My subject lines are just for show.
Let’s talk about email marketing: When you get it right, it beats Social Media (paid/organic). But most companies don’t get it right. (How many emails from companies do you read each week?)
I spend a lot of time on my subject lines. A lot. I pay a writer to help me brainstorm. But they don’t actually matter. It’s just a point of pride for me.
This goes against what most email marketing experts teach but these experts can’t beat the numbers. Irrespective of which carefully thought out subject line I choose, my open rates almost never leave this narrow range of 38-40%.
My subject lines don’t matter because I have a relationship with my readers. About 40% of you know that my content is worth a two-minute read each week. And I take that obligation seriously. Thousands of startup founders and marketers trust me for honest and actionable insights - a signal amid the noise, as Shane Parrish says.
Do you have a database of prospects?
Do you have a "CRM strategy?"
Or do you have a relationship?
If you have a relationship, you have permission to sell to your readers - people want to buy stuff, they just don’t want to get screwed. Don’t outsource your CRM strategy to an agency or freelancer who knows nothing about your customers. Instead, imagine you were writing to your friends, giving them advice. Be honest, clear, and genuinely helpful!
I said my open rates almost never change. But they’re actually higher when I send commercial emails (selling stuff) rather than informational ones, even though I almost never do. (That surprised me!)
If you’re reading this, you’re part of the 40% - I’m thrilled you find this stuff helpful. Thrilled.
Have a great week.
M@