In the realm of link building, there’s nothing more discouraging than dedicating time to send meticulously crafted emails and receiving no responses.
Zilch. Nil. Nothing.
Perhaps many of those initial emails ended up in little-used inboxes, or maybe some of the contacts on your list aren’t the ideal audience for your content.
This is often when most people will opt to create a new list. It makes sense, right?
But before jumping into creating another list, have you evaluated your email open rates? If they’re below 5 percent, it might be your subject line that’s failing.
Instead of spending more time searching for new contacts, consider revising your subject line and giving it another go.
Let’s delve into some tried-and-true methods and common subject-line mistakes you should avoid.
Does a subject line truly matter?
Much has been discussed about the ideal subject line in email marketing, but less so in content promotion.
That’s the reason why many email marketing strategies are often applied to link outreach, despite these being two distinct arenas.
In marketing, you’re likely addressing someone who has consented to receive your emails. In outreach, you’re presenting content to someone unaware of you, hoping for a link back to your site.
The circumstances differ, so your approach should too.
The foot-in-the-door technique
A powerful concept applicable to subject lines comes from social psychology, specifically the psychology of compliance.
The foot-in-the-door technique suggests that agreeing to a minor request increases the likelihood of agreeing to a subsequent, larger request.
For instance, imagine a colleague requesting you to cover a client call for her due to a personal commitment. It’s a minor ask that seems reasonable: you’re already familiar with the client, so you attend and share updates. Later, she asks you to handle all future calls with that client.
This is a more substantial request.
Research indicates the foot-in-the-door approach works as long as the significant request aligns with or is similar to the original minor request. But how is this related to your link pitch’s subject line?
The minor request here is to open the email; that’s your foot in the door. The major request will be obtaining the link.
How do we initiate our minor request? It’s quite straightforward:
Make sure your subject line clearly communicates the email’s content. If they click on it, they’re showing interest in what you’re sharing. Now you have your foot in the door.
When it’s time for the bigger ask—linking to your content—it won’t seem like an unreasonable request.
5 Tips to Enhance Your Subject Lines
Combine a focused prospect list with a compelling subject line, and you’re likely to secure links. Here are tweaks that have worked effectively:
1. Be specific about your content format
Ensure your recipient is clear about what they’ll see before clicking the link. For the foot-in-the-door tactic to succeed, consistency between the small and big request is essential.
Thus, your subject line should highlight not just the topic but the format.
2. Mention the site when relevant
You’re often pitching to journalists and bloggers who write solely for the targeted site, so mentioning it isn’t necessary.
However, for individuals contributing to multiple publications, mentioning the specific site ensures you’re positioned correctly.
3. Clearly convey the email’s purpose
Help journalists and editors instantly recognize your email as a pitch by incorporating terms like:
- Story
- Tip
- Story idea
This is crucial when there’s potential for your content topic to be misperceived as a sales pitch or spam.
4. Speak the journalist’s language
Before finalizing a subject line, review how your target sites write headlines. What do they emphasize?
For instance, including “revealed” might be effective for a journalist at the Daily Mail if that’s a frequently used term there.
Consider including specific markers like [VISUALS] or [PHOTOS] for visual pitches, but verify if the publication uses another term.
5. Use a journalist’s headline for follow-ups
When following up with unresponsive prospects, avoid merely asking if they received your pitch. Instead, utilize your favorite headline from past coverage as your subject line.
For example, if a catchy headline was part of previous successful coverage, use it to grab attention in your email outreach.
Subject Line Practices to Avoid
Your subject lines are crucial—avoid these common pitfalls:
1. Fake replies and follow-ups
If you’re crafting an illusion of ongoing conversation merely for an open, they’ll realize it as soon as they read your initial line.
Dishonesty won’t earn you a link but might get you labeled as spam.
2. Generic compliments
While praising a writer’s work is fine, misleading them with subject lines when your goal is a link is not productive.
Setting false expectations with your subject line might prompt an initial open, but if expectations aren’t met, the primary request will likely be overlooked.
3. Unnecessary adjectives and adverbs
Superlatives add your bias, aiming for clickbait but might mislead about the content’s true merit.
Setting the right tone is pivotal; overly tendentious descriptors can disappoint if the content doesn’t match the hype.
The difference between:
- Objective specifics vs. over-the-top praise
Choose simplicity, making the essence of the email immediately clear.
Subject Lines Establish Expectations
Advice for subject lines often comes from email marketing, but outreach is distinct.
Apply the foot-in-the-door technique to refine your approach, focusing on specific subject lines to ensure consistency between the open (minor request) and the link acquisition (major request).
Monitor your open rates to learn which subject lines succeed.
Now, go secure those links!
