Stupid subject line tricks

Michel Fortin · **Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-27-2007, 04:08 PM

Here's an interesting article from my friend and top copywriter Paul Myers. It's about stupid email subject line tricks copywriters use, which can backfire. Big time.

His article is going strike a few nerves I'm sure, if it hasn't already. (Paul confided in me that some of the people Paul is referring to in his article are actually subscribed to this list.)

Very interesting stuff. He makes a solid point.

(While you're here, you definitely need to subscribe to Paul's newsletter. I've been a subscriber for over a decade now... even before the Internet was a household name. Go to his website and signup.)

Anyway, what do you think? Read on...

Quote:

TalkBiz News Wednesday, September 26, 2007

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Hi, folks!

In today's exciting issue, we continue the adventures of Brad and Janet in the... Wait. Wrong newsletter. (Forget I mentioned that one, 'kay?)

THIS issue is about "getting personal."

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Note: This starts out looking like a rant. That's good. That's what it is. It has a very real and practical point, which is summarized at the end. So bear with me, huh?

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It's a "Personal" Thing

Have you ever received an email with a subject like this...

"Chris, personal from Joe"

.. and discovered upon opening it that it was a sales pitch sent to Joe's entire list?

Most of the folks in this market have received a bunch of them lately. It's become quite the trend, with everyone trying to make their emails look more and more personal, so they can overcome the resistance generated by the people who used the tactic before them.

Sounds like spammers, yah? As people get used to one gimmick, they push the envelope further, until everything looks like spam. Or, in the case of the "personal" emails that aren't, like lies.

Here are a couple examples of emails I got recently that show just how far this has gotten pushed, in a matter of a couple of months. Paraphrased, to avoid copyright infringement. (And, frankly, because these aren't evil people and there's no useful purpose in pointing fingers at them individually.)

Subject: "Why don't you have Paul get in touch with me?"

Dear Paul,

A close friend of mine, (well known name here), would like to speak with you.

When I told him how we knew each other, he said: "Why don't you have Paul get in touch with me?"

Here's his URL:

http://www.snipurl.com/notreally

When you meet him, make sure and tell him I said "Hey!"

Jimmy Joshin

And there was a note under it that contained an email he had sent this person prior to meeting him.

I have not made that note any more or less "personal" looking. Just changed it to avoid copying his words.

Curiously, this "personal" email came through an Aweber server, and had, down below the email he had sent the guy, an unsubscribe link.

So, just to see what the game was, I clicked the link. It went to a subscription page for the friend's newsletter.

Ooops.

....

>> Newsflash, Genius: Genuinely personal emails <<
>> don't need to have unsubscribe links in them. <<

And subscribing to a newsletter isn't the same as "meeting" someone.

....

This is a deceptive email, all the way from the subject line down to the blank line right above the unsubscribe link.

Using the first name the way he did was a deliberate attempt to convey the idea that the recipient was the topic of a personal conversation.

The language used was chosen to convey the desire to communicate personally, not to get subscribers.

All in all, a great way to convince someone you're willing to play it fast and loose, truth-wise.

....

Oh yeah. The newsletter page you get sent to claims the free subscription is a "$197 Value." It's possible that he may have sold it for that at some point, but it's been free as long as I've known about the guy.

And he's a copywriter.

Makes you wonder, huh?

....

Here's one I got Tuesday, also paraphrased just enough to avoid copying his words:

Subject: Paul, it's Billy J. Bonkers (personal)

Hey Paul,

I just found something cool and read it yesterday. It has got to be the most effective way to get free, targeted traffic ever. I thought I knew all the tricks. Boy, was I wrong.

Don't spread this around...

[affiliate URL redirect here]

-Billy

... Then - after 20 blank lines - the unsubscribe link.

There's that whole "Personal, with an unsub link" thing again. It must really bother these people that they have to use that to avoid problems. It gives away the game.

There are four problems with this email. The use of (personal) for a broadcast message, the use of "Don't spread this around" to reinforce the illusion, the 20 blank lines to hide the unsubscribe link...

... and the fact that the email would have done very well without those "tactics."

....

I've gotten tons of those things. The defense is usually either that it's not really deceptive, since all email is read by one person at a time, or that it's just a "gimmick" to get the emails opened, and doesn't really hurt anyone.

Big Wrong, O Mighty Wordsmiths. Error between chair and keyboard.

These emails were consciously constructed to create the illusion of one to one communication. Each had very clear and deliberately misleading statements in it, as described above.

Deliberately misleading someone is the precise meaning of the word "deception."

Get a dictionary. They're cheap.

Or just go to Merriam-Webster Online

That one is free. That should be handy if declining response rates are part of the excuse for this questionable change in approach.

Oh... Did I mention that most of the people who've sent me emails like this actually teach marketing? Some even have courses in email marketing.

Yep. Them's folks *I* wanna learn from.

Yep. And I want to take courses in the culinary arts from a guy named Hannibal.

....

There is one other reason I hear for this sort of thing.

"It works."

I have no doubt that it does, in the short term. But that brings us back to the "nobody gets hurt" problem.

Wanna know why your response rates are taking a hit? It started with spammers poisoning the email well. It escalated with phishers making things really dangerous for some sorts of email transactions.

Those things created a short term drop, while folks adjusted to the idea of responding only to email they had requested.

But a few of the "casual" types decided that the proper response to people being nervous about scams was to use more clever tricks than the spammers. Things like "Notification of Payment Received" as a subject line. (At least that one went right into an honest sales pitch when you opened it.)

Then, taking a cue directly from the spammers, some others escalated and started using "personal" in the subject line.

That will just further erode people's trust in any email communication. That hurts them, it hurts mailers who aren't willing to lie to their subscribers, and it hurts the people sending the deceptive emails.

The deceptive mailers may be the ones most seriously hurt, in the long run.

At first, your subscribers may accept the "game." But there will always be a little unease about the... questionable nature... of these "personal" emails. They're going to realize at some point that they're being played.

Sure, some people won't care a lot. After all, they expect marketers to be slack with the facts. (Which is a sad commentary in itself.) But, some people will start to care more and more as they become more aware of the deception.

You will lose those people. And you don't need to.

....

A more dangerous bit of damage will come from sending these emails to folks like me. Not because of any direct action I might take. More because of actions I might not take.

See, most of the people sending these things are folks I know, or know of. People who market in the same field. Several are people I've recommended at one point or another. (Mea culpa.)

The ones who sent the examples above are pretty good at what they do. Very good, actually. And their products have been consistently solid, and worth the prices they ask for them.

One is a person I consider(ed?) to be extremely trustworthy. (Can't say on the other. Don't know him personally.)

In general, I have no reason to be surprised at getting a real personal email from these folks. I've exchanged tons of emails, and spoken on the phone and/or in person, with many of them. They have just stepped into a real existing relationship and damaged it. Often badly.

The question that zips through my mind after one of these is:

"If they'll choose to do this, what else will they do?"

And I really have no answer for that.

....

The question that follows is is usually, "What the hell were they thinking?"

These aren't "mistakes" or "misunderstandings." Those happen, and are easily forgotten.

I challenge any of the people getting this to construct an explanation for the word choices used in those emails that is anything but a deliberate attempt to create an inaccurate perception about the nature of the email.

The subject lines begin it. Yes, some folks will recognize it for what it is before long, but the illusion from that is only intended to get the thing opened in the right frame of mind.

Personal email always gets higher priority than bulk email.

Always.

And that is the thing they're trying to leverage.

Do they use deception because they don't know how to create a personal connection any other way that's effective?

And they're teaching marketing?

Mr. Lecter, your cooking show starts in 4 minutes.

....

Here's the, hopefully, useful part.

The person who first said, "Honesty is the best policy" was probably a smart marketer.

If you're ever wondering if you've crossed the line between clever (which is good) and sneaky (which is not), ask a few people to read the copy.

If you have to think about how to get people to do something you believe they don't want to do when you're writing, stop right there. You're already headed over the line.

You're buying the fava beans and a nice chianti at that point.

If you are focusing on what's in it for you to the point that you forget that you're supposed to be offering them something they already want, or will when they hear about it, you're lost. Proceed immediately to Go and start over.

While you think about whether that "clever" headline or ad copy will convert better, keep in mind that prospects aren't the only ones reading it. (That should be enough to make the point, but some folks need the bigger monetary incentive.)

A ton of prospective affiliates and JV partners will be reading it, too. How many lines of opportunity are you cutting with that "grey" tactic you think is so cute?

There are tons of ways to get the same results without stepping into the darker areas. The main one is to keep a constant focus on what's best for your customers. Funny thing about that... If you take that advice, you'll sell more stuff, for more money,
more often.

And isn't that why you did it in the first place?

Paul

Don't forget to grab a copy of Simon's new book, "ListGrenade."

Very cool stuff.

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Find this useful? Buy me a beer! Buy Paul a Beer

Copyright 2007 TalkBiz, Inc.

"100% of the shots you don't take don't go in."
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John Ritz · **Re: Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-27-2007, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Paul confided in me that some of the people Paul is referring to in his article are actually subscribed to this list

Yes, should be interesting how it's perceived by those 2. I just got off the phone with Paul about an hour ago, and he mentioned the same thing.

The "Notification of payment received" emails REALLY IRK me, because when I get those, I move them into their appropriate folders where the sales receipts are kept. But when I get an AR email one like that, I do a double take before (loudly) cursing the guy out.

John

Nebulousx · **Re: Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-27-2007, 10:34 PM

Oops! Too long to read, Michel. He lost me. I get the gist of it though. Paul has some good advice but you'd think such a great copywriter could make a point in fewer words.

Dean Kennedy · **Re: Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-28-2007, 04:02 AM

Personally I think the subject line "tricks" are just an extension of web page "tricks" like using a javascript (some of which is done very poorly) to create an imaginary "deadline" for buying a product.

I'd be interested in knowing his results, but I'm sure someone like Clayton Makepeace is currently doing extremely well with bona fide, "fair dinkum" deadlines that cut off at a specific date and time, without being fake.

The fake stuff -- whereever it lives, in email subject lines or elsewhere -- causes the same reaction as outlined in the post above ... over time it lessens the credibility of the author -- if you "tricked" me last time I'm less likely to take notice of you next time.

Michel Fortin · **Re: Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-28-2007, 10:45 AM

Good point, Dean. The thing is, Paul is saying that stupid tricks like these cause legitimate email marketers to suffer in the end.

I would say, using your analogy, that it's just like javascripts is causing long scrolling sales copy webpages to be perceived as scams, too.

Cherilyn Lester · **Re: Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-28-2007, 02:07 PM

The strangest thing - every time this conversation comes up, I'm always the first and only person to mention one thing... From the FTC site -

The CAN-SPAM Act: Requirements for Commercial Emailers:

It prohibits deceptive subject lines. The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.

Not only is it dumb, rude, and detrimental to your profits in the long run, but its in direct violation of the CAN-SPAM act, and can get your behind buried in $11k in fines PER VIOLATION.

As if you needed another reason to be honest with your subscribers, but there is one just in case.

- Cherilyn

Dean Kennedy · **Re: Stupid subject line tricks -** 09-28-2007, 09:26 PM

Yes, Michel, I think it does hurt legitimate efforts as well. I'm less inclined to believe anyone about tactics such as urgency unless I delve further and find enough "proof" that it's believable.

I'm not sure though what you mean exactly in relation to long sales pages. Sometimes I open a site, see a long sales page "formula" in action -- skip 90% of the content and just look for the offer, guarantee and bonuses. I still might be a prospect for the product -- if I see value in the product beyond the approach used to present it to me.

And yes, again, I see the hype-loaded headlines on some pages and "tune out" to an extent -- which is what will happen with email subject lines -- and hurt everyone.

Personally I think that relates very much to a product or buyers "state of sophistication" from Schwartz's Breakthrough Advertising -- where my level of awareness of a selling method makes me a much more difficult prospect to reach in using tactics that are described in Paul's post.