How to make readers delete your mail

How silly would that be? But from the looks of my mailbox, plenty of people are working hard at it.

One that stands out today says something like "Why Jerry hated my article." But guess what? When I scrolled down, I saw no mention of Jerry or an article. It was just a whole lot of short blurbs urging me to click and go to dozens of different places.

I deleted it. I'm not that curious about Jerry or her article.

I've said it before - nearly everyone has said it before - be sure your subject line is not only interesting enough to make people open your mail, but has some relevance to the message below it. Otherwise, people won't just delete this time - after you've done it to them a couple of times they'll automatically delete without bothering to look at what you have to say.

One of our most well-known copywriting gurus is doing that now - his headlines promise some information,but when you scroll down you find that you'll only get the information if you buy something. I don't even bother to look any more. I really should take the time to opt-out of his stuff, but the speed of my satellite connection leaves a lot to be desired, so I don't want to take the time.

So - if you offer something in your subject line, be sure your visitors find it quickly when they open your mail. Otherwise, you'll lose your credibility and the trust you work so hard to build.

Yours for prosperity,
Marte