An attention-getting subject line is critical.

Emails can generate immediate revenues, but they have to read your email before they are motivated to buy.

There are three ways to make sure your emails are opened and read.  Three of the most important lessons I have learned after 10 years of email marketing are -

1.) Place a text link early on in the text as well as at the end.

2.) When writing the text links, a descriptive link will usually out-perform a shorter, instructional link. In other words, “save 20% on our end-of-season sweaters” will likely do better than “buy now” or even “check out our low prices”.

3.) If you are selling more than one product in your email, you will probably get a higher click-through on the first product mentioned, and the lowest click-through on the last. (This is generally true, but definitely not true all of the time.)

Email is Your Friend

Email communication is a cost-effective way to re-engage someone. Email communication should be direct.

BMW Mini, for example, sends one with the subject line “Are we boring you?”

Useful Information

Useful information should be sent more often than emails attempting to sell something.  When consumers feel they will benefit by reading your messages, they will open and read your emails more often.

Irresistible Subject Lines

There are three different subject lines I received that could not be ignored.

One was product focused:  “Your Printer Has Enemies.”

How could I not open this one?  I needed to know what enemies my printer had.  Another email came from a company I was no longer buying from.  The subject line was compelling:

“We Want You Back”

That one was opened, along with the next email they sent about two weeks later:  “We Miss You!”

Three Tips for Creating Attention-Getting Subject Lines

1.)   Be Specific — A vague subject line is a waste of real estate. A great example of this that I see often is monthly newsletters with subject lines like, “The Green Thumb Newsletter: May 2010.”  This tells the receiver nothing about what they will find when they open the email and gives them very little reason to do so. A better approach for a newsletter like this is, “The Green Thumb: 3 Tips for Summer Gardening.”   Headline Creator Pro is an easy way to create attention-grabbing headlines and it is included in this special offer.

2.)    Write it Last — Many email marketing services prompt you to write your subject line first, as you are building your email. I encourage you to come back to it when you are done with your email content. It is important to determine all the elements of your email first and then look for the most compelling topic to highlight in the subject line. When you are finished composing the body of your email, read it over and pick the “nugget” that will entice your readers to learn more by opening.

3.)   Take Some Time — Don’t just dash off your subject lines. Considering how important they are, take some time to think about them and write several (3-4) before choosing which one to use. Once you have a few subject lines you like, run them by a friend or colleague and see which they think is most compelling.

If you are searching for ways to increase your email marketing success, take a look at this e-book by John Ritskowitz and  Score a six-figure income with these five specific emails.

About The Author

Ann Barr is a telesales marketing success coach with a passion for teaching. She loves helping people who are starting out in new telesales careers and working with experienced sales reps who are looking for new ideas and tips. In addition to presenting monthly e-classes, she writes and edits direct-mail marketing letters and emails for clients. Sign up today for Ann’s free Weekly Sales Tips and get marketing tips and ideas to increase your sales!

One night in February, Andy (co-founder of Southeastern Laser in Knoxville, TN) came up with the idea to create a Valentine’s Day Special offer for his customers – and to email the offer.  I won’t give away Andy’s secrets, but I was on his email list and when I saw the message was from Andy (a long-time subscriber) I was interested.  Then – when I read the subject line, I smiled.  That’s the thing about Andy’s emails:  They are fun and creative.  I read the entire email and was very impressed.  Turns out his customers were also impressed, and Andy has a pretty good-sized email list that he has been collecting over the years.

As a result of his email marketing campaign, Andy told me that calls came in immediately after the email were sent, and . . .

• “One customer ordered a full set of color toners, about $300 worth, and said the email reminded him to do it.”
  
• “We received a couple more direct orders after performing the service we had offered in the email.”

• “We took site surveys and added printers to customers’ online ordering pages.”

• “I am still working on the follow through with most of the 25 customers; reviewing accounts, histories.  Looking for opportunities.”

• “I learned that customers value a printer cleaning more than I previously thought.”

When I spoke with Andy yesterday, he told me he will be planning his email campaigns a year in advance (very smart) and he will be spacing his marketing emails about a month apart.

Andy’s advice:  “If you have an idea you think is good, go with it and start writing.  Don’t worry about how it looks or reads until you have finished writing.  Later, read and edit.”

Congratulations, Andy, on your email marketing success!

Do you have an email success story you would like to share?  Post your comment below.  I would love to hear from you!

If you are searching for ways to increase your email marketing success, take a look at this special offer:  How to Make Big Profits from a Small List.

About The Author

Ann Barr is a telesales marketing success coach with a passion for teaching. She loves helping people who are starting out in new telesales careers and working with experienced sales reps who are looking for new ideas and tips. In addition to presenting monthly e-classes, she writes and edits direct-mail marketing letters and emails for clients. Sign up today for Ann’s free Weekly Sales Tips and get marketing tips and ideas to increase your sales!