Roger & Tom, Thanks For These ‘Top 10’ Funny Subject Lines
My subject line today incorporates the findings of this recent study of email subject lines reported in Nonprofit Pro.
According to the study, the most effective email subject lines have these characteristics:
- Personalization — we all know what that means.
- Numbers — the article suggests this is about urgency (e.g., 3 days until our matching gift lapses); I can buy that, but I also think people are simply addicted to lists.
- Have a little fun — “the study makes a compelling case for punching up subject lines with a bit more humor and informal tone.”
- ‘Thank you’ messages — “Don’t overthink your ‘thank you’ message subject lines. Simple and direct works best here.”
Now, to totally confound you, here are the real subject lines in the ‘top 10’ Agitator posts of the past 12 months:
Top 5 Innovative Fundraising Ideas
Why Is Direct Mail Seeing A Resurgence?
2015 Fundraising Effectiveness Report: Read It And Weep
The Future Of Fundraising: Bright Or Bleak?
Direct Mail Will Outlive Us All
See, we violate all the rules most of the time. That’s why we’re The Agitator!
Tom
P.S. OK, my subject line was a spoof on the findings. But I’ll be watching the open rate very closely!
2 responses to “Roger & Tom, Thanks For These ‘Top 10’ Funny Subject Lines”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer
Direct mail isn’t contentious or anything, huh? Pretty solid for a dead/dying channel. It’s like a voice from the grave! Happy Friday, guys. 😉
I mailed a political appeal with two sentences: “Please send $35.00 as soon as possible. I’ll explain later.”
A week later, letter #2 was mailed explaining the urgency.
Huge success!!!!