How to avoid the spam and trash folders

In-boxed in

We’re bombarded with information every day. Email is just one element of the incessant onslaught.

We wrote in January that ‘by the end of 2018, we'll receive an average of 236 emails a day. That's over 86000 emails a year and an increase of 9000 emails compared to 2017.’

https://www.quayclick.co.uk/enhancing-email-with-ppc

Getting the subject line right is an important part of any email campaign.

What isn’t opened won’t get read

It’s obvious but we forget this, and spend too little time on the subject line.

Spending hours on the main copy and then minutes on the subject line goes against common sense.

Hubspot writes:

‘No matter what they say, people do judge emails by their subject lines.’

They continue:

‘In fact, 47% of email recipients decide whether or not to open an email based on subject line alone. That's why it's so important to craft subject lines that are compelling enough to get people to click through.’

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/improve-your-email-subject-line

Bear in mind those are emails that made it past the spam filters.

So how do you avoid the spam folder so you’ll get to the inbox?

Avoid these words

Words to avoid include:

free money dollars pounds discount sale trial special offer quote cash

Ironically, and frustratingly, words that work in other contexts, such as Facebook or press ads, direct mail, or brochures and leaflets, will trigger spam filters. Don’t be tempted to use them.

Hubspot advises against using words connected to finance, business or commerce.

For an exhaustive list, check this link:

https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30684/the-ultimate-list-of-email-spam-trigger-words.aspx

DON’T USE CAPITALS

Capitals also trigger the spam filters.

They’re also TOO SHOUTY, as are certain forms of punctuation.

Exclamation marks and questions marks

Avoid these, along with symbols denoting currencies.

And then, once you’ve made it to the inbox and a human reader, remember to …

Get the length right

Short means quick and easy to read, and therefore not such an onerous task for the skim reader. Ann Handley – in Everybody Writes – cites the Retention Science report in March 2014, which looked at 260 million delivered emails and 540 campaigns.

She writes, ‘Emails with subject lines of 6-10 words have the highest open rates.’

She notes the irony that ‘most emails sent by marketers have subject lines of 11-15 words’. Perhaps they simply can’t help themselves.

Also consider what gets truncated in the subject line.

One-word subject lines

Some companies such as Amazon experiment with one-word subject lines, and with some success.

They certainly stand out from the rest of your inbox, and are harder to ignore than not.

Remember we all scan our inboxes downwards, which makes sense because it is so quick.

Short words also help. Follow the time-honoured mantra: write as you speak.

Structure is also key. Front-loading means putting the important ideas at the beginning.

Personalisation and perceived relevance

Starting the subject line with the recipient’s name has its advantages and disadvantages.

We all have an obvious attachment to our own names and we all warm to those who take the time to remember and use our names. We also assume that what follows is of some relevance to us personally.

Some find the use of their name in the subject line a little presumptuous, however.

Exercise caution. How well do you know the recipient? Is this a long-time customer?

All powerful pronouns

You, your and yours are all powerful pronouns which highlight the relevance of an email’s contents.

When scanning inbox lines, our default position is most often: ‘What has this got to do with me?’

Pronouns foreground the content’s relevance.

You can also use pronouns to flatter and empower the reader. One subject line from the Guardian to its donors reads ‘The difference your support makes …’

Cut to the chase

Get your message across with straightforward statements.

Give them an incentive to open by focusing on benefits and favourable outcomes.

Demonstrate clearly and concisely that you are doing the reader a favour. You are keeping them informed and updated. You have news, offers, a complimentary ebook, exclusive discounts.

Square brackets work well here and won’t trigger spam filters.

An email subject line by Digital Marketing begins for example: ‘[New announcement] …’

Think in terms of specifics

The label on the outside should tell them exactly what’s inside the tin.

Consider this email subject line: ‘An exceptional speaker line-up at the Festival of Marketing’.

The Festival of Marketing and Marketing Week know the effectiveness of simplicity and straightforwardness.

Another good example reads ‘Be our Friend on Facebook and get £50’ from booksellers Wordery. The online bookseller always shows a good sense of their customers with playfully bookish subject lines.

As with all copy, write in a way that your customers like, appreciate and understand.

Don’t be too clever

Being overly salesy or too direct is a sure-fire way to scupper your chances with the reader.

This is not always the time for cleverness or wordplay.

For one, you don’t know what mood your reader will be in.

No one enjoys tidying up an overloaded inbox. Poorly judged jokes or weak puns may get short shrift.

Pique their interest

Excite their curiosity, with a question or mystery for example.

One marketing company subject begins ‘Nurturing leads … are you wasting leads?’

Tapping into concerns of the reader is the heart of copywriting.

Writers of soap operas and box sets have long known the power of cliff-hangers.

Psychologists understand our need to know, our need for closure.

Write with this in mind.

The art of … ellipsis

Ellipsis works in the same vein.

Consider this subject line: ‘[Our sincere apologies] We are very sorry. It has been brought to our attention …’

The accompanying email begins ‘a former client is emailing my LinkedIn connections with spam and saying that I am his employee’.

‘We pride ourselves on delivering first class Project Management & VA services, should you like to contact us at any time, we would welcome you getting in touch but we will not enter you into any form of subscription.

Again, our apologies that our name has been used to target you.

All the very best …’

An apology, a clear explanation, and just the right amount of selling. Perfect.

Add a sense of urgency

False scarcity is a tried and tested method. The modern acronym FOMO is hardly a new phenomenon. No one likes missing out.

Phrases such as ‘hurry’ or ‘offer ends’ work wonders for click rates.

But use such tactics carefully. As with any successful tactic, they are overused and can be overplayed.

Just out watch for words such as ‘now’, ‘today’ or ‘tomorrow’. You don’t know when the email is going to be seen and opened.

Don’t forget your CTA

The call to action is key, and you could do worse than placing it in the subject line.

Use verbs or action words. Make it clear what the reader needs to do to avoid missing out.

Other ways to stand out in the crowded inbox

Capitals and exclamations marks won’t get past spam filters, but numbers stand out visually and command our attention and respect.

Wordstream writes:

‘Many of the factors that make up a good blog post title also make a good email subject line. Incorporating numbers into your subject line attracts attention, as our brains are naturally drawn to digits. This tends to be why top 10 lists are so successful – lists are easier for our brains to process and they create curiosity, in addition to providing the promise of a quick and easy read.’

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/03/31/email-subject-lines

A little poetry goes a long way

Assonance and alliteration – like the repeated a, o and l sounds in this subheading – also stand out.

They make ideas memorable, whilst conferring on them a seeming rightness.

As in the next subheading …

A final word of warning

Remember you have to deliver on the subject line’s promise.

The world has a waning patience for clickbait.

The main body of the email must not disappoint the reader.

Otherwise, it might have been better if you hadn’t bothered them in the first place.

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Sources

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/improve-your-email-subject-line

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/03/31/email-subject-lines