Best Practices in Strategic Email Marketing May, 2003

Technique
Subject lines that Get Through!
By Kim McDonald

Email subject lines have long borrowed from tried and true direct mail copy writing practices. But something new they must deal with are spam filters. These work in a variety of ways, but the basic ones look for the words most commonly used in spam messages such as FREE!, SPECIAL OFFER or INSTANT CASH and then automatically delete them.

Unfortunately, for every anti-spam measure, creative but ethically-challenged marketers find immediate workarounds. They're blocking 'viagra'? Not when you spell it 'v1agara', and so forth. This is why you see so many asterisks in today's subject lines, such as F*A*S*T*C*A*S*H.

If anything, spam filters enforce a healthy, creative discipline on copy writing. If you resort to the same tired clichés in your subject lines, chances are a growing percentage of your messages won't make it through. Here are some Inbox rules of thumb for keeping your subject lines fresh and vital:

  • Keep it clear, honest and straightforward.

  • Answer the question "What's in it for me?"

  • Drop a hint. It's OK to tease and intrigue.

  • Maximum length: 38 characters (5 or 6 words)

  • Don't trigger spam filters with obvious words like 'Great Offer!' or 'Free'.

  • Test and re-test. It's the only way to know for sure what works.
Inbox regularly tests email subject lines and often finds a 5%-10% incremental improvement on open rates ( i.e. increasing from 45% to 55%).

Kim McDonald is an Account Executive for Inbox Marketer, an email marketing and publishing company.




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