Mid-April, 2022
NOTE: This issue of The Levison Letter is longer than usual because I wanted to dig deeper into the subject matter.
I hope you stick with me as I swim against the current.
You already know that writing a successful subject line is critically important. It determines whether your email gets opened or not.
That’s why A/B testing (or “split testing") is a wonderful way to choose a winning
subject line before you mail.
All you have to do is take a small subsection of your list and send one version of your email subject line to half of that small test list . . .
. . . The second version of the email goes to the other half of your test list.
The email that gets opened the most tells you which subject line to go with. Easy.
So what’s my gripe?
Well, the crucial question that needs an answer is, what are you going to test?
/. What’s the difference between the two subject lines that determines which one is superior?
My point is, the standard advice you get on the web is way off the mark.
Here’s what all the “experts” have to say.
(Most of it is nonsense.)
They uniformly tell you to test a single variable. Make sure both the subject lines you’re testing are identical except for one tiny, itsy-bitsy change in one of them.
When you do, they say, you’ll learn something important. Make some big changes and you won’t know why one subject line is superior to the other.
But consider this . . .
When you first choose the subject line that you like as the control, you're already betting that it's the best of all possible lines.
So why not choose two completely different subject lines that you like for the test?
My advice? Swing for the fences. Don't bunt.
Go b
Here's another, more important reason,
to distrust the received advice.
Tale a look at what the web experts want you to test as a variable.
“Testing subject lines is a good way to start optimizing your emails. We make it easy to test subject lines with a simple click
Things to test in your subject line can be:
· Question
· Number
· Emoji
· Capitalization
· Ambiguous versus specific
· First person versus second person
· Personalization
· Length
· Urgency”
Should I test one subject line with an emoji,
and another without an emoji?
Are you kidding me?!
Do you think I would tell a client of mine that I want to do a split test using an emoji as the variable?
If I did, I should be fired on the spot!
So how do I test two subject lines?
The first thing I do is put on some music. Then I sit down at my desk with a cup of coffee and start writing subject lines. A lot of subject lines.
Then I take a break. Maybe I go for a walk. Then I come back and, with a little distance, review what I’ve written.
If I like what I see, I’ll take my favorite two subject lines and use them for the split test. If I’m not satisfied, I’ll write some more until I find some really strong lines.
I could care less whether
I would do better with or without an emoji.
Or whether I should write a number as “5” or “five.” Or whether I should capitalize a word or put it in lower case.
No. I’ll trust my 40 years of experience and give my subject-line test my best shot. And it seems to work.
Maybe that’s why Janice Harter, the Marketing Manager at Microsoft Dynamic GP wrote me to say:
"Thanks for copywriting the terrific email invitation for our webinar. The response rate was truly outstanding -- 300% better than we expected!"
Get in touch. I’m ready to roll. Or have me write your next (affordable) webinar invitation, email, home page, landing page, sales letter, you name it.
Now is the time. Let's go to work!
