If you’re in the business of direct marketing then chances are you already know that an email headline can either make or break your chances of getting it opened. With all the effort you’ve gone to creating your offer and compiling your mailing list, the last thing you need is a headline that lets you down and goes straight into the trash or junk folder. We look at some headline hacks to give you the edge on your direct marketing campaign.
Use Questions
By all means use a question to really grab your reader’s attention but be careful, some questions are going to give you the wrong answer. Sometimes your reader won’t say yes, sometimes they’re going to respond with a big fat ‘no’. Take a look in your inbox, do you have a questions from a lifestyle blogger or company asking you to open an email or respond to a question? You probably do and will it become obvious pretty quickly that not all questions work. Some are far better and more effective at engaging the reader than others. Which ones pull you in and which have you reaching for the trash folder without a backward glance? Think about the wording you can use to prevent this happening. Perhaps avoiding a ‘Do you…’ question and replacing it with a ‘How will you…’ question will provide you with the response you’ve been looking for. Anything that propels the reader away from answering ‘no’ and towards taking up your call of action, is a winning formula.
Back It Up Online
Be bold and creative with your content. If your reader does click through to your webpage, don’t leave them disappointed. If you’re struggling for inspiration then let an agency such as Figment help you with SEO friendly content that draws your reader in and delivers to them exactly what you promised in your mailout.
Errors Cost Lives
Well at least they cost business so don’t make silly errors in your headlines. They have the effect of looking like you either don’t know how to spell or you don’t care. Either way they make your brand look inferior and that will do you no favours.If you don’t have an expert proofreader on board, consider letting a professional loose on all your content, from email to web content. Lastly, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What do they want? Probably something for the time and effort they’ve put in reading and opening your mail, so consider what kind of promotion or discount you’re going to reward them with.
Winning new customers is a challenging and pain staking process, so delving into the research behind your new customer base will pay dividends. Offering someone exactly what they want, exactly when they need it most is the golden egg. Don’t be let down by a poorly worded headline or website that lacks the power to back it up. Get it done right and you’ll soon have customers flocking to find out who you are and what you can offer.
