Every email marketer knows that subject lines can make a huge difference to results, but finding the magic formula for writing subject lines is notoriously elusive. With so many variables to take into account; the length, word count, number of propositions, offer positioning, word choice – writing a subject line test plan can be a daunting task. This presentation from Alchemy Worx CEO Dela Quist, reveals how what you test, when you test and how you measure success can have a profound impact on your results.

1. Subject Line Optimization Master class:
What To Test, When To Test, And What To
Look For
Dela Quist: CEO Alchemy Worx
uk.linkedin.com/in/delaquist @delaquist & @alchemyworx

2. Why You Should Listen To Me?

3. When It Comes To SL’s People Are People
B2B B2C

4. Without A Goal Or Methodology Testing Is Of
Limited Value

5. Optimise For Opens Or For Clicks?

6. Optimise For Opens Or Clicks?
50%
30%
20%
8%

7. Top SL Tip For Selecting KPI’s
Forget about open rates and to a lesser extent
clicks focus on total opens, clicks and most of all
total $ £ €

8. Long Or Short?

9. Mailer Mailer Email Marketing Metrics Report 2010
Does length Matter?

10. If That Were True then SL 1 Would Always Beat
SL 2
1. Rock it up with these Great Looks, High
School Musical and 50% off selected
items!
2. Majestic's Winter Offers are Here!

11. Subject Line Length – No. Of Characters

12. Subject Line Length – No. Of Words

13. What’s Going On?

14. Short - Ambiguous or Misleading
“Summer starts here”
CTO Rate = 7%
Open rate
75%
Relevant
Customers
10%
Click Rate
5.25%
Subject Lines Filter Or Pre-Qualify Your Openers
Long - Multiple Proposition
“50% off Nike trainers; the latest from Wimbledon,
Plus your chance to win a spa weekend”
CTO Rate = 28.5%
Open
rate
35%
Relevant
Customer
Group A
10%
Click Rate
10%
Relevant
Customer
Group B
10%
Short - Strong Single Proposition
“Nike trainers - 50% off”
CTO Rate = 60%
Open
rate
15%
Relevant
Customers
10%
Click Rate
9%

15. Gilt – Masters of the Looong SL

16. Top SL Length Tips
Our research shows that subject lines under 60 or more than 70
characters generate the highest response – but that the
response is actually different at each end of the spectrum
• shorter subject lines generate higher open rates, a measure of
wider interest, but much lower click rates
• longer subject lines earn a much higher click rate, an
indication that the more openers find the content relevant to
them
• the open rate and click-to-open rate curves intersect at about
60-70 characters, a “neutral zone” where neither metric is
optimised

17. What About Branding?

18. There Are 2 Kinds Of Marketing
Demand Response Marketing
(Giving You What I think Or Know You Want)
V
Demand Generation Marketing
(Making You Want What I have)

19. In The Inbox The Subject Line
Gives A Guaranteed Brand
Impression

20. Lets Play Pretend – Who Wins?

21. Familiarity Builds Trust

22. Familiarity Builds Trust

23. Familiarity Breeds Trust & Trust Sells

24. Occasional Change Delivers A Temporary Lift

25. Mixing It Up – Using Names

26. Mixing It Up – Special Characters

27. Top Tips For Promoting Brand Values In Your SL
• Focus on a values you wish to be identified with
• Branding is about repetition – once identified keep
repeating your core values
• Emails do NOT have to be opened for your brand
values to register
• Discounts do not build your brand but they sell so
you need a balance

28. The Vast Majority Of The Emails
You Send Will Not Get Opened
No Matter Who You Are Or What
You Do

29. The Good News Is You Can’t Ignore Email Without
Processing The SL

30. The Nudge Effect

31. The Nudge Effect Subject Lines Influence
Non-Openers Too

32. The Nudge Effect Subject Lines Influence Non-
Openers Too

33. Top SL Tips For Promoting Sales In Other
Channels
• Attribution Attribution Attribution – who holds the power
in your organisation?
• Send times should aim to coincide or influence peak
sales in that channel
• SL should acknowledge the channel “Great deals in
store this weekend”
• You can still promote specific products and great offers

34. 3 Problems With Current Method Of A/B
Testing SL’s
Subject Line A
Sent To Entire List
Subject Line B
Group A
15% Open Rate
Group B
12% Open Rate
Subject Line A

35. Purchase From Time Of Deployment

36. Purchase From Time Of Last Click

37. The Only SL Tool That Accurately Predicts Results
www.subjectlinegold.com

46. How To Create An Effective SL Methodology
• Have a clear sense of what you want to improve or optimise -
Are you interested in improving opens, clicks or sales? It is not
uncommon for the SL with the least opens to generate more click
and/or sales.
• Own the results – Make sure that whoever conducts the tests
goes on the record and documents which SL they predict will win
(or lose) and, more importantly, why.
• Aim to develop a methodology for creating subject lines – Do
not reinvent the wheel every time you send an email out, which is
what happens if you focus on creating the “perfect” subject line;
you are much more likely to deliver consistent results if you have a
proven and well tested methodology.

47. Spanner In The Works?

48. Further Reading On Subject Lines
Most popular articles:
How to get special results from special characters http://bit.ly/1mOSVNS
What’s the best way to separate items in a subject line? http://bit.ly/1mOSZNI
How to create emails that sell – even unopened http://bit.ly/1gHannM
How to create an effective subject line methodology http://bit.ly/1wxst0j
Subject Lines – Length does matter http://bit.ly/1rnCf51

49. Thank You & Stay in Touch
uk.linkedin.com/in/delaquist
alchemyworx.com/delaquist_ebook
dela@alchemyworx.com
@Alchemyworx
@delaquist
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