Let’s have some fun today.
I’ve sent over 150 emails since I started sending regular, daily emails.
So I wanted to look at the 5 best subject lines in terms of open rate.
Yes, I still believe open rates are a vanity metric because, well, they are. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.
I’ll share the best subject lines I wrote, then dive into why they work.
Sound good?
Good.
Let’s go:
1. Here’s your copy of my mf book — 80% open rate
This one works because it delivers on the bribe I offered to convince mfs to join my list.
2. did you get my email? — 79.6% open rate
This one works because of timing again. I send it shortly after my first email to make sure the new subscriber received my email and the link to my book.
3. How to sell out any product every time you hit “send” — 65.2% open rate
This one works for a couple of reasons:
* It’s the third message in my welcome series flow, so I’m still fresh on new subscribers’ minds.
* It has an obvious benefit for both copywriters and brands on my list.
4. yeeeeeesh — 60% open rate
This one’s the complete opposite of the 3rd best subject line.
It offers no value. No benefits. Presses on no pain points. And, it’s the 9th email in my welcome saga — meaning, it doesn’t benefit as much from the timing factor as the other emails on the list.
But y’know what?
It works because it’s different. It piques your curiosity. Plus, it’s the first “shocking” email I send.
5. Why email marketing doesn’t work — 59.1% open rate
This one works for a variety of reasons:
* It’s oozing with contrast which makes you have to open it to see why a professional email copywriter is saying email marketing doesn’t work.
* It attacks dogma — Twitter is full of folks either saying email marketing is dead or email marketing ain’t dead.
* There’s a “hidden” benefit, i.e. what do I recommend if I don’t recommend email marketing?
* It’s a “shock-value” subject line — see the first bullet above.
And it’s the 5th email in the sequence, so it benefits from the timing factor a bit.
Here’s another interesting thing:
I send each of these emails within the first 10 days of joining my list.
I’ve had other emails with high open rates later on — a few over 50% opens, a bunch over 40% opens, and a heap of 30+% opens.
But none come close to the emails I send in the first 10 days.
And y’know what?
I see this play out for my customers as well.
Which brings me to the point:
If you don’t have a welcome series that’s getting high opens, high clicks, and high sales, you’re maiming your sales and influence.
That’s the bad news.
The good news?
You’re reading this email. Which means… you can book a call, we’ll hop on a call, and if we’re a good fit, we can work not only on your welcome series, but on your entire email marketing strategy.
John
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