You picked the perfect merchant and composed a great affiliate marketing campaign/promotion. Now, you need to share it with your followers. This post reviews the power of your subject line and how it impacts your affiliate commissions..
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The first thing a person sees in your email is the subject line..If you can get someone to click your subject line, you’re more than likely to get someone to read (at least half of) and engage with your email.
Here are a few tips to help you get started with the subject line:
- Don’t be afraid to make yourself stand out
It’s like going on a first date and making a first impression, you wouldn’t want to come off as boring! Write your subject line with confidence and creativity. Even if you think your subject line idea is cheesy, it’s probably still worth a shot! You can try it out and test it, if it doesn’t get good responses you can always tweak it.
Here’s an example of a subject line for a campaign we did for Joy Organics’ CBD pet products: Give Your Best Bud a Boost With a CBD Collab ?
When crafting a subject line you can think of two things:
- What audience am I targeting?
- How can I express myself in the shortest way possible?
- What will they get out of opening this?
In our case, we were targeting pet websites and we wanted to collaborate with them for National Dog Day. It sounded more exciting than simply saying “CBD Collab for Dogs.”
Pro tip: it’s up to you whether or not you want to use title case (example above) in the subject line. It has been suggested that using title case paired with a lengthy subject line can come off as overwhelming. Others suggest that using sentence case (just like when you’re writing a sentence) can be beneficial. I suggest trying both options and figuring out which suits you best.
- Insert customization
Try adding their name into the mix. For example, “Hey [Name], don’t regret missing this newsletter!” This can be a hint that you’ve done research and know them by name.
Pro tip: make sure you spell their name right! No one wants to read an email when their name is spelled wrong. It’s off-putting. If her name is spelled Meghan and you call her Megan it’s not going to do you a favor.
- Test their curiosity
This technique is different from click bait because it’s not a false advertisement. What you’re simply doing is sparking someone’s curiosity, and the only way they can find out what your email is about is by opening it. I will include an example in the headline of the following tip:
- Emojis can do good, but there’s a dark side ⚡️
This is fun and can be eye-catching. How many emails do you get on the daily that include emojis? Most emails I receive have a serious tone to them, but adding an emoji can grab their attention.
According to SmartrMail, although there’s data that suggests that using emojis can increase your open rate, it can also increase complaint rates (spam reports).
- Learn your audience and their interests
Learn more about your audience and follow accordingly. Do diligent research to find the common denominator among your audience. Maybe you have a mix of people who you want to reach out to, go the extra mile and customize accordingly. If there’s a specific person you really want a reply from, it’ll be worth it in the long run. For instance, a younger audience can respond better to emojis, so if your audience
- Short, sweet, and not demanding
This one is self-explanatory. You don’t want to overdo it on the length. You also don’t want to sound too desperate or demanding. Go easy on the exclamation points.
Pro tip: this might sound like common knowledge but remember to be extra careful before you hit send. If you have a spelling error in the subject line, you might be taken less seriously by the receiver. Double checking your subject line for mistakes, it can’t hurt, it can only help!
- Give a sense of urgency
Here’s an example of giving a sense of urgency while writing a subject line for Dropps:
Quick! Save money and help the earth with this every day product
Words like “quick!” or sentences like It’s not too late to…” provoke a sense of urgency and can help emphasize your subject line.
- Use A/B testing to your advantage
According to Optimizely, A/B testing, or split testing, is a way of comparing two versions and seeing which has a higher conversion rate. In our case, it’s an experiment to see which subject line gets more opens/clicks. You can create one and test them both, and the most successful subject line can be used for more outreach in the future.
Here’s an example using a subject line we used previously:
Version A: Quick! Save money and help the earth with this every day product ?
Version B: Act fast and save the planet by using this every day product!
They’ve opened it. Now keep them interested.
Congrats! You’ve finished reading our tips on how to get receivers to open your email! Now you’re on your way to getting that initial email read and hopefully replied to. I will provide a few self-explanatory tips for guidance:
- Similar to a converting affiliate blog post, be sure to include your call to action at the beginning, middle and end of your email.
- Research person you’re reaching out to, this will help when you’re personalizing the email.
- Don’t make it all about you. Ask them how they’re doing or compliment them on one of their recent accomplishments. Perhaps they’re an influencer who just got a book deal or they’re going to be a new parent!
- Hit your main points. Don’t get off track.
- Be graceful. Thank them for your time.
Don’t be overwhelmed by all of the information. Find your style and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone when it comes to subject lines. When in doubt, test it out. What are you top affiliate email tips? Please share in the Comments below.