All too often, I see copywriters give short shrift to their email subject lines.
But they are right up there with headlines in terms of their importance in getting your copy read.
And if your copy isn’t read, it can’t be acted on… and thus, no sales, leads, or opt-ins result.
There are oodles of trainings out there that teach you how to write compelling emails AND subject lines. Some aren’t worth a whole lot, others can be game-changers (I have one I’ll be sharing with you in the coming weeks that reveals email copy tactics that have helped build entire 7- and 8-figure businesses).
But it all starts with those subject lines.
Pro tip: If you’re not providing at least 4 or 5 of your top, sweated-over-and-perfected-to-
This is especially true if you write copy with royalty potential. Chances are you’re also writing the emails that drive traffic to your sales page or VSL. Those emails are key to getting more potential buyers to your promo, thus increasing sales and your piece of the pie.
So you can bet I pay a LOT of attention to subject lines when I write them. It’s one reason why email subject lines like these that I’ve written for my supplement clients continue to come out on top in head-to-head tests. They’ve all run as “controls” for years (including in 2022):
- Build a new body from the inside out
- Simple trick to get to age 120
- Got sinus problems? Try this, it works!
- Boost nitric oxide for immune health
- The 98% “Stanford Solution” for joint pain
Then there’s the email subject lines I write for this list that you’re on. Hopefully they’ve gotten you to open up and read my emails on a regular basis (heck, you’re reading right now!)
I’ll never forget what the legendary Gary Bencivenga–who’s also a Copy Insider–said to me a year and a half ago over dinner in New York city. He told me how he tries to get through his emails quickly, but he often HAS to open mine, because (in his words) my subject lines are so good.
So what does it take to write emails that MAKE you have to open them up? One of your fellow Copy Insiders, copywriter Annie Maguire, puts together an annual list of the best email subject lines she’s come across each year.
And yours truly made the list for 2022 not just once, but twice!
Annie liked my “I cut her string” subject line because it not only piqued her curiosity, it was unexpected.
(I used it for an email promoting Research Beast and it’s about the “unhealthy” relationship I had with my Chatty Cathy doll as a young child. Hint: I think it explains why I’m so competitive.)
Annie also liked my “I can STILL feel the humiliation” subject line since it reveals a human and vulnerable side that prospects can relate to.
(I use this subject line to promote my Million-Dollar Controls course and talked about how I bombed on one of my first big breaks–but then got a huge winner on the second try…)
Make sure you read Annie’s article here. Not only will you get some good subject line idea fodder by doing so, you’ll also get a lot out of her mini-breakdowns and the 5 subject line copy techniques she covers.
Before I wrap up, I have to mention two things: 1) This is the first Copy Insiders issue of 2023 (yay!), and 2) The five-year anniversary of the first-ever Copy Insiders issue is tomorrow!
So keep an eye out for tomorrow’s email… I’ll be sharing with you that first-ever issue (which also included my first “What’s in Kim’s Mailbox”) and some other fun stuff!
Yours for smarter marketing,
Kim
P.S. Sam Woods tells me a lot of people have signed up for his AI Copywriting Workshops, which are happening next week. I’m excited to see so many Copy Insiders there (I’ll be sitting in on them myself).
If you haven’t grabbed your seat yet, you can hop to it here before Sam closes the doors on this opportunity (and get a bonus workshop with Sam and I the following week!)