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Are Misleading Subject Lines Hurting Your Email Open Rates?
First, a quick answer is yes!
As online marketing grows it is inevitable that it will attract more and more scam artists and / or immature marketers fixed upon making a fast buck.
Most of them fail but they fail at your expense.
These so-called marketers affect your traffic and sales in 2 ways:
First, their misleading subject lines tease the recipients to open the messages and more often than naught they are trying to sell software that doesn't work, programs that offer unrealistic riches, 3rd party offers that simply put money into their pockets, or "oh well, you get the picture".
Second, it doesn't take long for new marketers that are simply looking for a way to make an honest dollar to get turned-off by misleading subject lines and the junk it usually leads to so they are then more likely to get into the habit of deleting your email messages. Even those that follow the legal requirements to not use misleading subject lines.
The result is less traffic and that means revenues lost!
Unfortunately, solutions are not easily obtainable but there are a few things you can do to increase your open rates while helping to rid the industry of dishonest marketers.
1) Make sure your 'subject lines' are directly related to the content of your email.
2) Don't promote 3rd party offers: The only exceptions to this rule is if you know the marketer, know that they are honest, and know that the product or program you are promoting has real value.
3) Send a complaint to the marketer's hosting company: The complaint does not have to be long. Just be specific (forward a copy of the message received) and explain that their client is breaking the law by using misleading subject lines.
Subject lines that you should never use and should automatically delete are:
I have to be blunt about this. The marketers using subject lines such as those listed above (or anything similar) are immature idiots. These are amateurish subject lines designed to get you to open the message so they can sell you junk. And don't doubt that for a moment... it is junk! |