|
Archives eMarketing Tools Advertise Unsubscribe
Today's Article: The
Importance of a Good Email Subject Line
Today's Ask Dr. Ebiz:
Shopping Agents for the Holiday
Season
How to Avoid Email Filters
At least
18% of your email campaigns and newsletters are blocked or filtered
by mistake. Now you can fix the problem.
This practical new
handbook details the 10 specific tactics to improve your delivery
rate, including AOL delivery.
Get your copy now:
http://www.sherpastore.com/c/a.pl?1044&p.cfm/2094
The
Importance of a Good Email Subject Line
By Nancy Michaels
You
put a lot of work into crafting the perfect email, right? But how
much thought and creativity do you put into the subject line? Many
people treat this important part of the email as an afterthought
when, in fact, it is part of the first impression your readers will
receive - one that can get your email delivered and convince recipients
to open it and read further.
It's
helpful to think of the subject line of your email as the headline
of a news story. The headline draws the reader in, enticing her
to get the whole story. With an email subject line, however, you
only have three to five words to do this. Following are some tips
to help you reach out to readers with winning Subject lines.
Brand
It. According to the DoubleClick Study: When asked how they
define spam, 95.5% of respondents said, "emails from senders that
are unknown to me." So, make sure your email conveys who you are.
Do this by incorporating your brand into the Subject line, especially
if the 'from' field does not make this clear. And, be consistent
in your branding so that recipients become familiar with your
communications.
Keep
it Short. The typical email Subject line window has room for
between 30 and 40 characters including spaces. The recipient will
decide whether to open or delete your email in 3 seconds or less.
And if the Subject line is too long to fit in the window, the
recipient is likely to delete your email. Make up for your lack
of space with solid words that offer value.
Spell
Out the Benefits Not the Features. Let the reader know what's
in it for him, before he even opens the email. State a clear benefit;
let the recipient know how your offer or content will save him
money, time, or otherwise improve his life.
According
to the DoubleClick Study:
Of all types of subject lines, 59.5% of all respondents say
discount offers are the primary motivational factor for opening
emails, while 48.6% say they are motivated by compelling news
and information.
Never
Mislead. According to the DoubleClick Study: When asked how
they define spam, 95.5% of respondents said, "emails intended
to trick me into opening them." The use of misleading Subject
lines is also punishable by law in some states. So, be honest
and straightforward in your Subject line.
Overstating
your offer or benefit is also a bad idea. Spam-wary people are
sensitive to inflated claims and the possibility of scams. If
your Subject line sounds too good to be true, recipients won't
give a second thought to hitting the 'delete' button.
Make
it Urgent. If appropriate, give the recipient a reason to
open the email right away, such as a limited time offer.
Don't
Be on a First-Name Basis. At least not in the Subject line.
This is primarily because Subject line personalization is a tactic
that spammers have adopted, but secondarily because it is a waste
of valuable real estate. Better to personalize the body of the
email and leave the all-important Subject line to carefully chosen
words that will compel the recipient to open your message.
Easy
on the Punctuation. In many cases, you can eliminate punctuation
altogether. Subject lines don't even need to end in a period.
And by all means, stay away from exclamation points. These are
highly likely to get your email filtered. Unless your Subject
line is a question (and therefore needs a question mark), it's
best to stay away from punctuation.
DON'T
USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Subject lines rendered in all caps
are a one-way ticket to "filterville" or at least the bulk mail
folder. If your email does make it through, all caps have become
a signal to recipients that an email may be spam -- a rap that
will send yours straight to the recycle bin.
Proofread.
Check your Subject line for errors before you hit the 'send' button.
Run it through spell check, and have someone you trust give it
a read as well. Nothing can undermine someone's credibility like
incorrect grammar or misspelled words.
Nancy
Michaels, owner of Impression
Impact, provides a unique and off-the-wall perspective to
corporations, small businesses, and franchises interested in attracting
and retaining customers for life. Sign up for Nancy's e-zine,
Michaels on Marketing, by visiting www.impressionimpact.com
and look at some of her products in her online
catalog.
Return to Top of Newsletter
REF= 
"Dr
Ebiz"
"We
currently advertise on Google and Overture. We want to expand
our marketing and are interested in your recommendations for
several shopping malls. -- Harvey Grasty, Great Golf Memories
The
mall concept doesn't really translate well to the Web. Rather, consider
signing up for shopping comparison agents or bots that expose you
to millions of shoppers. Most of these charge on a Pay Per Click
basis. Be sure to get listed in Google's free Froogle (www.froogle.com). Others
to consider include Shopping.com (formerly DealTime,
www.shopping.com), mySimon
(www.mysimon.com), BizRate
(www.bizrate.com), PriceGrabber (www.pricegrabber.com),
and Yahoo! Shopping (http://shopping.yahoo.com).
But don't neglect eBay (www.ebay.com) and Amazon
zShops, Marketplace, and Auctions (http://zshops.amazon.com),
which provide huge audiences of willing buyers.
"Copyright 2003, Ralph F. Wilson
. All rights reserved. Used by permission."
Return to Top of Newsletter
Mailworkz
Home Archives Submit
Articles
| 
