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If your name is in the subject line of an email, would you open it? These data will surprise you

by WarriorForum.com Administrator
14 replies
A new article on Martech.org reports that emails with personalized subject lines achieve considerably lower open rates, at only 18.79%, compared with more than 22% for than generic ones.



Email click through rates dropped significantly last year, while personalized content in the body of the email was seen to get better results than personalized subject lines, according to a study by marketing automation developer GetResponse.

Emails with personalized subject lines actually get lower open rates (18.79%) than those with generic ones (22.14%). This trend holds true for click through as well. The personalized subject line click through rate was 1.74% versus 2.74%. On the other hand, personalization in the body of the email got much better open and click through rates (23.4% and 3.18%) compared to generic text (20.59% and 2.4%).

Average click-through rates dropped from 3.43% in 2020 to 2.13% last year, while average open rates remained essentially unchanged (22.15% versus 22.02%). This last is especially interesting as it was expected Apple's opt-in policy would hurt opening rates. Overall the report found:
  • The average email open rate is 19.66%
  • The average email click-through rate is 2.02%
  • The average email click-to-open rate is 9.94%
  • The average email unsubscribe rate is 0.11%
  • The average email spam complaint rate is 0.01%
  • The average email bounce rate is 2.76%

The difference in open rates is really surprising here. Does anybody have any tips for killer email subject lines? What does and doesn't work for your campaigns?
#email #findings #line #open #subject #surprise
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  • Profile picture of the author John Jonas Phil VA
    I think this might have something to do with how we use (and abuse) email marketing tools like Mailchimp and aWeber.
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
    The Martech article is just quoting topline averages, with no mention of list sizes, hot or cold lists, age of lists, frequency of mailings etc.

    And the survey was carried out by one service provider, GetResponse, whose client base may not be representative of the larger email marketing industry. Even so, digging a little into the survey on the GR site, there's a marked difference, for example, between industries:

    "Out of all the industries we analyzed, Internet Marketing had the lowest average open rate of 17.62%. At the same time Restaurants & Food, the industry with the highest result, observed an average open rate of 32.04%".

    Ultimately, the only metrics that matter are your own. The relationship you have with your subscribers is unique to you, and your focus should be on a continued improvement of your own performance.

    Generic surveys are all very well, but they don't report on the most important metric affecting email marketing success: the name (and reputation) of the sender.
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    Name in subject line from complete strangers or from people I have some type of connection?


    Makes a huge difference: no, I will not open, for the first group, yes, I will open, for the second.
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  • Profile picture of the author EnterIn
    That's informative. I'm not surprised by the low open rates in the IM niche. A lot of useless stuff being sold there.

    Here's my discovery:

    The emails I open are the ones I know have something highly valuable inside (ideally from a person with credibility).

    So for me, if I somehow know that I'll get a gold bar every time I open your email, you can put my mother in law's name, my dogs name, my name... Doesn't matter.

    It's chiefly about how desirable what's inside that email is.

    There's a guy who sends me an email every once in a while. He sends irregularly and sometimes after a long time.

    Guess what?

    I ALWAYS open his emails. There's some highly valuable (to me) stuff in there.

    So ultimately, name's in the subject line and such tactics depend on the value of the message (and your knowledge of that value) for their effectiveness.
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  • Profile picture of the author Artkantos
    Using the name in the subject line is an old, overused marketing trick, at the end of the day the only thing that really matter is the relationship between the sender and the audience and if the subject line is relevant for that audience
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  • Profile picture of the author Suman Rawat
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      Do it? I must not be a reader, then, coz I think those are spam and do not open them.


      Originally Posted by Suman Rawat View Post

      Name in the subject line attract reader's and push to open it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Artkantos
      Originally Posted by Suman Rawat View Post

      Name in the subject line attract reader's and push to open it.
      It's a psychological thing, your name is the most relevant thing for you, therefore you tend to pay attention when you see it written...BUT after years of being overused, that doesn't work anymore, I personally have noticed it in my inbox and that's exactly what the study is showing.
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  • Profile picture of the author seomarketingspace
    Utilize the same guidelines as when you write a hook at the beginning of an article. You need to intrigue the reader and entice them to keep reading.
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  • Profile picture of the author spartan14
    Well i think its very important to use names in the subject lines as its a psichological fact that when you say the name of a person it feels better .Also i remember when i get emails with my name in the subject line i was very temped to open it
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  • Profile picture of the author Old Molases
    First Name in the email subject line tactic is dying out now, i think. You get tons of emails every other day landing in your inbox with information that is of little or no use to you.
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    • Profile picture of the author Roy234
      I agree. To achive great email open rate I sometimes also need to call the recipient. Personal ties are very important.
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  • Profile picture of the author Wealthkey
    No, I say no simply because it depends on how my name is written. My eyes can always tell if it's in a spam way or colleague email regarding something important. It is a good way to Market though I will have to say. Good way to catch peoples attention

    Originally Posted by Artkantos View Post

    It's a psychological thing, your name is the most relevant thing for you, therefore you tend to pay attention when you see it written...BUT after years of being overused, that doesn't work anymore, I personally have noticed it in my inbox and that's exactly what the study is showing.
    Yes I definitely agree with you and that comment! It only works until it doesn't
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    Turns out the deepest of throats ain't the suckiest of dicks.

    So mebbe sprinkle a little salt on stuffs.

    Or mayo, or whatevah else whetspsific appetites genrlly.

    How do I know this?

    Bcs mostly ima SWAMPED by Princess emails demandin' I eithah knight or kiss or sumone, mosta which get ansad by my lovin' underloongs sayin' I ain't obliged to kiss plus I can't knight bcs I only a Princess etc etc

    an' also, anywan uses muh actschwl forename name obvs a spammah bcs we had most evrywan shot prior to 2013 bcs sickyrtay.

    Hey, Jimminimminy O' Quimminimmitibly!

    Hey, for sures, I am so statistically stoopid!

    Uhm ... so what you want rn ...?
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  • Profile picture of the author Devilfish168
    I do noticed put that person name in the title tend to make the user open the mail but click on the links is another matter. Some open but never visit your link have to depend your swipes.
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