I have a tiny favor to ask of my library marketing friends. 😌
I need you to do something different when it comes to email marketing. It is an effortless, quick thing to change! I’ll make my case to you in this episode.
Plus we’ll give kudos to someone doing great work in library marketing.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
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Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Your subject lines play a significant role in the success of your library email marketing campaigns. They’re the first thing your recipients notice about your emails.
And a good subject line is crucial because you can’t get email recipients to take an action, like registering for a program or downloading a book, unless they open your email.
The subject line is also the most difficult part of the email to create, at least for me! So today I’m going to share the tricks I use to write better subject lines. I’ve shared these tips with the libraries I’ve worked as well as my own staff at NoveList. We’re using these tips to increase open and click-through rates.
And I want to issue a challenge.
I want to see your best library marketing subject lines! When you write a great subject line, just forward the email to ahursh@ebsco.com.
At the end of every month, I’ll recognize the best subject lines from libraries in the Kudos section of The Library Marketing Show.
Here are 8 tips to help you create those irresistible library marketing email subject lines. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for 6 free online tools to help you make sure your subject line is the best it can be.
Tip #1: Write the subject line AFTER you create the email.
If you write the body of the email first, you’ll have the tone, the graphics, and the call to action decided by the time you get to the subject line. Those elements will help you write a subject line that works well for the email. By the time you get to it, the subject line might write itself!
Tip #2: Be personal.
Many libraries don’t have the budget for the automated personalization of emails. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still add a personal touch to your subject line.
Email marketing expert Jay Schwedelson says open rates increase when you add a personal touch. According to Jay’s research, here are some specific examples of exactly how much open rates increase when you add this bit of personalization.
Geography: 26 percent. Example: Join other readers in Smithville and take the Winter Reading Challenge.
Life Event: 31 percent. Example: High school seniors get an extra boost of confidence with the library’s online college prep course.
Hobby or interest: 22 percent. Example: Knitters… we want to help you create your next project!
Generation: 25 percent. Example: Gen Xers—get a dose of movie nostalgia with Kanopy!
Personalization signals to your community that a real person was thinking of them when they sent this email.
Tip #3: Say something urgent.
Urgency can create the “fear of missing out”(FOMO) effect in your emails.
For example, you can use urgent language to promote the Big Library Read promotions from Overdrive. This is a limited-time offer and using urgent language in the subject line is appropriate. Phrases like Hurry, Limited time offer, and Ending soon will increase participation.
You can also use urgent language to promote programs with a registration cap. Phrases, like Grab your seat now, will prompt people to open your library’s emails and increase registration and attendance.
Tip #4: Start with an “alert” phrase.
Using words like Alert, Sneak peek, First look, and Hey there to stop email recipients from scrolling past your message in their inbox. You might think they’re so overused by big brands that there is no way a library cardholder will engage with that language. You’d be wrong.
Cardholders are honestly accustomed to very serious library emails which avoid alert language. So, when you do use it, it grabs their attention.
Tip #5: Use sentence case.
Your library emails should be written to connect with people. For everyone but the President of the United States or the King of England, that means a more conversational tone.
Sentence case will make your library email seem like it’s coming from a friend. For example: Do this one last thing for your library in 2022 or If you love free books, you’ll want to open this email.
Tip #6: Use emojis.
Emojis work because the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. More than 90 percent of the information that we process is visual.
The emoji drawing stands out in a line of letters. And if your recipient is using a device that adds color to the emoji, that also makes your subject line pop.
For example, 🎵 Now THIS sounds like a fun Tuesday night! Or Best 👏 book 👏 ever! 👏
Tip #7: Attempt alliteration.
Alliteration can break the monotony for someone scanning through their inbox. It’s catchy and memorable.
And you don’t have to do it for every word in your subject line. Use it on two or three keywords and watch your open rate increase. For example, Fast fixes for the winter reading blahs or Grandparents get groovy at the library’s new exercise class.
Tip #8: Use a subject line analyzer.
There are lots of free choices. Each has its own method for predicting the success of a subject line.
A good rule of thumb is to run your subject line through two or three analyzers. If you consistently get a good score, you’ve got a good subject line!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.
The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 162: This episode is my response to a recent comment by a library staffer. They believe that marketing emails aren’t worth their time because people receive too many emails from brands.
That’s a common misconception. I’ll explain why it’s not true and share some tips for making sure your library marketing emails get opened and clicked on!
Kudos in this episode go to Kathy Zappitello. Watch to find out why she’s being recognized.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.
And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.
The subject line of your library marketing email is your first chance to communicate the value of your email to the person receiving it. It may be your ONLY chance to get someone’s attention to engage with the promotional content you’ve worked so hard to create.
A good subject line will drive people to open the email, read what’s inside, and take action. That will lead to an increase in the use of your library. And that’s the whole point, right??
A bad subject line can lead your email to be marked as spam, which willaffect your sender reputation. In fact, according to the marketing agency Convince and Convert, 69 percent of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.
That’s why I think your subject line might be the most important part of your library marketing email.
I want you to spend the most time thinking about that section. Be very intentional about what you say in the subject line.
There are five best practices to help you create engaging subject lines. Scroll down for some more free tools to help you to test your subject line before you hit “send”.
Tip #1: Use brackets or parentheses in your subject line.
You want your emails to stand out in the inbox. The easiest way is to use these two punctuation symbols as part of your email subject line.
Worldata is a company that analyzes email marketing campaigns and provides free industry metrics based on that data. Their data shows using either brackets or parentheses in your subject line boosts open rates by 31 percent.
That’s because these punctuation marks subconsciously draw the eye to whatever is within the brackets. And that small detail can be enough to entice them to open the email.
Some examples are:
“Welcome back to the library! (We missed you.)”
“Your Library Giving Day donation will be doubled with a matching gift. (Today only!)”
“Homework is hard. We can help. [FREE VIDEO].”
Tip #2: Try using all caps on important words in your subject line.
World Data says that including words in all caps in your subject line can increase your open rate by as much as 14 percent.
You should, however, make sure that you use this technique sparingly. Pick one important word to capitalize. It should be a word that you know will call attention to your email when someone is scrolling through their inbox.
Some examples are:
“Fans of James Patterson have the chance to talk to the author IN PERSON next Thursday.”
“Your resume needs some SERIOUS help. Let your library make it irresistible.”
“Being stuck inside on a rainy day with the kids is TORTURE. Get some museum passes from the library and go exploring!
Don’t capitalize your entire headline. You’ll risk making your email recipients feel like you’re yelling at them.
Tip #3: Don’t spell out numbers.
Yesware, a business communication company, analyzed 115 million emails and found that email open and reply rates are higher when a number is present in the subject line. (For example, “5” instead of “Five”.)
World Data’s surveys back up that claim. They found that putting a number in the subject line can increase your open rate by as much as 21 percent.
Numerals in your subject line will get your emails noticed. It also saves you in the character count.
For more of a boost, start your subject line with a number. (Example: “5 Great Ways to Get Free Homework Help from Your Library”). Doing that can increase open rates by as much as 18 percent, according to World Data.
Tip #4: Use the “F” word (I mean… Free!) and other power words.
World Data says spam filters no longer filter out emails with the word free in the subject line.
Their study shows that including the word in the subject line can increase open rates by 37 percent. Plus, there is data to suggest that “free” produces an emotional charge in us.
Speaking of emotion, there are lots of other words you can use in your subject line to get a response. Data shows email recipients respond to subject lines that convey urgency, curiosity, excitement, and joy.
Here is a starter list of words that World Data says are proven to do well in email marketing. Challenge yourself to add one of these words to the emails you send to your library community.
Amazing
Ultimate
Important
Challenging
Surprising
Best
Secret
Exact
Last Chance
Now
Final
Official
Free
Tip #5: Use words your audience will understand.
Drop the acronyms and library industry jargon like periodicals, database, interlibrary loan, reference, serial, audiovisual, abstract, or resource. Use words that regular people understand–magazines, music, online classes, and helpful information.
Avoid reference to a vendor service like Overdrive, Hoopla, Freegal, BookFlix, Zinio, etc. As far as your cardholders are concerned, all material comes from the library.
If you are using email to promote one of these services, like Overdrive, your subject line could say, “Free e-books are now available at your library!” You can mention the vendor in the body text of the email.
Free tools to make your headlines irresistible
When I craft an email, I spend a lot of time thinking about the subject line. Sometimes I think about it for days.
I use a couple of online headline analyzers. These free online tools all work pretty much the same way. You put your headline in and you get a score, plus tips on how to improve them. My favorites are:
The higher the score, the better your chances of getting people to open the email. I always shoot for a score above 70
I ran the headline for this post through the three analyzers, as if it were an email subject line. Sharethrough gave me a 71, Advanced Marketing Institute gave me a 73.3, and Subject Line gave me a 75. Those are good scores, so I would likely use this headline as a subject line in an email.
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 