

How do you cut through the clutter of over-stuffed email inboxes and make sure your messages get read? Step one is to write great subject lines that persuade your email audience to open your messages because they’re right on target to meet customer needs.
But here’s another tip: Some types of email messages are more likely in general to get read.
You’ll probably never get as much attention from a customer as when you send your first message after signup for your email program. Welcome emails get twice the opens and three times the clicks of standard messages, according to one recent study.
Don’t miss out on this major opportunity to set a favorable image in the client’s mind. Certainly don’t send a plain, form thank you message with no other content.
Some tactics to try:
Many customers will give you their birth date on registration for your list, on the promise of some special treat because – well, birthdays make everyone feel like a kid again, even if they’re trying to forget their actual age. Birthday emails have 179% higher click rates than the usual promotional emails, one study found.
Setting up a birthday message is easy in email programs. You can schedule the message to send automatically on the birth date, and set the subject line to pull in the first name of the recipient for bit of warm personalization.
Depending on your business, your message might be a simple greeting. Or you can deliver a gift too, in the form of a discount or other deal. It may help to mention the offer in the subject line, in case the birthday boy/girl’s inbox is overflowing with wishes from other marketers.
Let’s face it, the bottom line reason most customers sign up for your messages is not for love of your company but in hopes of getting an alert to an upcoming sale or the immediate gratification of a coupon or other instant offer. So you have a willing audience—now, don’t turn them off with the wrong kind of subject line.
We’re talking emailed purchase receipts, shipping confirmations, and return-of-purchase confirmations—your point of sale system can generate these messages. Customers open them at rates around 100%, making them a great opportunity to present branding or marketing messages.
But mind these cautions:
Once upon a time, all you needed to run a successful business was a good product and nice storefront. Now, local business owners must handle estimates, invoices, online payments, text notifications, email marketing, social media and much more. Our local business automation software “Thryv,” helps run your business in today’s mobile environment all from the palm of your hand. It will save you time and money so you can get back to what you do best, running your business.
Copyright © 2023 SCORE Association, SCORE.org
Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.