A Slate editor received an email with the from line “Rachel, me (2).” Assuming that someone had replied to an email he sent, he opened it.
It turned out to be a
fundraising email from Act Blue and Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
Huh?
While most campaigns have not yet done anything this sleazy, they are nearing the line, Aaron Mak writes in
Slate an article focusing on Democratic efforts.
Other misleading subject lines include:
- Banquet hall tilapia (nothing to do with a menu, but with a denunciation by
Beta O’Rourke of $2,800-per-plate tilapia dinners).
- This is the antichrist — A rant from Bernie Sanders, quoting an attack against him.
- My last
email — This email from Amy Klobuchar does not signal that she is dropping out, but that it’s the last email prior to the FEC deadline.
“Writing a fundraising
email subject line is a lot like writing a headline,” Mak argues. “Putting out something misleading and clickbait-y may get your desired clicks or opens, but it’s only going to piss
off your followers in the long run.”