... and why I'm NOT wishing you a Happy New Year.
or ... why email newsletter subject lines matter SO much
Let's get one thing out of the way first -
Of course I wish you, yours and everyone a utterly lovely and very Happy New Year! (OK - let's exclude global despots, scammers, conspiracy theorists and the rest of the world's ne'er-do-wells - but you get my drift.)
Dec 31, 2022
Not long ago, a newsletter nervously poked its head into my inbox. Nothing unusual there. Nothing unusual about the subject matter either. It was the tone that really struck me. Maybe 'struck' is the wrong word. This newsletter assailed my senses with all the force of a soggy haddock. It was a right 'turn-off'. I'd have preferred a pushy, 'salesy' approach.
Sep 6, 2021
Using empathy to engage your readers.
Remember those heady days when mail merge was first available for PC users? You do? I’m not sure I believe you. No matter. If you truly are that old, you’ll recall the excitement. At last you could write 'personal' emails ... or do I mean 'personalised'? Is there a difference? You bet there is.
Jun 21, 2020
I suffered a heart attack in 2020. It came as a bit of a shock. In the great scheme of life (and, I guess, death too) - heart attacks are not unusual. They happen. Although, for me, I suppose this was a first. The unhappy event came as a particular surprise. You see, my family basks complacently in a history of hale and healthy hearts. Going back generations, ancestor after ancestor has successfully defied the odds of coronary mortality. My lot simply live a long, long time. A fact freely acknowledged by friends and business associates who forever remark (usually when they think I'm out of earshot) upon my ability to 'go on and on'?
Apr 18, 2020
...of being scary. After all - it's Halloween!
It's true. I'm an old grump. But just for once, I'll park my traditional curmudgeon and invoke the nonsense world of spooks and ghouls. Believe me - I don't find this easy. This post is all about scaring your newsletter readers into action. Why? Because it's the best route to newsletter success.
Oct 14, 2019