A while back, I told you about the "Rule of 4."
Whenever you send an email that you really really want to get opened... and want someone to replying to it (usually a sales-oriented email)...
You should always follow the Rule of 4.
The Rule of 4 Is Basically This:
Within the first 4 words of the SUBJECT LINE, you must include at least one "eyeball word" that creates a shock to the eyeballs and forces the reader to want to know what the email is all about.
The reason for this is twofold:
First, the subject line is the most important part of your email, hands down. If the subject line doesn't intrigue and the email doesn't get opened, your message will never be read.
Second, the eyeball word (or words) should appear within the first 4 words because many people check their emails on their phone -- and the phone rarely displays more than 4 or 5 words of the subject line.
So if you don't grab their attention right then and there, you might lose them forever.
It Amazes Me...
Many top, world-class marketers know nothing about the Rule of 4.
Just today I received an email from one of the most famous marketers in the world (yes, he's that well-known), with a subject line that's so bland, it would makes vanilla seem spicy. It read as follows:
"Are you treating this important sales tool as trivial?"
YIKES! Chances of this email getting opened (or even noticed) are quite slim. It's in clear violation of the Rule of 4 with no real eyeball words.
It shocked me that someone of his caliber would write such a subject line. I almost felt sick reading it (hence the "I almost puked" eyeball words)!
I know it takes a little practice to get the hang of getting good at the Rule of 4 but it's worth the trouble.
If you have any questions, shoot me an email. But, please, remember the importance of the subject line.
CAVEAT: Don't ever use eyeball words simply for the sake of throwing out click bait. You always have to connect your eyeball word(s) to the content of your email (just like what I did above), otherwise you'll damage your credibility.