It can often be difficult to stand out in an endless list of unopened inbox emails. An online marketing company recently sent an email with the following subject line: "Snacks, Lemonade, and Peas: Event Tips, and Beyond." Why is this particular subject line so attractive?
First of all, who doesn't love snacks and lemonade? And, while not everyone loves peas, they can certainly appreciate their nutritional value. Second of all, the email was sent at 12:19 PM, just around the time when our stomachs start grumbling and we're ready for lunch. The company applied two clever tactics, they used the right verbiage and they did it at the perfect time. They spoke to our subconscious appetites and yelled who wants snacks, lemonade, and peas?!
What can we take from this encounter with Snacks, Lemonade, and Peas in the inbox?
1. First impressions still count! In a fast paced environment of reality tv, tabloids, and twitter, we have become accustomed to being entertained, excited, and drawn in with a hook. Although we may not always have something exciting to offer, we can still offer it in an interesting way. Use attractive verbiage, find clever ways of phrasing a subject line, and be unique!
2. Keep it above the fold. As often as we hear the phrase "you can't judge a book by its cover" the truth is, we all do, whether or not we are aware of the fact. Within seconds of seeing a subject line, title, or opening sentence of a blog post or email we decide whether or not to continue reading. So, make your first few lines count. Deliver your call to action, purpose, or message above the fold (upper half of the page). Don't make readers dig for the goods because 9 times out of 10, they won't.
3. Ask yourself, would I read this? We rely on first impressions to help us quickly determine whether or not we will find something useful and interesting much in the same way we watch a movie because of its preview or buy a magazine for its cover. There is limited time and space to draw in customers. Put yourself in the shoes of your readers and ask yourself, would I find this enticing?
4. Timing is everything. When sending an email, timing can have a huge impact on open and click rates. Perform a split test or examine the reporting on your last few sends to determine the times when your emails have the highest open and click rates. Like the marketing website did with snacks, lemonade, and peas at lunchtime, coordinate subject lines and timing to optimize open rates even further.
We can spend hours creating interesting content and incredible offers but if our readers never get past the subject line, our efforts become futile. In an age where everything is animated from billboards to buttons, we have to compete to captivate our audience from the start. The first few seconds of introduction determine whether our users will remain engaged or make a dash for the delete button.
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Savannah Stewart is the Partner Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse and blogs here about all things related to marketing and B2B communication. Connect with her on Twitter at @savannahstewart.
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