Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Subject Line

This is probably one of the most important parts of your execution plan.



This little short header determines whether or not the recipient will open your mail and reply to your interest.

After you have mapped out your strategy and go to market plan, you started building your lead list the next step is actually establishing a connection with your potential customers or partners.

But how do you communicate with them through using only one line? How do you make that line appealing enough for them to actually open and read your email?

First of all start off by knowing who you are sending the mail to. If there are several target groups, separate them and have a subject for each.

Ask yourself: "What problem am I solving for them?" . Put yourself in their shoes. You must know your product and customers for this part. What is the biggest pain they have and how can you solve it?

Brainstorm- start writing different subjects and pass them through the office / colleagues. Receive feedback and go on with the one that is most compelling.

Send your email to part of the list. See how many opened your mail and how many erased it. Start gathering analytics. If everything is going well keep going in this direction. If you're not satisfied with results, try to change your strategy and message.

Remember, if you have requested an action, ask for it. If you are sending out an invitation, tell the reader to approve. If you're sending out a promotion, put the dates in the header.

Communicate your added value- tell them why they should be reading your mail.

 Other methods that will help you increase reader rates are:

  • Be specific and clear. No gray areas, explain who you are and what you do.
  • Avoid sounding spamy or salesy. 
  • Tell your readers why they should read your email.

What other methods do you think are good to increase reading rates?

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