In one word? VERY. It can determine whether your audience sees your message at all. In the days of overflowing inboxes, people are quick to delete something that looks either unimportant, uninteresting or spam-ish. Here’s an example of one that caught my eye:
You may have noticed that my personal email is bursting at the seems. But with over 5,000 AdAges, clothing sales and Twitter mentions, the one email I opened yesterday had the best title. And while sex will always sell, this wine shop got my attention and made me giggle.
Next time you’re emailing to your list, take an extra minute or two when writing the title of the email. It’s the first thing your audience will notice. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:
- If you can be witty, then be witty. If you can’t, then don’t. Always get another opinion (or two, or three) to make sure your wit transcends the internet.
- Avoid using all caps or exclamation points (unless you’re using them to be witty, like in my example above). People think that you’re SCREAMING at them when the caps lock is on, and studies show that exclamation points are associated with spam. Plus, email platforms are more likely to label your message as spam, or simply kick you right into the junk folder.
- Don’t mislead the reader. They’ll unsubscribe or simply delete you in the future if you continually don’t give them what your title promises.
Email open rates can vary industry to industry. If you’re not getting over 20% then you may want to tweak the formula a bit. The title is a good place to start. Remember, if they don’t open it, there’s no way they’re getting the message.
*Shameless plug: Counterintuity clients generally enjoy +30% open rates. We also maintain monthly reward emails for our clients that consistently have +58% open rates. Call us for more information at 818-848-1700.
