches of it up his rear end.

I pray he never has to send that email subject line out again, but in my opinion this is worse than a simple mistake.


Shannon

[Alan Petersen]

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

Doug,Like I said: Bite me, fanboy.

I read it. I was sent multiple copies of said email by subscribers. The reason: I had written a newsletter issue on the subject of repetitive and deceptive subject lines in emails the day before. In that issue, I remarked that one problem was that the majority of these were sent, not by sleazeballs, but by legitimate and respected people, who provided good products. When I wrote that, I was not talking about personal friends, and I still gave them that much benefit of the doubt. And I didn't "name names."

If you think I should not extend the same courtesy to my friends as I do to strangers, that's a problem. But it's not my problem.

If you doubt my summary of the piece, see the link in my sig. (Nothing there for sale.) It's a blog post of that article.

As I understand it, the people who got that email had already purchased the product in question. I agree with you on the matter of taste. However, as I've said previously, there is a large difference between a bad joke and a deliberate lie in an attempt to sell something.


Paul

Paul, I read that when you emailed it a few days ago and enjoyed it a lot. This is off-topic (not sure if I should start a new topic) but I was wondering about your thoughts on "personalizing" emails to a list...the famous or infamous, Hi {!firstname_fix}.

I use it but I've never liked it because it's not one-on-on email and most folks (especially on an IM list) know that. I'm going to stop using it to see if it affects my opens/unsubs. I'm going to send the same email to two groups one with {!firstname_fix} and the other without and see how it shakes out. I noticed you don't use it but I was wondering what are your thoughts on {!firstname_fix}? Same deceptive tactic?

[Paul Myers]

Shannon

It was "selling" a contest. Yes, and I'm not going to try and tell anyone how they should feel about or act on that. Not my business. And, as I've said repeatedly, I still don't like the choice of subject lines. Not even a little bit.

The other half of the issue is the intent. As I said, I believe him when he says it was supposed to be a joke. It's in character with how he jokes with his friends, and that is something I have direct personal experience with.

What you choose to do with the info is a matter of personal choice, and not anything anyone can debate. It's your preference. I'm simply pointing out that it's not nearly as cut and dried as it first appeared.


Paul

[Pete223]

Hi Warriors,

I guess with so many of you unsubscribing, you didn't get the follow up
to that one... I hadn't opened the first one and opened the follow up first!
(for those wondering why I didn't un-subscribe before getting the 2nd email )

it went like this:

******************************************
subject: "ignore the last email (oops)"
******************************************
"This is just a quick note about that "hospital" email you
received late last night.

Boy am I embarrassed.

That email was *not* intended for you.

I know many of you were confused by it.

That email didn't make much sense, did it?

That's because the email was *only* intended for members
of my membership site xxxxxxxxx.

xxxxxxxxxx members know me very well and know that
(name on first email) and I often joke around, make personal
digs at each other, etc.

It's just good clean fun. Nothing more.

Anyway, that's what happened... I do apologize.

There was no clever marketing ulterior motive or subject
line trickery behind this I can assure you (even though some
of you might still be skeptical).
***********************************************

I guess more people then he bargained for un-subscribed!

Regards, Pete

[Anna Johnson]

I guess I am just feeling shattered this week (fires so close to home in so many ways) but that follow-up email seems so flippant to me.

It's just good clean fun. Nothing more.

Kerrie really said it for me:

While I'm willing to concede that the individual who sent this email may not be aware of any that, the fact is with every email we send we make a choice between being either the welcome visitor or the unwelcome intruder.

The real lesson for all of us is we never know what is actually happening in the lives of those on our lists. It's easy enough to upset a reader, without deliberately going out of our way to try to do it.

[HeySal]

I didn't get the email in subject. I did get one today from a list I am on for an important social concern - but it was addressed "Exclusive" to me and I am gone. I am wondering now whether the money people are sending for the cause gets spent on the cause at all.

I've been in here for around 5 years now and I've seen a lot of people rise to success - and have been very disappointed to see how the egos flame after a certain amount of positive achievement, and how values diminish. When they start getting big enough to forget that others deserve honesty and respect - or so self impressed that they think their name should be enough to carry them without value attached, then it's a good time for them to take a plunge.

I have unsubscribed from almost every list I was ever on after a period of time - and it was always the same thing.......as the name got more recognized, the value of the letter plummeted.

But that's what the forum is for - keeping us learning, keeping us honest, and keeping us aware of the need for being valuable no matter how many know us by name.

[primuskannan]

At least the marketer who is very successful and has good products is

gracious enough to send an apology to his lists unlike people who

deliberately treat their lists as dumbos with lines like "oops wrong link" or

better still " oops server down" with not even a hint of an apology and

wasting time needlessly with these juvenile marketing tactics.

Kulasekaran.

[Kim Standerline]

You know just sometimes those emails can be on the up and up.

I've done it myself, tested my link before sending out then the gremlins have hit. Shame to tar everyone with the same brush

Kim

Originally Posted by primuskannan

At least the marketer who is very successful and has good products is

gracious enough to send an apology to his lists unlike people who

deliberately treat their lists as dumbos with lines like "oops wrong link" or

better still " oops server down" with not even a hint of an apology and

wasting time needlessly with these juvenile marketing tactics.

Kulasekaran.

[primuskannan]

Dont get me wrong Kim. This of course does not apply to genuine mistakes but surely you have met these tactics before.

Kulasekaran.

[Kim Standerline]

Yes of course I have

I just wanted to make sure people knew there are some genuine plonkers out there lol

Originally Posted by primuskannan

Dont get me wrong Kim. This of course does not apply to genuine mistakes but surely you have met these tactics before.

Kulasekaran.

[Kalidasa]

I bet he never does that again. I unsubscribed too.

[Martin.Avis]

This is a fascinating thread.

I didn't get the original email, have no idea who sent it, can't be bothered to try to guess and don't really want to know. After all, I'm not on his list so it is none of my business.

What IS my business though is effective communication with my own list. And from that point of view the thread is a very useful education.

What I take from all this are the following points that I'll be sure to remember for the future:

1. Subject lines of emails are a very emotive subject.

2. Never forget that your sense of humor a) probably doesn't translate to the written word very well, b) is unlikely to be shared by your readers and c) can easily offend.

3. You are only as popular as the last acceptable message you sent out.

4. Readers are always looking for an excuse to unsubscribe - your job is to not give it to them today.

5. Acting in haste often generates unwanted knee-jerk responses.

6. If you screw up, admit it loudly, quickly and truly apologetically. Don't make excuses or you'll just add looking like a weasel to your offence.

7. The lines you should never cross have been drawn with good reason.

8. Do a ton of good things and nobody will comment. Do an ounce of bad and the sky will fall on you.

9. Never look, act, behave or appear to be desperate.

10. Don't tell lies - even in jest. It is the fastest way to lose friends, subscribers and customers.

11. Subject lines are over-rated. If you need tricks to get your emails opened, there is something wrong with your emails. A good ezines or newsletter is one that readers look forward to regardless of the subject line. Work on improving the quality of your output before you resort to tricks. Two recent newsletters that I received were opened and read within minutes of their arrival - not because of the subject lines, but because of who they came from and what I've come to expect from them. Their subject lines were: '[TalkBiz] Two things. Both quick' (in fact, everything after the closing square bracket was superfluous) and 'ClickBank Guide: Issue 91'. Paul and Harvey grab attention because of who they are and what they can offer - not with silly tricks.

Martin

[Michael Oksa]

There was something else fascinating about this thread.

While there was some heat directed at the hospital message (I had a few harsh words to share myself), none of this discussion devolved into a flame war.

Instead it has remained a strong and hearty debate. We have all seen good debates before, but if there was ever a topic that was primed to become an all out war, this would certainly qualify - BUT it never hapened.

Just wanted to say "Way to go!" Warriors. You are showing how it's done.

All the best,
Michael

[mobiusman]

I got this email also and thought I would open it to see which IM marketer was in the
hospital and to my discussed learned that it was just a scam to get you to open
the email.
I had another email similar to this one and I was totally discussed when I found out
it was a lie too.

David

[Michael Nguyen]

what about getting the same email twice because we didn't open the first one ?

[ExRat]

Hi Michael,

While there was some heat directed at the hospital message (I had a few harsh words to share myself), none of this discussion devolved into a flame war.

Instead it has remained a strong and hearty debate. We have all seen good debates before, but if there was ever a topic that was primed to become an all out war, this would certainly qualify - BUT it never hapened.

The war-makers are resting (and not 'arguing in their spare time').

Right, Paul?

[jgoffshore]

I'm with you here. It really is getting out of hand.

Originally Posted by Anna Johnson

Just got an email from a fairly well-known Internet marketer. The subject line read:

("Name" is the name of another Internet marketer)

Concerned about the Internet marketer being in hospital, I opened up the email. It said:



Disgusting abuse of subscribers' trust, and truly surprising to see from a so-called accomplished Internet marketer.

Although I subscribe to a lot of lists to keep track of what various Internet marketers are up to, I immediately unsubscribed. Both in protest and because, frankly, this person seems to know surprisingly little about effective subject lines.

[Kamran]

he must have noticed the mass unsubscribe happening, so he decided to send the follow up email.

[Paul Myers]

Alan,

I noticed you don't use it but I was wondering what are your thoughts on {!firstname_fix}? Same deceptive tactic?

I don't use that on my newsletters, but that's just a preference. I start out most issues with "Hi, folks..." The little bit of formatting I use is intended to convey "publication," not "mail to a friend." I try to make the message "personal" in tone, but not look like it's one to one.

There's also the fact that, when I got started, the software that was available for managing lists didn't allow for collecting names. Just email addresses. A lot of those people are still getting the thing.

I don't see it as deceptive, personally. It's used to get attention, sure, but it's not asserting or implying anything untrue about the nature of the message.


Michael,

While there was some heat directed at the hospital message (I had a few harsh words to share myself), none of this discussion devolved into a flame war.

That's an interesting side effect of leaving names out. While it's not the whole reason this one didn't get nasty, it's a big chunk of it.


Roger,

The war-makers are resting (and not 'arguing in their spare time').

Could be. Or they've rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisibule...


Kamran,

he must have noticed the mass unsubscribe happening, so he decided to send the follow up email.

The impression I get is that he didn't realize he'd sent it to the wrong list until someone pointed him to this thread, which made him look into it.


Paul

[Matt Maiden]

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

There's also the fact that, when I got started, the software that was available for managing lists...

I remember getting letters delivered by hand from an old Amish couple in a buggy.

[ManBearPig]

Had that same email. Have unsubscribed too. And have now started the task of unsubscribing from most others, as I'm starting to recieve loads more emails than I used to get from some. Originally I was promised no more than one email a week, then it goes to two, and eventually I'm getting three emails a day from one particular person. I wish the info was good, but its just promotions for things I've already had my little helpers check out and dismiss! Don't mind a promotion, but it has to be good at least.

[Paul Myers]

Matt,

I remember getting hand delivered letters from an old Amish couple in a buggy.

That was probably Ralph's first newsletter. "Wagon Marketing Today." I think Terry delivered the first issues of Web Gold along with the pizzas.


Paul

[Matt Maiden]

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

I think Terry delivered the first issues of Web Gold along with the pizzas.

Frank Garon was his driver.

[ExRat]

Hi Paul,

The war-makers are resting [snip] Right, Paul?

I should have explained - this thread gives me a 'strange feeling of deja-vu' - back to when I first joined the forum. (Epic PF row).

[Matt Maiden]

Originally Posted by ExRat

'strange feeling of deja-vu'

It's deja-vudoo all over again

[greenandchic]

Originally Posted by ArthurRose

I hate those email spams. I made a special spam email box for them, and subscribed to every newsletter. I like everyone is trying to catch my attention with headlines like:
"I failed..."
"NBC wanted to stop me from telling you about this..."
"Nearly all gone... trust me there nearly all gone"
" The Google Shadow knows this secret $104,545mo system... do you?"
Sorry, this just sounds lame and try-hard. It doesn't work, at least for me. Wow, all GONE! So what? I really am not interested that you failed or are trying to catch my attention with NBC, OMG! Srsly, this is lame don't do it.
If I subscribe to your newsletter, I want the information I subscribed for. I don't want hype and "catching" headlines. Just send me your site updates or whatever.

I unsubscribed from several lists I was on that contained those subject lines.

[Paul Myers]

Man with crazy username,

I'm starting to recieve loads more emails than I used to get from some.

That's part of the problem.

I've talked to some friends who've remarked that they're sending more mail than they'd like, because they owe someone a plug in return for help with a launch or other promotion. That stuff just keeps escalating, especially as the circle of people involved grows.

Then you get the other guys looking at what the big names are doing, and thinking they should do the same. They don't know why it's happening, but they're sure it must be some clever marketing strategy.

The resulting flood makes it harder and harder to get noticed, so people resort to more extreme tactics. That creates skepticism or market numbness, which makes it even more difficult. Eventually, those names will become invisible to a lot of people, and you wouldn't notice a REAL personal email from them if it dropped onto your lap, carved in stone tablets.


Paul

[Paul Myers]

Roger,

I should have explained - this thread gives me a 'strange feeling of deja-vu' - back to when I first joined the forum. (Epic PF row).

[ahem]

tap tap tap

Hrrm.

[cough]

Lot of weather we're having these days, eh?

[AdamHolland]

wow, that's just horrible.

what about:

[name] loses his balls in a ski accident?

or

[name] caught smoking pot with michael phelps?

or

[name] takes a dump on the White House lawn... Obama cleans up...


...

would those go over better? ;-)

[sylviad]

The pitches have gotten so bad that I don't even look to see who is sending... I just highlight 30 messages at a time and zap them. A lot of them are from upstanding marketers with good reputations, but when they're all pitching the same thing and providing next to nothing in of value, I lose faith in them. I would unsubscribe because I'm sick of the promos, but I'm still hoping they will send me something worthwhile.

And that doesn't even include those with misleading headlines.

Almost as bad are subject lines that start, "I wanted you to see this..."
!zap!

Who cares what you want? Not me.

But as others have said, deceptive subject lines are unappreciated and unnecessary... those that say, "your check is waiting," or "notification of payment" or "your affiliate commissions" and yes, I've seen that "(so-and-so) is in hospital/died" and "devastating news" and "I need your help".

I'm busy.

It's getting increasingly more difficult to tell the scams from marketers' email. Why are marketers copying the felons, I'd like to know?

Sylvia

[Harvey Segal]

Would this be an acceptable headline ?

Dr Mani is in the hospital

Harvey

[Paul Myers]

Harvey,

Would this be an acceptable headline ?

Have I told you today that you're a smartass?

Depends on what's in the email, I should think.


Paul

[IMChick]

A smarta** maybe, but factually correct. But is he exploiting the facts for his own benefit? Or is it a solicitation for donations to the hospital? Hmmm.

Well then, that opens it up to a whole 'nuther bunch of stuff.

[brandonhess]

That is stupid. Make some one worry, just to get an email opened.

Sure a lot of people opened it, but then thye were mad. Now they are not going to take them serious. I am sure it hurt more than it helped. Why would you brand yourself in such a manner.

[AnthonyDevine]

Its just a marketing tatic, I wouldnt take offense to it

[IowaGal]

Thanks for posting this Anna - I've not been around for a couple of days but I did get the SAME EXACT email and I too was pretty ticked that this *marketer* would use this lame bait-and-switch technique.

I haven't read all the responses yet so I don't know if anyone has *outed* the marketer.

None the less, glad you spoke up and was as appalled as I was. I too unsubscribed.

- Kristine

[IMChick]

You know, something just dawned on me with the 'apology' email sent out to try to smooth things over and explain that the original email wasn't intended for the inboxes that got it--

That apology has not reached it's intended market because the unsubs are gone.

So what was the point of sending the followup? It could have actually done a bit more harm than good by calling attention to a major lapse in judgment, not once but twice.

Wondering if he went into his unsubs file in aweber and manually did a cut an paste for personal apology emails to all the unsubs?

yikes. what a mess.

[jrailsback]

That's pretty pitiful, honestly.

[Andy1750]

The "apology" that I got (as referenced above) contained an excuse. An apology with an excuse is not an apology.

I am disgusted.

Andy

[ecdavis]

I received this same email from_____. I was furious. The marketer is very well known, and also, in my opinion, known for writing viral "manifestos" intended to create hysteria over the impending "death" of some IM feature. I thought that announcing that so and so is in the hospital was a truly cheap tactic. Viral, in fact, using the other meaning of the word. I immediately unsubscribed from his list.

Evan

[piper97]

I don't get fired up when I get an email with a subject line that is in bad taste because I know that there are always people out there that will do it and it is pretty much impossible to stop. I simply put in down as an occupational hazard when subscribing to a lot of email lists. I just unsubscribe from the crap and stay with the professional and well meaning folks. No need to raise my blood pressure on something beyond my control (except for unsubscribing).

[Suthan M]

Originally Posted by Harvey.Segal

Would this be an acceptable headline ?





Harvey

Technically, he is in the "operation theatre"

So even better
"Dr Mani In The Operation Theatre"

That will leave many folks worry..

Suthan

p/s- wonder what dr mani thinks about this discussion going on about him :-)

[Paul Myers]

The "apology" that I got (as referenced above) contained an excuse. An apology with an excuse is not an apology.

Really? By whose decree?

That aside, there is a distinction between excuse and explanation. It might be useful to you to look up both words and note the differences.


Paul

[tommygadget]

Originally Posted by Anna Johnson

Just got an email from a fairly well-known Internet marketer. The subject line read:

("Name" is the name of another Internet marketer)

Concerned about the Internet marketer being in hospital, I opened up the email. It said:



Disgusting abuse of subscribers' trust, and truly surprising to see from a so-called accomplished Internet marketer.

Although I subscribe to a lot of lists to keep track of what various Internet marketers are up to, I immediately unsubscribed. Both in protest and because, frankly, this person seems to know surprisingly little about effective subject lines.

I hope you sent them a note that you hope they'll soon be in the hospital for the beating you'd like to give them.

TomG.

[Bruce NewMedia]

I got it....and unsubscribed. I'm afraid to me it smacks of someone not doing much business and grasping for anything at all to drum up some business.
_____
Bruce

[uclaboyz]

I just can't imagine how many subscribers he has lost due this this one email.

[framos]

Hi this is my first post. I must say amazing what I have learned from just reading this post.

P.S. By the way I think that was cruel also.

[Magic Johnson]

Why would somebody trust a marketer and spend money on a product after abusing their trust, with a highly disgusting and irrelevant headline.

[James Schramko]

Originally Posted by Magic Johnson

Why would somebody trust a marketer and spend money on a product after abusing their trust, with a highly disgusting and irrelevant headline.

Why would a nation still admire a president who lied about sex?

[Magic Johnson]

Originally Posted by davebo

I had been a customer of that guys various products and generally thought of him as a nice guy. Yesterday I had just gotten so fed up with all these crappy emails I got, that was the last straw. When I saw that incredibly lame and decieving subject line, I immediately unsubscribed.

I'm not a subscriber of his right now. And I don't remember when I unsubscribed, judging from the first letter from the OP.

A marketer can't boil their eggs like this.

And expect everyone to find the joke in such an serious event.