Did that vague, hopefully intriguing headline get you to
click on this link? If you are reading this, then it must have. This is exactly what
a headline for a blog is supposed to do. It is the sole reason bloggers set out
to write their web monologues. They also write to have their opinions
read, but they write to get a bigger audience.
The journalist is trying to get the most people to read and react to their articles, which in turn would make the reporter that much more popular and respected. The retailer is aiming for clients to view more emails and then to buy more goods and services.What they all have in common is a sense of marketing behind them. The blogger is trying to get the most people they can to read their blog everyday, so they may start making a living out of their personal writings.
However, this isn’t my point. There are people of countless other professions who follow very similar patterns in their work. Journalists, always searching for the next big break in the world’s news, will push basically any boundary with their headlines to get people to read, what they believe, to be Pulitzer Prize winning news stories. Business people send out emails with subject lines they hope clients will feel obligated to open.
Recent Research
Recently, research done at the BI Norwegian Business School
in Oslo, Norway has been exploring some new, crucial information on which
subject lines will work the best.
The subject line focused on by the study was headlines with questions in them. More specific than just a question, was questions with
self-referencing cues (like the headline of this blog) or a question without a
self-referencing cue. Much of the studies completed show that questions with
self-referencing cues worked well for selling products such as iPhones, couches
and televisions. These same questions also made readership of articles go up
exponentially, when used in the headline.
Perhaps this is why I used such a question to start my blog…
hmmm. Some examples of these questions could be:
- "Aren't you curious about our new offers?"
- "Don't you think this is a great deal?"
These questions could lead to more clicks for your email campaign. With all of this being said, the institute claims that much
more research has to be completed before any concrete statistics.
Self-Referencing Cues
The self-reference cue, summed up simply, means that the headline or subject line brings the second-person into play. With the use of the words "you" or "we," or something else along those lines, aim to make the person reading feel more integral in the whole operation at hand. This leads to them feeling that they may have to at least read some of the article or email. This tactic, also, makes people feel that they may really need a product.
It seems to be some marketing with an integrally classic touch to it. It makes people feel a need for a product, but it also makes them feel that they are part of the company selling it to them. This may seem like extremely outdated business, but the research seems to be proving that this marketing is indeed the best move, despite what modern marketers seem to believe.
Conclusion
The question subject line is leading the way in the world of email marketing. You can try it now with the help of JangoMail. Go to jangomail.com now for a free trial into the world of email marketing.
Sources
- All the data, charts and background for the study can be found a t: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15534510.2013.847859
