Email Marketing Tips - SEO Rescues Subject Lines

SEO Rescues Subject Lines

Well, it has to be said that we stole this one, shamelessly, from Geene Reese's Digital Communications blog, but the idea is just too good to not pass along.

In attempts to improve email subject lines to generate more clicks and opens, Reese came across a simple idea: why not check out what customers are asking the search engines when looking for a given product or service — and then use those search terms in subject lines?

She's definitely on to something. In a web that is talking increasingly about user-generated content and behavioral marketing, getting inside prospects' minds is easier than ever — and more and more useful. Using the same language that a customer or prospect uses will resonate with that person ... and lead him or her to open the email.

Reese tried it out with one of her clients, and the experiment was successful. So it's our e-messaging tip for May: your turn to use your search information to generate email subject lines. What exactly do people put into the search boxes on Google or Yahoo! to find your product or service? Make a list of those words, and see if you can use them in your next email campaign. Chart your results — and let us know how it worked!