The Power of the Properly Sequenced Subject Line: Improve email performance by using the right words, in the right order

The Power of the Properly Sequenced Subject Line:
Improve email performance by using the right words,
in the right order

We’re sharing on Twitter!
#WebClinic

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Today’s speakers
Austin McCraw
Senior Director,
Content Production
MECLABS Institute
Ben Huppertz
Senior Manager,
Research and Strategy
MECLABS Institute
Ken Bowen
Manager,
Partnership Content
MECLABS Institute

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Experiment #1: Background
Background: A regional marketing commission.
Goal: To raise awareness of local activities and events, increasing number of travelers and
tourist spending in the area.
Research Question: Which subject line will generate the most opens and clickthrough?
Test Design: A/B split test
*Note: Test has been anonymized to protect partner confidentiality.
Experiment ID: TP 20211
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: (Protected)*

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Experiment #1: Control
SUBJECT: Are you a fall foodie? See what’s
going on in Boston this November.

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Experiment #1: Treatment
SUBJECT: Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls and More:
Calling all foodies for Boston’s best fall fun

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Experiment #1: Which subject line will win?
Control
SUBJECT: Are you a fall foodie? See what’s going on in Boston this
November
SUBJECT: Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls & More: Calling All Foodies
for Boston’s Best Fall Fun
Treatment
SUBJECT: Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls and More: Calling all foodies
for Boston’s best fall fun
10% Opens

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Experiment #1: Results
Relative increase in opens10%Treatment resulted in a 10% increase in email opens.
Open
Rate
Relative
Difference
Level of
Confidence
Control 19.8% -- 99%
Treatment 21.7% 10% 99%

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Relative increase in clickthrough rate15%Treatment resulted in a 10% increase in clickthrough.
Open
Rate
Relative
Difference
Level of
Confidence
Control 2.7% -- 99%
Treatment 3.1% 15% 99%

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Experiment #2: Background
Background: A regional marketing commission.
Goal: To raise awareness of local activities and events, increasing number of travelers and
tourist spending in the area.
Research Question: Which subject line will generate the most opens and clickthrough?
Test Design: A/B split test

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Experiment #2: Control
SUBJECT: Book now to save up to 30% on hotel
stays this December in Boston

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Experiment #2: Treatment
SUBJECT: Holiday shopping, historic tours, Pops
Orchestra concerts and more Boston traditions

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Experiment #2: Which subject line will win?
Control
SUBJECT: Book now to save up to 30% on hotel stays this December in
Boston
SUBJECT: Holiday Shopping, Historic Tours, Pops Orchestra
Concerts and more Boston Traditions
Treatment
SUBJECT: Holiday shopping, historic tours, Pops Orchestra
concerts and more Boston traditions
9% Opens

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Relative increase in opens9%Treatment resulted in a 10% increase in email opens.
Open
Rate
Relative
Difference
Level of
Confidence
Control 17.6% -- 99%

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Relative increase in clickthrough rate26%Treatment resulted in a 10% increase in clickthrough.
Open
Rate
Relative
Difference
Level of
Confidence
Control 2.5% -- 99%

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What do winning subject lines have in common?
SUBJECT: Are you a fall foodie? See what’s
going on in Boston this November
SUBJECT: Holiday shopping, historic tours,
Pops Orchestra concerts and more Boston
traditions
SUBJECT: Book now to save up to 30% on
hotel stays this December in Boston
SUBJECT: Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls and
More: Calling all foodies for Boston’s best
fall fun
Losing Treatments Winning Treatments
Why?

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Email is still vital
• 91% of U.S. consumers check their
email daily, compared to 50% for
social media.
• The growth of active email
accounts is projected to
significantly outpace the growth
of active social media accounts for
the rest of the decade.
• 82% of smartphone users read
email throughout the day on their
devices.
Source:
wrike.com

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• A recent MarketingSherpa survey
found that the majority of
consumers prefer to be contacted
via email.
• 81% of U.S. digital shoppers
surveyed said they were at least
somewhat likely to make
additional purchases as a result of
targeted emails.
• HubSpot research revealed that
66% of U.S. consumers have made
a purchase as a direct result of
email marketing.

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• MarketingSherpa research found that businesses
sending over 100,000 emails per month enjoy a
94% return on investment. Companies sending
under 100,000 emails per month see a 139%
return.
• Email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new
customers than Facebook & Twitter (McKinsey &
Company).
• Email is the most effective channel in terms of
customer retention (HubSpot).
• Email yields a similar response rate to direct
mail, at 1/100th the cost.

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Today’s focus
Today, we will be looking at
three simple observations
from winning treatments that
can be leveraged to
strengthen our own
subject lines.
SUBJECT: Are you a
fall foodie? See
what’s going on in
Boston this
November
SUBJECT: Holiday
shopping, historic
tours, Pops Orchestra
concerts and more
Boston traditions
SUBJECT: Book
now to save up to
30% on hotel stays
this December in
Boston
SUBJECT: Clam
Chowder, Lobster
Rolls and More:
Calling all foodies for
Boston’s best fall fun

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Key observations
1. Observation #1: The winning treatments both leverage words that are
specific and tangible, rather than vague or “salesy.”
Key observations
But what are the right words?

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Experiment #1:
Control
SUBJECT: Are you a fall foodie? See what’s going on in
Boston this November
Treatment
• Confusing
• Vague

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Experiment #1:
Control
SUBJECT: Are you a fall foodie? See what’s going on in
Boston this November
Treatment 10% opens
Specific
Subject Line
• Tangible
• Clear
• Confusing
• Vague

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Experiment #2:
Control
• Salesy
• Ambiguous

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Experiment #2:
Control
SUBJECT: Holiday shopping, historic tours, Pops
Orchestra concerts and more Boston traditions
Treatment 9% opens
Specific
Subject Line
• Specific
• Valuable
• Salesy
• Ambiguous

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Customers respond to clarity
Additional research
• A MarketingSherpa study tested 20 different subject lines across
45,000 email sends. Clear subject lines greatly outperformed
creative subject lines across all channels:
1,107%
Comments
315%
Tweets
331%
Likes
617%
Site traffic
366%
Email subscription
541%
Average
across
all
channels

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Subject Lines: Choosing your words
Hey! Check this out!
Interested in optimization? Take a look inside …
Hurry [name], this offer won’t last!
Order Now: Buy our supplements to start losing weight
 Grow Your Email List 99% Faster: How one site did it
 6 Actions to Lift Clickthroughs: New data
 43 Free Animated GIFs for Your Email Campaign
 Look Your Best: Get your free sample of our supplements inside
NOT THESE
BUT THESE

#WebClinic
Subject Lines: Choosing your words
Hey! Check this out!
Interested in optimization? Take a look inside…
Hurry [name], this offer won’t last!
Order Now: Buy our supplements to start losing weight
 Grow Your Email List 99% Faster: How One Site Did It
 6 Actions to Lift Clickthroughs: New Data
 43 Free Animated GIFs For Your Email Campaign
 Look your best: Get your free sample of our supplements inside
NOT THESE
BUT THESE
Many marketers worry about their ability to write
persuasive copy, but the marketer’s art is not
persuasion; it is clarity. Indeed, when the marketer
represents an authentic value proposition, clarity
is persuasion.
Source: Marketer as Philosopher – Reflection #9

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Key observations
1. Observation #1: Both winning treatments leverage words that are
specific and tangible, rather than vague or “salesy.”
2. Observation #2: Both winning treatments leverage a similar sequence of
thought. They both lead with what the customer “gets” rather than what
the customer must “do.”
3. Observation #3: Furthermore, the “ask” (an open) in both winning
subject lines is implicit rather than explicit.
Key observations

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The Properly Sequenced Subject Line: Experiment 2
SUBJECT: Book now to save up to 30% on hotel stays this December in Boston
SUBJECT: Holiday shopping, historic tours, Pops Orchestra concerts and more
Boston traditions
Losing treatment
Winning treatment
ASK
GET
9% Opens
GET DETAIL
DETAIL ASK (Implicit)
DELETE
(OPEN)

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The Properly Sequenced Subject Line: Experiment 1
SUBJECT: Are you a fall foodie? See what’s going on in Boston this November
SUBJECT: Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls and More: Calling all foodies for Boston’s
best fall fun
Losing treatment
Winning treatment
ASK
GET
10% Opens
GET DETAIL
DETAIL ASK (Implicit)
DELETE
(OPEN)

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Lead with value, not with an ask
Additional research
• Epsilon studied over 500 million emails and found
that point-first, informative subject lines had
significantly greater impact than variation in length.
• 40% of all emails are now opened on mobile devices,
so the first 20 to 30 characters must count.
• Point-of-value should be introduced within the first
two words in order to maximize results
(MarketingSherpa).

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Real world examples
SUBJECT: Get the NEW [Name] for 50%
off
SUBJECT: Save 50% on your choice of
two new subscription options
NOT THIS BUT THIS
Design Open Rate Relative Change
Get the NEW [Name] for 50% off 15.9% --
Save 50% on your choice of two new
subscription options
21.1% 32.7%
Increase in Open Rate33%

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Real world examples
SUBJECT: Buying or Refinancing? Check
out [Name]
SUBJECT: Own your home sooner with
free biweekly payments
NOT THIS BUT THIS
Buying or Refinancing? Check out [Name] 17.2% --
Own your home sooner with free biweekly payments 21.0% 22%

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Real world examples
SUBJECT: Buying or Refinancing? Check
out [Name]
SUBJECT: Own your home sooner with
free bi-weekly payments
NOT THIS BUT THIS
Buying or Refinancing? Check out [Name] 17.2% --
Own your home sooner with free bi-weekly payments 21.0% 22%
We are not optimizing subject lines; we are
optimizing thought sequences. The most
effective subject lines emphasize the “get”
and imply the “ask.”

#WebClinic
Summary: Two key principles
1. Key Principle #1: Many marketers worry about their ability to
write persuasive copy, but the marketer’s art is not persuasion; it
is clarity. Indeed, when the marketer represents an authentic
value proposition, clarity is persuasion.
2. Key Principle #2: We are not optimizing subject lines; we are
optimizing thought sequences. The most effective subject lines
emphasize the “get” and imply the “ask.”

#WebClinic
 Are your words specific, rather than vague?
 Does your subject line emphasize clarity over persuasion?
 Does your subject line represent an authentic value proposition?
 Is your subject line point-first?
 Do you lead with the “get”?
 Is the point-of-value introduced in the first two words?
 Is the logical next step in the thought sequence to open the email?
Checklist: Crafting effective subject lines

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Live optimization
SUBJECT: Start a 14-day FREE trial —
discover more
Company: Ancestry.com
Primary Audience: Potential clients
Email Purpose: Encourage free trial
signups

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Live optimization
SUBJECT: Have you taken our survey
yet?
Company: Managed IT Services
Primary Audience: Businesses
Email Purpose: Drive prospects to survey

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Live optimization
Company: Kickstand Lending
Primary Audience: Loan prospects
Email Purpose: Drive existing customers
to open a new line of credit
SUBJECT: Get the money you need
today

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Live optimization
SUBJECT: ☆ Psssst! Luxury Diaper Bags
— Quantities Limited ☆
Company: BabySteals.com
Primary Audience: Mothers
Email Purpose: Product sales

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Live optimization
SUBJECT: [NAME], Here’s the Answer to
Your Last-Minute Holiday Needs
Company: SmugMug
Primary Audience: Current subscribers
Email Purpose: Increase sales of the Gift
of SmugMug

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Next Clinic: Experiment background
Background: A national bank.
Goal: To increase the number of signups for new checking accounts.
Research Question: Which sales funnel will produce the highest conversion?
Test Design: A/B variable cluster split test

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Experiment: The customer
For this test, the customer for
both the Control and Treatments
have arrived at the homepage of
[BANK] and clicked on the
“Open in Minutes” checking
deeplink.

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Next Clinic: The Control
Checking selector tool
• Checking selector tool requires visitors to answer four questions before being given an account recommendation.
• Customers click through and are presented with a preferred package, along with a second choice.
• Customers must select the account they are interested in to begin pre-registration, or they can go back
and change their answers or manually browse other checking options.

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Next Clinic: Treatment #1
Three-product tab
• The checking selector tool is removed, and instead, customers are presented with three account options from
which to select.

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Next Clinic: Treatment #2
Single-product
• Single product email with “Open Now” CTA at both the top and bottom of the page
OPEN AN
ACCOUNT IN
MINUTES

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Next Clinic: Side-by-side comparison
TREATMENT #1 TREATMENT #2
OPEN AN ACCOUNT
IN MINUTES

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Which treatment won?

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Live May 13 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
• The exact changes that achieved a 65% increase in account applications
• Why each of those changes improved performance
• How you can apply the same principles to your pages
• Key strategies from the underlying theory of customer motivation
Join us for the next live 35-minute Web
clinic to discover:
To see the results
To join live, register at the link below:
MarketingExperiments.com/Motivation
Customer Motivation

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See how you can conduct research with us
MECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization. We apply our
discoveries to help leaders optimize the financial performance of their sales and
marketing programs.
Learn more about how you may be a fit for
a MECLABS Research Partnership:
• Select Research Partnership
Opportunities on the post-webinar
survey
• Contact us directly
info@MECLABS.com
1-877-635-0565
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