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THE LEVISON LETTER
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Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising
Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting
May, 2002
Volume: 17 Number: 5
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How to copywrite an email subject line
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Everyone hates spam . . . except me.
I sort it. Save it. And sometimes even
savor it.
You see, because I write a LOT of e-mails
for companies of all kinds, I like to
know what's being written -- what's hot and
what's not.
One of the e-mail sample folders I keep is called
"Over-the-top Teaser Subject Lines." It's my collection
of devious lines used by desperate e-mailers who
will try ANYTHING to get people to read their mail.
They are actually quite clever in a shoddy kind of
way. I certainly wouldn't use them but thought I'd
share a few with you for fun.
The first two Subject lines I want to show you use the
"Re:" trick. By that I mean they begin with "Re:"
in
an attempt to make you believe that you wrote THEM
first and they are actually replying to correspondence
that YOU initiated. Here are two typical examples used
by mortgage refinancers:
Re: I thought you'd like to know
and . . .
Re: I tried to contact you earlier
Deceptive, no?
Here's another "Subject" line for a "make
big money" pitch:
Ann said not to ask you
Who is Ann? Ask me WHAT? You have to open the e-mail
to find out what it's all about.
Or how about this e-mail "Subject" line:
I owe you lunch
It turns out this is for an online pharmacy and it's
hard to figure out how this line works for the company.
Sure. People may open up the e-mail, but when they find
out it's all bogus are they REALLY going to want to
start buying their medicines from a company that
introduces itself with a lie?
Here's another one from my teaser file:
Ivan, did you give me a business card?
Who do you think this e-mail comes from? Right. A
company that prints business cards!
I've saved my favorite "Subject" line for
last. It
comes from a firm that claims I can earn over $500,000
every four or five months by making a one-time
investment of $25. Here it is:
Your Mom said you should read this
Man, are they desperate! When you have to invoke the
authority of someone's mother rather than the value of
your offer, you're in BIG trouble!
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How To Get In Touch
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Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904
Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com
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Copyright 2005, by Ivan Levison, All Rights Reserved.
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