• by Anna Russell , September 7, 2010

Words can lift our spirits, darken our moods, catch us by surprise and inspire us to take action.  Words have the power to build lifelong allegiances or irrevocably sever relationships. This is important stuff we're talking about here.  And depending on how you speak to  consumers in your emails, you can either win them over or wind up in the trash folder.

Take a look at the following phrases and think about how they make you feel:

·      "I have a dream."  -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

·      "You ought to get out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini."  -- "Every Day's A Holiday"

·      "He-e-e-e-e-'re's Johnny." -- "The Shining"

·      "At my signal - unleash hell." -- "Gladiator"

·      "Yes, we can." - President Barack Obama

According to the Journal of Advertising Research and cited by Dan Hill in his book "Emotionomics," emotions are twice as important as facts in making purchasing decisions.  In fact, the emotional side of our brain is both larger and faster-acting than our rational one.  Our gut reactions are triggered in three seconds or less. 

For those who have read this column before, that stat might ring a bell?   Generally we have three seconds to catch the attention of an email recipient, so you've got to make an impression and make it fast.  Given what we've just learned about the emotional brain, wouldn't it be fair to assume a consumer's gut reaction is crucial to an email's success?  The last thing you want is to be deleted -- or worse still, have the spam button hit.  Ahh the pain of undertaking all that analysis, message testing, creative crafting and data collection, just to be "spammed." 

Spam rates are on the rise, so this is a real concern. Forrester noted in its 2008 "Secret to Email Delivery" report that 90%-95% of the emails that end up in spam folders are marketing messages, 17% of which are completely legitimate.  With Google announcing its new email prioritization system -- where emails are prioritized based on past behavior and preferences -- on Sept. 7, the challenge for email marketers grows greater still. 

Why do so many legitimate marketing messages end up in spam folders?  According to Forreste,  less than half of marketers clean their databases at least monthly.  In addition, ISP rules are constantly changing, marketers often are behind the curve in making the necessary updates to their email parameters, and many still fall into the trap of using spammy language like "act now," "order now" and, "offer," to name but a few. Naughty, naughty.

So, what words get an email opened?  Here are five subject lines from MailChimps' best and worst performing subject lines in an analysis of over 40 million subject lines.  Can you guess which were among the best and worst performers?

·      "We invite you to xxxxx" 

·      [COMPANYNAME] May 2005 News Bulletin

·      Upcoming Events at [COMPANYNAME]

·      "Valentines - Shop Early & Save 10%

.       "Resort Name - Spring into May Savings."

I'm sure you guessed right. The first three subject lines enjoyed the best open rates, while the latter two were sent to the corner for being among the worst.  On the best side, the subject lines were straightforward and not too pushy  On the worst side, the subject lines either read like headlines or were too "salesy."   When it comes to email marketing, the best subject lines tell what's inside, and the worst subject lines sell what's inside. 

Likeability and persuasion go hand in hand. We are far more likely to buy a car from someone we like and trust, than someone we feel is shifty.  So, when developing an email, don't ignore the importance of an emotional connection.  Emails can be emotional creatures too, you know. Think about what the emotional benefit is to the user.  Will they feel valued, assured, comforted or privileged?  Aligning around the emotional goal as well as the rational intent will make for a far more successful campaign.

In this increasingly competitive email world, we not only need to stand out, we need to be liked. And to be liked, we need to emotionally connect with our audiences.   If Google's email prioritization system is a signal of things to come, it has never been more important to choose your words carefully.