When prospects get your e-mails, they make a quick decision, usually in a couple of seconds, to open or delete it based largely on the subject line.
But given the glut of promotional e-mails today, how can you convince a busy prospect — in just a few words — that your message is worthy of attention?
The “4 U’s” copywriting formula — which stands for urgent, unique, ultraspecific and useful – from Michael Masterson can help.
According to this formula, strong subject lines are:
• Urgent
Urgency gives the reader a reason to act now instead of later. You can create a sense of urgency in your subject line by incorporating a time element. A sense of urgency can also be created with a time-limited special offer, such as a discount or premium if you order by a certain date.
• Unique
The powerful subject line either says something new, or if it says something the reader has heard before, says it in a new and fresh way.
• Ultra-specific
These tease the reader into reading further.
• Useful
The strong subject line appeals to the reader’s self-interest by offering a benefit.
So when you have written your subject line, ask yourself how strong it is in each of these 4 U’s.
Use a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = weak, 4 = strong) to rank it in each category.
Rarely will a subject line rate a 3 or 4 on all four U’s. But if your subject line doesn’t rate a 3 or 4 on at least three of the U’s, it’s probably not as strong as it could be and can benefit from some rewriting.
A common mistake is to defend a weak subject line by pointing to a good response. A better way to think is as follows: If the e-mail generated a profitable response despite a weak subject line, imagine how much more money you could have made by applying the 4 U’s.
I urge you to go through this exercise with every subject line you write, both online and offline.
This simple exercise may increase readership and response rates substantially for very little effort!
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