Claude Hopkins’
Scientific Advertising, first published in 1923, was a big inspiration to David Ogilvy, who wrote, “Nobody, at any level, should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book seven times.”
Hopkins’ single-minded focus on getting results is as relevant as ever in marketing channels like email. For anyone who’s ever set out to write a compelling email subject line, Hopkins’ advice is an excellent starting point.
In a chapter on headlines, Hopkins wrote, “People will not be bored in print. They may listen politely at a dinner table to boasts and personalities, life history, etc. But in print they choose their own companions, their own subjects. They want to be amused or benefited. They want economy, beauty, labor savings, good things to eat and wear.”
In email marketing subject lines from companies like Amazon.com, Hopkins’ scientific approach is readily visible. Here are five ways Amazon optimises subject lines to ensure readers are enticed by “their own companions, own subjects”:
1. Real relevance. After browsing an item in the Amazon store, you’ll start receiving dynamically generated emails featuring products in that category. All online retailers should be doing this. Amazon is perfecting the algorithm for the recency, frequency and messaging that optimises dynamic email personalisation right now.
2. Simplicity. Amazon doesn’t get clever with email subject lines. Many follow the direct marketing maxim of “lead with the offer”. You’ll see lines like “Save 40% on…” or “Free 1-day shipping on…” because they presumably drive the highest open rates. In almost all cases, Amazon also includes its own name in the subject line. Not everyone reads “From” addresses, so Amazon devotes precious subject line space to assure customers the email is from a company they trust — while drawing you in with an offer that could come straight out of a spruiker’s megaphone.
3. Problem solving. Mother’s Day is one of the biggest holidays for online shopping, and Amazon was happy to remind me several times in the lead up to the occasion. This year, I also received an email from Amazon a week after Mother’s Day. Its subject was concise: “Amazon.com Mother’s Day Gift Cards.” If I was feeling guilty, here was a very easy way to make amends. Traditional retailers have probably always known shoppers keep buying holiday gifts after the actual holiday. Amazon turned that insight into problem-solving marketing.
4. Novelty. Amazon uses a variety of subject line styles to grab attention, including adding the recipient’s name to the subject line. But Amazon doesn’t use any one style all the time. Like new store windows, Amazon’s subject lines entice you with novelty. The writing style and structure of lines constantly change, and email content ranges across personal, seasonal and product-specific themes.
5. Understanding. Looking through my Amazon email file, it’s clear that Amazon’s dynamic email generation algorithm is designed to forget as well as remember. Just because I looked for a camera bag eight months ago, it doesn’t mean I’m still shopping for one now. It remembers my favourite authors for years. But like any good salesperson, Amazon knows when it’s time to move on, and I appreciate them for it.