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There Is a Critical Problem...

by tpw
19 replies
There Is a Critical Problem... With Your Headline Writing Skills....

If you have to resort to subject lines like this to get people to open your emails:
  • There Is a Critical Problem With Your Account...
  • Here Are Your Login Details...
  • Your Password Was Reset...
  • Your Payment Is Overdue...
  • Payment Information You Requested...
  • Notification of payment received

If you have to LIE TO ME to get me to open your emails, you are doing something terribly wrong!

If you are willing to LIE TO ME in your email subject line, why would I think that you will only tell me the truth in your emails? And, on your sales pages?

LOL

There are many things that you can do to get people to open your emails... But lying to your subscribers should not be one of them...
#critical #problem
  • Profile picture of the author lerxtjr
    haa, good topic. How about the 'ol "OOPS! Wrong Link Posted" trick?
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  • Profile picture of the author Lina T
    .. that is soooooo annoying ...

    And their unsub button links to a site that Chrome says is infected with Malware :\
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    • Profile picture of the author ForumGuru
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Lina T View Post

      .. that is soooooo annoying ...

      And their unsub button links to a site that Chrome says is infected with Malware :
      Yeah...it's forward to spamcop and delete for me. I don't know if it's spammers or marketers but I do see my share of this nonsense.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Bill,

    Are you seeing marketers sending emails with those headlines? The only headlines like that I've seem come from spammers, not legitimate marketers.

    I'm not on many lists anymore though, so I may be out of the loop, so to speak.
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    • Profile picture of the author tpw
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      Bill,

      Are you seeing marketers sending emails with those headlines? The only headlines like that I've seem come from spammers, not legitimate marketers.

      I'm not on many lists anymore though, so I may be out of the loop, so to speak.

      I get on a lot of lists, in case I miss something. It is easier to check my email box, than it is to dig through the various websites every day.

      And, five of the six headlines shown actually come from one guy, who seems to have a large following. He is kind of a big deal in some circles.
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      Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
      Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author Murakawa
    I know several marketers who use things like this... at least they call themselves marketers. If I open an e-mail with a subject line like those above I feel cheated - and it totally puts me off having anything to do with that company.

    A subject line should be truthful but engaging. I've found asking direct questions works well... i.e. "what could you do with a 20% increase in your marketing spend?" etc etc. But then back this up in the e-mail.
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  • Profile picture of the author Katie Rich
    I was about to make a paypal payment yesterday and up popped an email saying something like 'your paypal has been limited'. I was not amused to see it was from Warrior Plus, I wouldn't expect those sort of spammy titles from them.
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    **Money in your pocket?**
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    And their unsub button links to a site that Chrome says is infected with Malware :
    I had one a couple days ago that redirected four times and installed several adware programs in Chrome.

    It was a "fellow warriors" list.
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    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
    All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
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  • Profile picture of the author ecoverartist
    Sometimes I wish you could hit these guys back with their own junk messages. For every spam they send you, you could send them 100 back
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    • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
      Originally Posted by ecoverartist View Post

      Sometimes I wish you could hit these guys back with their own junk messages. For every spam they send you, you could send them 100 back
      They are probably already getting a bunch. :p
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      Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
      All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Silvey
      Originally Posted by ecoverartist View Post

      Sometimes I wish you could hit these guys back with their own junk messages. For every spam they send you, you could send them 100 back
      Well you could get even...


      If you get their real email address. Nearly every State in the U.S. have email laws excluding the canspam act. For instance, for soliciting mail be it subscribed or unsolicited mail depending on state, many require the use of the ADV tag in the subject line, The Title cannot be misleading to the subject of the message. Links in the message must not be deceptive. Here in Missouri I can get about 500 bucks an email if I file 2 forms, have the offenders email and actual address. You also need a tolerant Judge.

      If you win the judgement you can sell it to a bill collector for quick cash.
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  • Profile picture of the author coluden
    This is a very important subject. I've started to unsubscribe from any list where the list owner lies to me. It is just not good marketing to do this. Thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vincent Denali
    People that resort to these type tactics are only looking at short term gains and not long term. I wouldn't stay on their list very long.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
      You forgot the most annoying one "You've made a commission" with the first line in the email saying "this could be you, if you buy our rehashed get commissions product"

      People that resort to these type tactics are only looking at short term gains and not long term. I wouldn't stay on their list very long.
      The thing is, when you unsubscribe from one, you are subscribed to others without your permission. I've noticed when I unsubscribe some other clown sends me unsolicited emails, or enrolls me into seminars I've never signed up for.
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      But I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried. "

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  • Profile picture of the author JohnRyserson
    Banned
    I hate marketers that resort to downright deception to get open rates.

    There are so many other ethical and honest ways to incite curiosity besides lying.

    These types of subject lines equal an instant unsub from me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by tpw View Post

    If you have to LIE TO ME to get me to open your emails, you are doing something terribly wrong!
    Bill,

    Unfortunately, what some consider "lying" other marketers justify as smart marketing tactics. They believe the end (making money) justifies the means (whatever you have to do - including "stretching the truth.")

    I made a list long ago about the various ways marketers knowingly deceive their prospects to make the sale. As I recall, my list had about 30 tactics on it including "email subject lines that just weren't true."

    Also included were
    • false scarcity (only 3 copies of my digital product remain),
    • inflated product value ("my $32,599 dollars worth of real value today for only $7!)
    • how you have helped over 25,000 people create six-figure online businesses
    • limited time offers that are still there after the cut-off deadline
    • "never available again" products that are now magically for sale
    • affiliates claiming a product is "the best" when he's never tried it
    • doctored income screen shots
    • you advertise a guaranteed six figure income but your refund policy is limited to your crappy $7 product
    • your product income was $75,000 last month alone! Wow. Now was that income or did you mean gross sales? Do you know the difference?
    • there's nothing wrong with a picture of you sitting in a luxury sports car (you're test driving) with the backdrop of a stranger's mansion?
    . . . don't get me started again.

    Thanks for the post Bill.

    Steve
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    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
    SteveBrowneDirect

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  • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
    Yeah, I was on a ton of these types of lists, having initially signed up thinking I'd start a kind of swipe-file. In the end you might say it was more of a "wipe-file", because nothing you glean from these dunderheads is useful for anything more than wiping your arse on.

    Apparently, CAN-SPAM means nothing even to some old hands. I've reported emails like this before today, but now when I get them my instinct is merely to unsubscribe, as long as the email provider is one I know will honour the request. Otherwise the chances are good that it'll do nothing more than serve as a receipt notification. :rolleyes:
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