Clickbait: the use of eye-catching content to lure unsuspecting readers to click on links has now become an essential tool for many agencies and their email marketing campaigns.
However, is it a good idea? Heather Cherry, AgencyBuzz product manager with Insurance Technologies Corporation (
ITC) argues that while clickbait may seem like a great idea, it could actually do more harm than good.
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“If subscribers open your emails only to find they are underwhelmed, or worse tricked, you’re going to have a hard time rebuilding those relationships,” says Cherry. “Email marketing is all about building strong relationships with your subscribers that are founded on trust. Remember, you need subscribers to open your emails, but also read and take action as well. Don’t blow it on the first step by using unwanted clickbait.”
To further Cherry’s argument, the use of deceptive subject lines is also prohibited by the CAN-SPAM Act; so in other words, illegal, misleading subject lines could permanently affect your agency’s reputation.
Nonetheless, clickbait remains a popular email marketing method for businesses nationally. However, Cherry warns that there are three techniques in particular that could damage your agency’s image:
- “Hello, there. Remember me?” – At first appearing to be from someone you know, and eventually luring the recipient to open the email. “When the recipient opens your email [and] they realize they have been fooled into thinking you are a trusted associate when really you aren’t. Your brand is now associated with deception and false representation,” Cherry says.
- “RE: your insurance policy.” – “This is arguably the worst culprit of email clickbait, and my least favorite of them all,” says Cherry. “The strategy is simple: RE or FWD precedes a subject to make subscribers believe the emails are part of an ongoing communication.” Skip the deceptive subject starters, suggests Cherry. After all, nobody likes to be tricked.
- “ICYMI: Justin Timberlake juggles pineapple while riding a bicycle.” – A subject line that is so eccentric, it immediately catches the eye of the reader. “It’s one thing to elevate curiosity, but it’s completely different if your subject doesn’t even match what your email is about. Yes, you will see a jump in your open rates, but that’s about all you will see,” she says.
While it may be tempting, the means may not justify the end when it comes to clickbait. Instead, as Cherry suggests, “invoke authentic curiosity and deliver accordingly, then sit back and watch your email marketing thrive.”
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A beginner’s guide to email automation
