What are your top 5 email headlines? Here's mine

Yes I believe they are very important for purposes of getting your email opened.

That's why the rates vary. If the only thing that mattered was who it was from then I would imagine the open rates would all be the same.

They aren't the only thing that matter of course but they do undoubtedly matter.

run a test. try to keep everything the same. send time, sender name, etc.

Only change the headline.

Then see if headlines make a difference, when everything else is constant.

Not arguing send time. Obviously that is important.

Matter fact not really arguing anything, just really wanted people to share their best headlines.

That's what I'm talkin bout.

I agree, they know you, my AR opens are much higher. I was really referring to broadcasts. Yes you are right your relationship plays an important role for you

Well I love many of my own folks such as this one - It's Time You Stopped Digging In The Dirt For Diamonds, Ricky Allen Is About To Show You A Much Better Way To Make Money......

A really good opening headline only needs to include the subjects name to massively increase the chance of the subject clicking on the content if it's known and you're selling a high value service or item.

For instance; if I was to email "Steve the copywriter"

My subject line would be the beginning of the content and therefore create compliance momentum to open - the brain dislikes unfinished tasks.

So I would use the subject line:

"Hi Steve, I was thinking about what you said about..."

This works for the following reasons:

1) Compliance momentum.
2) Steve's unconscious spam filter is bypassed as it's conversational and includes his name and not mass marketing.
3) Steve is curious to what he said that made me interested.
4) He wants to be consistent with his past sayings so needs to know what they are to be consistent with them.
5) He detects he's created some powerful interest and wants to know what it it is so he can use it again.

Afterwards you can mention something on their website or perhaps an article they wrote in a trade journal etc then unleash your copy on the new prospect.

Yes I also disagree with the name thing any person remotely savvy knows the sender has no idea who they are.

Ah my mistake Don. I come across this method a couple of years ago from a former associate of mine who worked for a recruitment agency specialising in headhunting senior execs in the banking and investment industry.

We were talking about email recruitment and getting your foot in the door and she mentioned the method as having worked very well for them. By all accounts from 59 mail shots across the UK 58 of these were opened (The 59th was apparently in prison at the time) resulting in 8 new employees for their customer which was an exceptional result.

I suppose the method could in theory be utilized by the OP if they have software to filter name based addresses and target these only but the content would have to be pretty impressive to not make the prospect feel tricked once they had opened it.

Perhaps a very exclusive offer available to a very select few in the targets niche and the recipient received it in error and now wants to be "in on the deal"? Not sure of the ethics on this one though...

Lol, I came back hoping to see some cool headlines oh well. Look what it boils down to is intent.

If I got your lead from tradeshow, or worked for a professional agency hiring professionals. Then yeah maybe I might use the name because I would hopefully talk to these people one day.

In fact there is nothing wrong with using a name for marketing emails as well, but it's just not necessary.

I know ebay doesn't know me personally and it doesn't do anything to me when I see them use my name (not sure if they actually use names, just an example)

I do have 7 years of professional recruiting experience for the Air Force. I recruited young adults for 4 years and recruited Doctors for 3 years.

The first Doctor I recruited was the result of a letter I mailed him with sales copy I created that no other recruiter was using (they were all using standard Air Force brochures). This was before I was involved in IM.

My personal online intentions are different, my goal is to get my emails opened, links clicked, and products sold.

If I were to get into a different lane of IM then I may use the more personal (possibly respectable) approach.

Until then I just wanted to see some good headlines. Geesh:p

I've actually thought of using that many times before, not sure why I never have. I mean when I send an email to a buddy it's normally a one word heading like that.

Thanks.

Oh my...that's so funny!

That's a neat trick, but I admit it will work, at least the owner will try to see what they purchased (unknowingly-they think ).
The rest is how your contents perform.