I’ll give you a hint…
It’s not – “I’m Prince of Nigeria!”
It might surprise you to know that after having written many sales emails, one phrase that seems to get the most opens is: “You are not alone“.
I use Aweber, which counts each email that’s been opened, even if they’re from the same user, and emails with the subject line – “You are not alone” has had an average open rate of 90%.
I’ve seen this subject line used successfully on emails ranging from content marketing to personal development to auto repairs, with a dozen verticals in between.
The results are always the same.
Not only does the “You are not alone” subject line get opened like crazy, it also has an extremely high reply rate.
So why does “You are not alone” work so well?
Perhaps it is the need we humans have to belong, to know that others are going through the same life experiences as we are.
No matter what message you’re sending or service you’re selling, if you remind your reader that someone understands what they are going through and cares about helping them, you will become their temporary support beam.
That said, don’t forget that your subject line is just an invitation to dinner; you still have to cook the main course.
Once you capture your reader’s attention, prove that you deserved it by providing a useful solution to their most pressing problem.
Help people solve their problems and relieve them of their feelings of isolation, and they will reward you.
Isn’t it too negative?
Some of you may be thinking that “You are not alone” is too negative for your sales pitch email but the truth is, sometimes, negativity sells.
A negative headline and copy can alert your audience to a potentially serious problem — which you can then address and solve. By helping people keep something important to them, you’ve also gained trust. And what better way to help build trust than through the phrase “You are not alone”.
The Prince of Nigeria understands that you are not alone (ps. I am aware that this photo is of a Zulu king and not of a Nigerian prince and apologise for an offense caused.)
Hi, that picture is not of a Nigerian, but a zulu warrior from South Africa, where I hail from originally. Just to clarify. ENjoyed the post though
Hi Larry,
Pardon my ignorance, you are absolutely correct.
ps. I do quite a bit of PR writing for the Raine & Horne network and read many of your Property Observer articles. It is the best source for property news in Australia, in my opinion. Congrats on it’s success.
Great post! I am just getting started using email marketing and this is excellent information. Do you think something like “You Too?” will work, since it is sort of similar to “You Are Not Alone”. Thank you for the info Dan!
Thanks for the kind words. “You too?” may also work, though personally I have never used it. If you are trying strike up a harmony with your audience, perhaps something like “We understand you” or “Let’s talk about (the product or the problem)” could work. Often leading with a fact is a good technique eg. “80% of dogs are iron deficient. What’s your puppy’s iron level?” The trick is not to make it sound too ‘spammy’ and if the audience is local put in the State’s name or a relevant landmark in the email title to encourage opens eg: “Eye problems? Visit Springfield’s premier optometrist”. These are just off the cuff and can definitely be improved with a little imagination. Keep at it.
Negativity is more real. It shows you understand where someone’s coming from and not blasting them with relentless positivity. It makes you more human and approachable. Interesting post.
Great concept…it’s like when greeting a prospect in retail it’s better to ask, “Have you been here in the store before?” vs. “can I help you”–which we are conditioned to say NO…and by the way…I have traveled in Africa and Bangladesh with a native born princely Nigerian businessman and have met the President of Chad in his golden palace!
This is a fortuitous message, as I’ve recently posted a blog entitled, “The New Way of Saying No!” It made a CEO friend of mine recoil until he read it and then agreed with me that answering all correspondence in a way that values the other person is the proper way of running any business, including Public Relations. Great post!