SUBJECT LINES DONE RIGHT (ENGELSTALIG)

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1 SUBJECT LINES DONE RIGHT (ENGELSTALIG) Pagina 1 van 6

2 An s subject line is like a first impression. It is one of the first things a recipiënt sees when they glance at their inbox and a determining factor in whether or not an gets opened. Subject lines are so imperative to the success of your campaigns that we recommend that 50 percent of the time spent developing an be directed towards crafting your subject line. Like all things with marketing, your subject line tactics need routine testing to achieve optimal results. Read on to hear how three of our clients increased open rates with simple subject line tests! Example 1. Council on State Taxation (COST) COST sends out a weekly Legislative Alert which includes information on the status of bills that affect different states. The subject line that was used each week was COST Legislative Alert: Issue 12-XX: State Tax and Revenue Outlook, representing the year and issue number of the alert. The subject line is over 50 characters, which is above the suggested length. A series of tests were done to determine if length or content had an effect on the open rate of the enewsletter. The first test was to reduce the length of the generic subject line to ensure the full content would appear in the preview screen when sent. Next, a comparison between the generic subject line and a topic-based subject line was performed. Overall, the shortened, generic subject line saw a lift of 26 percent over the longer version. When testing this against a topic-based subject line, the topic-based subject lines outperformed and saw a lift of 31 percent in the open rates. Challenge: Open rates were below 20 percent. Solution: Reduce subject line length and introduce a topic-based subject line. Results: A lift of over 26 percent in the open rate was achieved for both tests. 2

3 . Subject Lines Done Right Example 2. Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) MSV E-News is a weekly publication delivering essential news to members. The subject line that was being used was MSV update Together we can make a difference. Two tests were performed. First, a comparison of a topic-based subject line was used ( MSV update - Definition of surgery bill signed ). Second, within the topic-based subject line, MSV update was moved to the end ( Definition of surgery bill signed MSV update ). Including a topic in the subjectline and moving MSV update to the end resulted in a 19 percent lift in open rates and a 35 percent lift in click-thru rates. Challenge: Open rates were below the newsletter benchmark of 20 percent and click-thru rates were averaging 22 percent. Solution: Test a topic-based subject line and placement of the society s name in the subject line. Results: Open rates increased by 19 percent and click-thru rates increased by 35 percent. Example 3. Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Pi Phi Express is Pi Beta Phi s store that sends monthly sales s to collegiatemembers, parents of members and alumni. The same subject line was sed for each group, without personalization. Pi Beta Phi began testing targeted subjectlines for each individual group, personalizing subject lines based on their motives to purchase from Pi Beta Phi. For example, the subject line used for collegiatemembers was, Show Your Pi Beta Phi Spirit, as compared to Gift from the Heart with Pi Phi Express, which was sent to everyone. After segmenting their audience and utilizing targeted subject lines, Pi Phi Express saw a lift of 63 percent with open rates and a 73 percent lift in click-thru rates. 3

4 Challenge: Sales s averaged a 24 percent open rate and less than a 10 percent click-thru rate. Solution: Segment the audience and use targeted subject lines. Results: Open rates increased by 63 percent and click-thru rates by 73 percent. Top Tips for Subject Line Success The subject line is one of the most important factors in getting your pened, and open rates are the key metric that affects others like click-thru rates and conversion rates. Check out our top tips for creating more effective subject lines and try them out on your next Keep it short and sweet. Think about how you can convey the value of your message in the fewest words possible and make sure to make every word count. Not only are you most likely competing against other messages in a crowded inbox, but depending on a person's program they could only be seeing a small amount of subject line characters. There is a wide range of characters a person could be viewing, so test how your subject line reads with only a few characters displayed and also with its full display of characters. 2. Personalize it! Creating relevant content should not only be done for the body of your essage. The subject line is the first thing your readers see and is one of the main factors of whether or not they open it. Make sure the subject line relates to the reader and the body content. 4

5 3. Test, test and test again. Don t assume what you chose as a subject line is working. You need to continually test your subject lines. Split your group randomly and see if a new subject line works better than what you have been using. Try using hot topics to catch the reader s eyes. 4. Create urgency or ask a question. Urgency and asking questions are great ways to inspire someone to take action. Try creating a sense of urgency with subject lines such as Last Chance to Register, Don't Miss Out, or that list an exact deadline such as, Only 24 Hours Left! Also, try including questions will encourage someone to investigate further or to answer the question. Questions are a great tool to evoke a sense of curiosity in your recipients. 5. Use numbers. Including numbers is a great way to set expectations about that the content you are offering in your and also communicates that your offer is quantifiable, which often makes readers more likely to open or take action. Try subject lines such as 5 Tips for Success, or 2 Days Left to Register. Bron: Over Mister Mail BV Mister Mail is een internet marketing serviceprovider die sinds 1998 bedrijven en organisaties ondersteunt in het opzetten, uitvoeren en verbeteren van hun internet marketing acties, met name op het gebied van marketing, mobile marketing en de koppeling met social media. Dit doen we door de inzet van gebruiksvriendelijke applicaties en een groot scala aan ondersteunende diensten; door het leveren van professionele en pro actieve support aan onze klanten; korte communicatielijnen en heldere communicatie. 5

6 Meer informatie? Heeft u nog vragen of wilt u aanvullende informatie? Aarzel dan niet om contact met ons op te nemen. Mister Mail BV Geusseltweg 31/c 6225 XS Maastricht telefoon: info@mistermail.nl 6