Why was e-mail number 2 opened WAY more than number 1?
The other day, a client sent out two e-mails. The first was opened by 232 people, the second by 332! Can you help figure out why?
E-mail 1:
“Starting today, I’m offering GROUP consulting”
Opens: 232
E-mail 2:
“Awwwww shoot!”
Opens: 332
So, exactly 100 more people opened e-mail #2, which was really just dashed off — she realized something wasn’t clear in the first e-mail, and sent out the second to clarify.
Yesterday, the Blog Tyrant posted about What Makes People Open an E-mail or Letter, and he’s got some great suggestions. However, this one kind of falls out of the box.
My analysis:
- It’s familiar, like the kind of e-mail you’d get from a friend (reminds me a little of Clay Collins e-mail subject lines…his latest was “um . . . you should probably know about this”)
- It begs a question — like when someone in the office next to you yells “crap!!” and you have to run in and see what’s wrong.
What do you think?
Any other ways we can “repeat” this mistake?
Cathy Reisenwitz
January 13, 2011, 10:58 amMaybe it works better to stay away from words like “offer,” in the subject, which readers might automatically associate with unsolicited offers they’re not really interested in.
Erika
January 13, 2011, 11:23 amCathy – great point!
Jamie Farrell
January 14, 2011, 6:09 amI think 2 things: 1) By not using the same subject line in both emails, we are not sure which variable to attribute the higher open rate; was it because 1 subject line was more enticing than the other? Or was it because it was the 2nd email from the same email address and the consumer ‘recognized’ the name?
2) I believe both attributed to that higher number; 2nd emails in any marketing campaign have a higher open rate than 1st emails, but it is typically due to the brand (or in this case – name) recognition.
I think the reason the delta here is so large is because the subject was ‘better’ (more intriguing) in the second one as well.
Erika
January 14, 2011, 9:52 amJamie – that’s true, there’s many more variables than just the subject line. Interesting stat that 2nd e-mails get opened more – how/why does that work?