Truth #1 is that repetition kills readership. If subscribers think they know what you’re going to say, they won’t open your email.
You can avoid that by using various different angles and appeals in your subject lines. Highlighting relevant benefits is great, but it can get repetitive.
I know this is an uncomfortable truth for some. We want to keep things positive. To educate and empower.
But there are some legitimately worrisome realities out there. You know it and so does your reader. It’s a good idea to talk about those things.
Now, I’m not telling you to try scaring your readers pants off.
I’m encouraging you to tap into the fear and/or anxiety your subscriber is likely already feeling.
Here’s an example of creating a little fear without paralyzing the reader:
Firstly, there are few things that get our attention like fear. The human brain dedicates a significant portion of its energy to keeping us safe.
Our senses are fine-tuned to detect and respond to danger.
Secondly, humans hate losing… anything. Behaviorial studies show we’re twice as likely to take action to prevent a loss than to secure an equivalent gain (when the stakes are high enough).
That means fear gives you leverage when it comes to moving people to make a decision.
Don’t leave the reader in a state of fear, though.
Use fear to win attention and focus his mind, then shift into the solution he can take to minimize or eliminate the issue.
In my last post, I dissected a subject line similar to what lot of financial service professionals might send out if they wanted to try something “edgy.”
We discussed why that subject line may not accomplish what the sender hoped to do and explored some ways to make it stronger. You can read that post here.
Let’s expand on that idea a little more today.
I won’t take up too much of your time, but this information deserves to live in your head for a while. Let it marinate.
Truth #1: Repetition kills readership.
Variety is the spice of life. Including the inbox.
Here’s a screenshot of emails a really smart financial professional sent out recently.
This isn’t meant to embarrass or shame the man. He’s doing a lot of things right. But he’s fallen into the trap a lot of us are ensnared by when it comes to email marketing.
(He’s an accountant, but the lessons apply to financial professionals of all stripes.)
These subject lines call out the reader (I’ve blurred a few key words to further protect anonymity)… promise relevant benefits… and include “power words” like maximize and wealth.
So what’s the problem?
They all look and sound the same. A subscriber swiping through his inbox — which is what they’re all doing — may not be able to tell the difference between them.
He may think he’s seen today’s emails before. As recently as yesterday.
Also, highlighting benefits is important. But listing benefits nonstop starts to feel like either salesy or scholastic.
And what tells the reader that the email contains something he can’t find with a quick Google search or a scan of Yahoo Finance headlines?
You need to mix things up!
Tell intriguing stories.
Address pressing, pertinent problems you know your ideal client’s thinking about.
Give unique or contrarian perspectives on trending topics and news stories.
Share your personal/organizational philosophies so your reader can connect with your values and worldview.
This is especially important when you email as often as you should (weekly at minimum).
I said I wouldn’t take too much of your time, so let’s stop here for today.
Is this a good a subject line for a financial professional or educator?
Why or why not?
I’d say in most cases, it’s NOT a good one, and not because of what your compliance officer might say.
Here’s why.
Listen, I adore my wife. Marrying her was the smartest — and luckiest — thing I’ve ever done.
But when I read that subject line, my instant reaction is “OF COURSE she could.”
No one gets your blood pumping more (in good ways and bad) than the person you love most. So this idea isn’t as shocking as it seems at first glance.
The curiosity factor is weak, too.
A little specificity about how or why s/he’s going to make your heart explode could have gone a long way. For example:
Your spouse’s money habits may cause a heart attack
When you spouse buys THESE, heart attack risk goes up
Those aren’t better, even though they’re too long. But they’re still not great.
What would make it a great subject line? Maybe something like this:
3 money habits that can (literally) kill you
“The heart attack was your wife’s fault”
Money move deadlier than clogged arteries?
It’s aggressive, but the subject line would be even stronger if you implied you could be the one giving your spouse a heart attack…
That said, there are 2 things that I like about the original subject line…
1) If you’re sending the email to an audience that’s nervous about their heart health, they’re more likely to open and read because they want to know about anything that can stop them from having any issues.
2) It’s likely different than any other subject lines you’ve been sending. Predictability is not your friend in the inbox, so there’s good chance a subject line like this will spark some renewed attention from your subscribers.
We’ll going to talk more about email subject lines for financial service pros, educators and coaches in the next few posts.
If you’re even a little nervous that your subscribers yawn when they get your messages, you’re going to like what we’re talking about today.
If you’re confident your emails are interesting and you’d like to crank up your must-read rating to an even higher level, this will be good for you, too.
I’m going to show you one of the best emails I’ve ever written.
It’s from a few years back, but you can’t help but learn something from this beauty.
And if you’re writing financial copy, there’s no reason you couldn’t use something like this right now.
Here we go.
(Eeesh! I just spotted a typo. Hilarious.)
Quickly, there are 3 main ideas you can take from this:
1. This email is essentially one big pile of PROOF.
Four high-caliber economic experts are all saying the same thing at the same time.
A large percentage of emails make claims and just expect readers to believe them.
Another sizeable percentage of emails make claims and explain them… but don’t offer actual proof.
Now, proof doesn’t automatically make copy interesting.
But overwhelming proof creates a forceful argument that’s hard to ignore (even if it’s unpleasant).
2. There’s a hint of conspiracy at play.
If all the former Fed chairs are talking about recession, why is the current chairman sweeping it under the rug?
And why is no one else talking about this? And why isn’t the current Fed chair Bazooka Jay Powell addressing it?
When your emails evoke meaningful questions in your reader’s mind, you give him reason to keep reading, clicking, and even buying.
And when you regularly create that experience for readers, they give you endless opportunities to sell them.
By the way, it’s worth pointing out that ANYONE could have written this email. The quotes are in the public record. Zero claims are made about the company sending the email.
So when people ask, “how do I sell my services when I don’t have much or any experience.” This is a decent place you can start.
3. It oozes urgency.
The danger this email talks about is just around the corner. You can’t really afford to think about this later. It demands immediate action.
Investors don’t want to get crushed, so they’ll pay attention and consider taking the action recommended.
Your emails are most effective when you address an urgent opportunity or danger. If your reader can push off a decision until later, he will.
You can’t always control that. Still, I encourage you to make every effort to add urgency to the ideas you share in your emails.
During my guest appearance on The Financial Rebel Show, this email came up:
Of course…
No one knows how brilliant and urgent your copy is until they open the email.
In my book Subject Line Science, I share 11 “made you look” secrets and dozens of examples to help you entice more subscribers to open you emails – and open in the right frame of mind to take action.
Worth checking out if you’d like to write hard-to-ignore emails.
(The “made you look” secrets also work for social media, video hooks and other places you need to grab attention.)
You never hear people talking about this, but it’s an important concept to wrap our minds around if you want to maximize your email marketing revenue.
Here it is: when discussing subject lines, most people only talk about getting opens. But subject lines have don’t just have one job.
In fact, subject lines have 3 jobs.
But before the recipient can open an email, it has to get noticed. To catch the scanning eye mid-scroll. That’s Job #1.
Job #2 is to entice opens. A subscriber will only open an email if he believes he’ll be rewarded for doing so. So a subject line must communicate that there’s value inside (and value comes in countless forms).
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone teaching about Job #3, which is this:
A good subject line should appeal to people in the right mental and emotional state to open, read with enthusiasm and take action – or put readers in that state.
In other words, the subject line FRAMES everything else that follows.
If you’ve been testing different kinds of subject lines and paying attention to the metrics, you may have noticed that the subject line with the higher open rate sometimes has a lower clickthrough rate.
Why?
Because different subject lines may attract different people, and people in different moods at the time. And they can affect your mood when you see them and decide to check out the email.
The unique combinations of curiosity, desire and emotion in the subject line can have a big impact on clickthrough rate.
Here’s where it gets wonky.
You’d think that the clickers (a majority of them, at least) would all be in pretty much the same mental space.
They’ve read the same body copy inside the email and based their decision to click on that.
Meaning the conversion rate on the page linked to should be relatively consistent between both subject lines.
But when you track the metrics, you see that’s often not the case.
I’ve seen the click-to-conversion rate (i.e. the percentage of people who buy divided by the total number of people who clicked the link in the email) on an order form differ by as much as 200% between test versions.
This is real data from a recent A/B split test:
Same send time. Same email body copy. Same sales page. Same order form. The only difference was the subject line.
The A version has a specific, big promise in the subject line – and it highlights a specific opportunity the subscriber believes could be very profitable. Those who open are curious about specific stocks.
The answer is not in the body copy or on the sales page. You’d have to buy the product to find out.
The B version is ambiguous. There’s a fast-approaching deadline… but that’s all we know from the subject line. Those who open want to know what they’re about to miss out on.
Again, the email body copy and sales page are identical for both emails. Both highlight the specific opportunity and the urgent deadline.
But the more urgent ambiguous subject line made twice as much money with fewer opens and a whole lot fewer clicks.
The tricky part is that you don’t always know which factor will prevail.
What does this mean in practical terms?
First, simply knowing that subject lines impact the deeper metrics, all the way through conversion on an order form, will help you get more value from your testing.
Second, think about what mental and emotional state is optimal for converting your readers.
Then test! Pay attention to what your list responds to. Not just what emails they open… but what kind of appeals lead to conversions.
You’ll get to know your subscribers in a more profound way than you may have thought possible.
Everyone knows subject lines are important. In my experience, most people don’t realize just how important they are or WHY.
Having read this far, you know something a most marketers don’t fully appreciate.
And there’s so much more to discover!
In Subject Line Science, I share many of my deepest insights I’ve learned about enticing people to open, read and buy from marketing emails.
You’ll also get dozens of templates, “made you look” power words and more.
Subject Line Science: 11 “Made You Look” Secretes to Get Emails Opened and Read.
Seems like everyone’s been asking for this.
It’s a quick read, but it dives deep into my process for creating impossible-to-ignore subject lines.
When you devour the lessons in this book, you (or your marketing team) will have the tools to write must-open subject lines that win attention, make subscribers excited to read and open the door for big sales.
You’ll also get some of the AI prompts I’m playing around with to give you even more fresh subject line options.
One of the 11 “made you look” secrets revealed in the book is what I call the “Tootsie Roll center of persuasion.” Here’s an example:
You’ll get a whole lot more insight about this in the book.
Subject Line Science will be officially released on November 17.
But when you preorder the book now for just $9.99, you’ll also get access to 3 exclusive bonuses for free:
The audiobook (also on November 17)
104 Steal these Subject Lines templates
Big Ideas for Unforgettable Emails video training
If you take action, this information can transform your email marketing results AND your business as a whole.
It’s also going to make some people a pile of money.
You get to decide which group you’re in.
(Hypothetically, you can be in both groups. Be angry and sin not.)
I’m going to share one surprising statistic (which you may have heard by now)…
One high-impact implication of that statistic…
And two action steps to leverage the current state of things into that pile of money I mentioned a second ago.
Here’s the startling statistic:
TikTok is now the #1 website on the planet in terms of traffic.
Maybe you aren’t surprised. I was straight-up flabbergasted.
But I shouldn’t have been.
Because, this lines up precisely with one of the lessons I’m constantly promoting:
Entertainment (which is so much more than just humor) is increasingly essential if you want to get and keep people’s attention.
And you can’t get anyone’s money legally without getting and keeping their attention.
Next point.
Google has FELT unbeatable as the world’s top website. People need to know stuff or find stuff, and Big G dominates as a provider of answers and information.
I’m no TikTok expert, but it doesn’t seem particularly search-based (that’s standard for social media).
The platform intentionally and aggressively serves you novel content… and although your interactions inform what the algorithm delivers…
The masses – probably including your should-be buyers – are making time in their schedules for this content… at the same time as complaining there aren’t enough hours in the day.
Think about it.
That doesn’t mean you need to start a TikTok account. That’s up to you to decide.
If you go that route, just watch the ROI on the time you spend there and make the right decision for you.
(Entertainment/enjoyment IS value, so you gotta factor that in, too.)
Here Are Your Action Steps
1. Your potential clients crave entertainment. And they’re going to get it somewhere. Might as well get it from YOU.
Again, that doesn’t just mean humor. It definitely doesn’t mean you have to dance on camera.
Don’t expect people to pay attention to you for long when there are more entertaining options out there. You can be more qualified, more intelligent, more honest… and still lose.
2. Millions of people open TikTok every day… to see videos from people they don’t even follow. The algorithm FORCES videos on users.
So when people say they only want one email a week from you…
Don’t just believe them.
Most of your readers will likely consume your content (email or otherwise) every single day… as long as you’re sending them stuff crave as much as their next TikTok binge.
Shoot, you could even send them an email linking to your latest Tiktok video.
It’s not time to be shy.
It’s time to step up to the plate and consistently deliver valuable marketing and content in packaging your people will devour.
A smart entrepreneur asked me a question you might be wondering about right now:
“What are some subject lines to use for my Black Friday emails?”
I had some ideas and examples to share. I thought I’d share them with you.
(What can I say? I’m thoughtful like that.)
Depending on your offer, here are a few ways you can approach your Black Friday subject lines (that’s plural because I hope you’re sending multiple emails):
1) Only 3 hours left for [offer]
Lead with strong urgency. A screaming deadline is a great motivator.
I usually prefer more intrigue in a subject line, but for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, people are actively looking to spend money. So I have no reservations.
Don’t offer a discount on a product/service — offer a discount on that transformation.
The distinction is huge, even for e-commerce store owners.
Example:
Oh So Silky Smooth Hair: 40% Off thru Friday
“Goat Herder to Royalty” Blueprint: special discount
#1 Secret for Meeting Good, Good Clean Girls (and save 50%)
3) Lead with guarantee
If you’re feeling enthusiastic, maybe you come up with a unique Black Friday guarantee. If not, you can use your regular risk reversal as a unique way to grab attention for your offer.
Example:
Find Love in 40 Days, Guaranteed (ends at midnight)
30-Days Risk Free: Mop Stick Self-Defense Mastery
Special Guarantee: 200% Money-Back until 11/24
4) Specific amount dollar savings
It’s easy to forget this one.
The truth is, most people can’t instantly do percentages in their heads. And they’re probably not pulling out calculators.
Make it plain for them, especially if your discount is less than 50%.
Example:
$10 off Cleo’s Delicious Pigs in a Blanket
Save $400 on tickets to Zamunda
5) Testimonial subject line and email body copy
If you can find a one-liner from a customer success story or review, you can probably make a strong subject line.
Then use that testimonial to tell a story demonstrating the value of your Black Friday offer. Let your buyers do the bragging for you.
I recommend using quotation marks catch the reader’s eye and signify there’s a story inside.
Example:
“To be loved… Oh, what a feeling!”
“That’s when the BIG bucks start rolling in.”
Success Story: “My son works!”
6) Announce video demonstration plus special offer
Or they’re not clear on exactly what they’re getting.
Can you answer those questions and erase those doubts with a video demonstration.
Example:
[Video] Finding Queen’s Common Parts – plus a special offer
LIVE: Marrying an African Prince (and a limited-time discount)
— — —
I know, that was a lot.
Hopefully there’s something helpful in there.
Again, you should be sending several emails, so you can try a few different angles.
If you have time, I encourage you to A/B test, so you can try 2 version for each email touch. Send them to 20 or 25% of your list and let the winner go out to everyone else.
Interested in seeing my best, most swipeable subject lines? Check out my Subject Line of the Day videos. Here’s the latest addition:
