A Deathly Email Marketing Secret
“Your subject line is always the most interesting in my inbox.”
This was the response from a subscriber on my list who opened all 63 emails I sent her.
I sent her a simple email.
“I see that you open every email. Can you tell me why?”
And her response was simple:
“Your subject line is always the most interesting in my inbox.”
Do you know what this means?
My headlines pull on her emotions enough to get her to open them.
That’s powerful.
Want to know my secret?
I'm about to show you how to come up with infinite email subject lines.
But not just any email subject line, the kind of subject lines that'll leave your email subscribers salivating over your emails like their about to chow-down their favorite food.
The kind of subject lines that get your subscribers to open your emails like lightening speed and open every single one of them.
What I'm going to share with you is powerful, so powerful that if it ended up in the wrong hands it can be misused in bad ways. Very bad ways.
So, if you're not a crappy person and want to use this for good, to drive more sales for your business, to help more customers, then suit up, it's about to get interesting.
Why Email Subject Lines Fail
Before I share this information and strategy with you, let me first explain why some email subject lines fail miserably.
It's invaluable to know how NOT to do something, even more so than knowing how to do something.
So, let me share a list of REAL (and horrible) subject lines I have in my email from other companies:
Checking in
Can't get your marketing to WORK?!
URGENT
Just a quick reminder
Care to join us?
Check this out!
It's about time, don't you think?
Adrian, meet up with me this Thursday?
New Riz Outreach Method
Want a coaching call with me?
Meet Kieran ...👋
Be bold.
Managing expectations
The best time of the quarter!
How's your business managing?
Your Infinite Potential ⚡
Okay, okay... that should be enough. I'm getting sad just seeing how many of these damn things are in one of my inboxes.
Now let's break down why these suck.
First, many of them are ones we're used too. Especially the first few. They come off spammy.
All of the other ones have jack shit to do with me.
Well, the only ones that are somewhat personal are the last two. But they're whack.
How's my business managing? What the hell do you mean?
And my "Infinite Potential ⚡" is likely not hidden in your damn email. Sounds corny if you ask me.
None of these strike curiosity, do they? That's one of the biggest downfalls of these subject lines.
You want to make people think, "What is this about?" or "What the f***k?" when they see your subject lines - this is what makes people open emails.
None of these subject lines I shared with you do that. At all.
But that is not the only downfall of these subject lines. The biggest downfall of these headlines are the fact that none of them tell a story.
You want to spark curiosity in your readers? Tell a god damn story.
Yes, even in your headlines.
If you subject lines do not tell a story in themselves they fail to reach the potential open and engagement rate that they could have had.
If they are bland, flat and don't trigger any kind of emotion then they will fail every single time. Remember, people don't create emails to create billboards.
They create emails to connect. So be a human, do human shit, and connect with them. Don't be a marketing robot.
Why Story-Based Subject Lines Convert Better
Picture this:
You wake up in the middle of the night at 3:00am. Freezing, every hair on your body standing up.
As you lay there you hear a loud bang in the kitchen downstairs. Nobody's home. Chills run up your spine as another loud sound comes from the kitchen.
Hesitantly, you roll over, and put your feet on the cold wooden floor. You begin walking over to the stairs, every step making a creaking sound.
You take a big gulp, walk downstairs, and what you see absolutely paralyzes you.
Okay, okay, let me end it there and let your imagination finish the rest.
The point that I'm illustrating here is that stories are engaging as heck. Did you see how reading that was an experience? It was an experience because the words created an image in your mind.
Images are what influence our emotions. If you don't believe me just picture someone you love more than life itself.
Now picture them dead. Do you feel the difference?
As symbolic human beings we love stories, we crave them, we need them.
It's human nature. Therefore if you use subject lines that tell a story, you will naturally engage more people.
Not to mention, the sense of connection that your audience will have with you due to the self-identifying effect of stories.
You see, when we hear a story, we create our own mental movie of that story. And we always, and I mean always, feature ourselves in those movies.
Just like you pictured yourself waking up at 3:00am to a loud noise in your kitchen when you read that story.
When you play to a persons identity like that, you have the power to influence them to make decisions. Identity is everything to an individual.
This is how Hitler got an entire country to turn on a race. It was an identity thing.
"We, we, we."
And again, story-telling forces us to picture ourselves in a situation.
If you are married man and you watch a movie of a wife cheating on her husband, I assure you that you will feel some sense of anger or betrayal. Not that your wife is cheating, but you're emotionally invested in a story of a man whose wife is cheating so you feel those same feelings.
Now do you see why story based subject lines are powerful? Do you see why these are what you want to begin using if you want to turn your email list into a profit center?
But the question remains, how the hell do you tell a story in a subject line?
The Trick To Writing Story-Based Headlines
In Waju Abrahams book, Email Sorcery, he shares this strategy he learned from another copywriter whose name I can't recall right now, and I'm about to share it with you.
First, I want to show you just how short a story can be, which is something else Waju pointed out to me in his book.
Here is the worlds shortest story:
"Baby shoes for sale. Never worn."
Six words, yet a full story is told.
Best part is, it leaves your imagination to come up with your own story. "I have a pair of baby shoes that I am selling, and this is a pair of baby shoes that my child never wore due to the tons of shoes his grandparents bought him."
"I buy and resell baby shoes, brand new only. Do you want them?"
"I bought the wrong size shoe for my daughter and now I want to sell them. They have never been worn. Want to be them?"
There can be plenty of stories within that subject line. But the point is, it is a story. And it's only six words.
You see that?
And there is an organization out there that happens to be masters at this, and have been masters at it for a very long time.
We all know them. It's Cosmopolitan Magazine.
Yes, these guys. They are masters at story-telling in very, very short sentences.
That's the secret behind my 50% open rate. I study and model cosmopolitan magazines.
That is the "Deathly email marketing secret" I've been talking about all of this time.
By simple studying these headlines and modeling them, you can come up with the most hypnotic, eye-grabbing and 'what the f**k?!' kind of headlines that are too irresistible to leave closed.
Let me show you.
Here is a list of Cosmopolitan Magazines Headlines:
“Words To Make Her Fall For Into The Arms Of Her Best Friend”
“Please, No!”: The Shocking Murder of a Perfect Girl
Related: What Your Va-jay-jay is Dying To Tell You
Displaying This Emotion Can Endanger Your Life
News: why wet kisses make men horny.
Now here is a list of my headlines, modeling these:
“Words To Make A Customer Fall Into The Arms Of A Competitor”
“Please, No!”: The Shocking Fallout Of A 7-Figure Guru
Related: What Your Customers Are Dying To Tell You.
Displaying This Emotion Can Ruin Your Marketing
News: why daily emails make customers throw money at you
Do you see how powerful this is?
Like Waju says, this is "Deathly email ammo."
Let's have fun and see some more examples.
Here are some top Cosmopolitan Magazine headlines:
Why most men are still attracted to dumb women, and the incredible things they do to smart women at the office (but times, they are a-changing).
Should you be faithful to somebody else’s husband.
Sex sessions that ended in the ER: you’ll thank God it wasn’t you.
Killer cocktail: how a popular drink could kill you in your sleep
News: Why wet kisses make men horny
99 sexy ways to touch him: these fresh, frisky tips will thrill every inch of your guy (our favorite requires a glazed donut).
Now, let's model these:
Why most of your prospects still prefer your competitors crappier product, and the weird reasons they will never by from you (stop doing these).
Should you be faithful to a business coach?
Ads that got accounts shut down: you’ll thank God it wasn’t you.
Killer marketing: how this popular marketing strategy could kill your business
News: Why daily emails leave customers salivating
99 unusual email templates that sell: these weird, unique and hypnotic emails will make your subscribers throw money at you (our favorite is email #13, you'll see why)
You see the power of this?
The attention grabbing power of these headlines?
They motivate action. They drive behavior.
So, if you want to get better at writing subject lines that force your readers to open, I encourage you to study Cosmopolitan Magazine headlines and model them.
It's a surefire way to be the most interesting subject line in your prospects inbox every single day and stand out like a beautiful sore thumb.
And before I wrap this up, I thought sharing a big list of my favorite headlines would be valuable for you.
So here is a list of powerful (and crazy) Cosmopolitan Magazine headlines that will can make you a lot of money if used right.
62 Cosmopolitan Magazine Headlines To Model:
What massage parlor girls are like (and do to men––perhaps yours).
An orgasm almost killed her: we are not kidding.
Why most men are still attracted to dumb women, and the incredible things they do to smart women at the office (but times, they are a-changing).
When your vagina acts weird after sex.
Advice to girls over five feet seven.
His butt: what the size, shape, and pinch-ability of those sweet cheeks reveal about his true self.
Feel happier in 9 seconds
Should you be faithful to somebody else’s husband.
Sex sessions that ended in the ER: you’ll thank God it wasn’t you.
The undiscovered joys of having a Chinese lover.
Killer cocktail: how a popular drink could kill you in your sleep.
Little mouth moves that make sex hotter.
Pow! Bam! Splat! Men who punch girls.
Untamed va-jay-jays: guess what sexy style is back.
Want a new nose? Complete information.
A secretary tells how a con man took her money.
What to do about those secret, enormous binges that lay you low with guilt and girth.
The silent way he shows he’s whipped.
Hollywood’s physical-fitness wizard tells how to get high on deep breathing.
The flight attendant’s diet. Keeping slim isn’t easy even on airline food!
12 ways to make your place look smashing (for less than $100).
When threes not a crowd. An alternate love style to some.
Flatten your belly: the new water sipping trick that crushes hunger.
Getting him back from her. (75% of straying husbands do come home).
Girls who are addicted to sex. Why they can’t stop.
His secret sex spots: you know about his G-spot, now be the first to find out about his C-spot and V-spot. Touch both tonight and you’ll peel him off the ceiling.
“She caught a rapist with a straw”.
The unbelievable spending orgies of the superrich. Is this the fall of Rome?
20,000 readers reveal the main reasons for divorce.
1,000 men confess the squeezes, licks and teases they long for –– and the most important square inch on a man’s body.
Who’s that Anorexic girl at the gym?
How to climax together, a sure-fire technique that takes you both over the edge simultaneously.
News: why wet kisses make men horny.
21 mind blowing sex moves you’ve never tried before.
My car turned me on!: hilarious tales of accidental pleasure.
99 sexy ways to touch him: these fresh, frisky tips will thrill every inch of your guy (our favorite requires a glazed donut).
A shocking thing 68% of chicks do in bed.
The Orgasm Whisperer: Every Girl Needs One
Untamed Va-jay-jays: Guess What Sexy Style Is Back
“LeAnn Rimes Stole My Husband"
Vaginas Under Attack: Don’t Let a Greedy Gyno Talk You into This Horrible Mistake
Killer Cocktail: How a Popular Drink Could Kill You in Your Sleep
Everyday Things That Can Wreck Your Fertility
Be a Lucky Bitch!: These Proven Mind Tricks Will Get You What You Want
Sex Sessions That Ended In the ER: You’ll Thank God It Wasn’t You
Sex Bloopers: You’ll LOL at Bedroom Romps That Went Horribly Wrong
“My Gyno Talked To My Vagina”: And Other Doc Shockers
“Please, No!”: The Shocking Murder of a Perfect Girl
Pretty, Popular, And Murdered: Why Did It Happen?
Why You Should Be A Jealous Bitch: And 6 Other Relationship Secrets
His Butt: What the Size, Shape, and Pinchability of Those Sweet Cheeks Reveal About His True Self
Displaying This Emotion Can Endanger Your Life
When Your Hoo-ha’s Burning: Don’t Use This Common Cure
How to Decode the Sneaky Signs of an STD
Foreplay Men Crave: Touch His Secret Erotic Spot (Surprise: It Doesn’t Rhyme With Shmenis)
Meow!: Why Acting Just Like a Cat Will Get People to Come To You
When Your Vagina Acts Weird After Sex
An Orgasm Almost Killed Her: We Are Not Kidding
The Article That Can Make You Feel Happier Almost Instantly
You, You, You: Feel Instantly Happier — With One Tiny Change
“Um, Vagina, Are You Okay Down There?”: Easy Fixes For Freaky Issues
What Your Va-jay-jay is Dying To Tell You
In Conclusion
The key to getting people to buy from your emails is to first get them OPENED.
With people being bombarded with emails everyday, you need to stand out. And you do that by striking curiosity, which is best done by story-telling.
Story-based subject lines are more engaging, effective and you will come to find more of your emails being opened overtime the more and more you use them.
To improve your skill at writing these kind of subject lines then study Cosmopolitan Magazine or sites like Digg.com, these are treasure troves of golden copy.
And if you're looking to improve your email marketing skills and get dangerously good with getting people to buy through emails, then grab the book Email Sorcery right now. It's only $12 bucks.
Lastly, go ahead and share your best subject line in the comments 👇