Awhile back, I wrote an article entitled “How to Increase Email Open Rates”. The second item it touched upon was related to subject lines and how a good subject line impacts your open rates.

While surfing the Net the other day, I came across a list a company had composed of the best and worst open rates, based solely on the subject line. While the highest rates were in the 60-87% range, the worst were an embarrassing 1-14%.

Their study proved me out. The highest open rates were for subject lines that didn’t leave much to the imagination. They oozed, “You’re about to get some good information” rather than “Have I got a deal for you!”.

Almost 100% of the high open rates included the company name in the subject line. Although not tested, I would think your name would work also IF you have branded yourself and your name would be recognizable to the majority of your readers. This may also pertain to the website or product name as part of the subject line.

A key ingredient to getting your email opened - and NOT having your reader unsubscribe - is to be honest with them. Do not use a subject line meant to get the click in a less-than-honest fashion. If you’re sending a newsletter, say so. Include the name of your ezine and the publication date or main subject.  If it’s a report series, include the name of the report and “Part 8″. If it’s promotional, you can say, “Before You Buy: My XYZ Review.” (Of course, make sure it IS your review and not a cut-and-paste job from the merchant!)

What are some of the best - and worst - subject lines you’ve seen? Share them here!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
Get Response

I recently read an article at Email Marketing Journal which provided some guidelines for selecting one, two or three columns for those companies using html emails to deliver their messages.

The three-column design was given thumbs down. The format is crowded and what works on a web page can become confusing when you don’t have all that real estate at your disposal.

My personal preference is based on the type of email sent. A one-subject email or ecourse works well with a one-column design. I think newsletters come across better with a two-column design: the columns don’t need to be even. This provides a more “newsy” look and allows for advertising without resorting to text wrap.

What’s your preference? If you have a great format you’d like to share, email us or post below.

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

ValueClick, Inc., an online advertiser, has agreed to settle FTC charges alleging deceptive claims and emails, as well as failure to secure consumers’ sensitive financial information.

ValueClick (through a subsidiary) used deceptive emails, pop-ups and banner ads to drive traffic to its site. Visitors were told they were eligible for big-ticket “free” gifts, such as laptops and iPods.

What they weren’t told is they had to go through a maze of forms and more forms and third-party offers galore, which they HAD to “participate in” in order ot get the supposedly free merchandise.

This was obviously in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act and the FTC Act. In addition to the financial settlement, ValueClick and Hi-Speed Media must clearly and conspicuously disclose that consumers have to spend money or incur obligations to quality for “free” merchandise.

Visit the FTC site to learn more about this settlement.

One question that comes up frequently is where to find content for your newsletter. Most people are not natural-born writers and coming up with content on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis becomes a torturous game of writers block.

If you write a blog or constantly add/update articles on your web site, why not send out a recap as your newsletter? This might include a brief synopsis of the posts you’ve made since the last email, with a link to click and read the entire article.

I subscribe to a number of RSS feeds and have my favorite blogs to visit, but let’s face it; most of us have a business to run and don’t have the luxury to surf the web all day. Getting daily RSS feeds or updates becomes more aggravating than intriguing to me.

Here are some pointers:

Unless you are an overactive writer, a bi-weekly or monthly newsletter is best. I actually take the time to read these newsletters because I’m not constantly inundated with emails from them.

All that’s needed is a sentence or two for each post/article you want to feature. Provide just enough to tease your reader into clicking and reading the full story.

Rather than clicking to an individual article, consider linking to the same recap on the first page of your newsletter. This provides additional exposure to your other content, as well as advertising, if you are monetizing your site.

Your newsletter now provides additional SEO bait for the spiders, so be sure to scatter around the right keywords.

Since it is possible that your subscribers also read your blog/web site regularly, always include something in the emailed version of your newsletter that is available ONLY for subscribers. After all, if they can read everything in your newsletter on your blog, they may not see the need to sign up for it.

The special addition could be a subscribers-only article, free resource, a podcast or video only for subscribers, or even a discount code if you are promoting one of your products or services. Just be sure it is exclusive and only available to your subscribers.

Don’t forget to ask for comments and feedback. This way you can refer to readers’ replies in your next newsletter edition…which gives you a chance to give it additional publicity!

Do you have a favorite newsletter tip you’d like to share? Post it below and maybe you’ll be featured in a future article here!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse