Differentiation is key for B2B Events, where there seems to be a conference, training course or seminar for every topic imaginable. Getting the subject words and lines right is a serious challenge for marketers. But broadly, for market leaders, focusing on their brand and making it clear why they are the leader will pay dividends – highlighting what’s new to the long list of previous attendees, new exhibitors and product news. For smaller or new events, focus on content to show why it is trendier, nimbler or smarter – repurposing previous content will help generate leads. Highlighting urgency such as ‘Don’t Miss’ tests well with +6.3% open rate and +40% click rate. Also calls to action or transactional-style message can work well: ‘Badge’, ‘Download’ and ‘Invitation’ all perform well. However, many traditional words and phrases are perhaps overused – ‘conference’, ‘forum’, ‘keynote’, ‘speakers’ all trend down.
The B2C events sector has taken off in a massive way, despite social media heralding the end of face-to-face connections as predicted by many. Everyone likes to save a pound or two, so when selling tickets focus on savings and offers and people will respond. But don’t over-do it – using ‘£’ and discounts can boost opens, but watch out for click rates nose-diving and unsubscriberates rising [£: +14.6% opens, -43.6% clicks, +59.4% unsubs; 2for1: +30.2% opens, -53.8% clicks, +108.2% unsubs]. Prizes and free stuff may give a slightly lower open rate, but boosts click throughs – for example ‘win’ (-4.1%, +30.7%). Putting trust in customers that they’ll do the right thing means, with a balanced campaign, marketers will be rewarded with response uplift. Ongoing testing is vital to ensure success.
A subject line is one of the main things under an email marketer’s control to influence their customers’ behaviour in the events sector. Having an ineffective, confusing or overly-clever subject line delivers a poor user experience for the online journey.
In the last couple of years, the way consumers interact with email has changed drastically. Much like the broader web, email is now all about usability. The 2013 Adestra Email Subject Line Analysis report is a survey of over 2.2 billion emails, from over 90,000 campaigns, to identify trends in subject lines. These cover keywords and phrases that recipients respond to better OR are overused and ineffective for a sector.
With the volumes of emails mushrooming and open and click through rates difficult to maintain, don’t forget even if the campaigns aren’t opened, the subject line is still performing – as they deliver key brand and product information to customers’ inboxes.
Parry Malm, Account Director at Adestra, says: “The fundamental challenge for event marketers is differentiation. People know what a “conference” is, what an exhibition” is, and what a “webinar” is. They get invitations every single day, yet nothing stands out.
“Subject line strategy should be seen as a series of branding tools over a period of time, not just one-offs to drive short term response. With usability firmly in mind, there are key words and phrases that statistically help drive response in your sector, try them and test them – constant testing is vital to success.”
For the Events report visit www.adestra.com/subjectlineevents
B2B Events
| Objective | Keyword | Open Rate variance vs. average | Click Rate variance vs. average | Click to Open Ratio variance vs. average | Unsubscribe rate variance vs. average |
| Product | Conference | -1.4% | -7.4% | -6.1% | 0.2% |
| Exhibition | -8.2% | -1.4% | 7.5% | 9.6% | |
| Forum | -11.6% | -49.9% | -43.3% | -22.1% | |
| Training | -10.1% | -21.9% | -13.1% | -24.8% | |
| Webinar | -3.1% | -28.3% | -26.0% | -19.2% | |
| Discounts | Discount | -10.9% | -37.1% | -29.3% | -18.0% |
| Early bird | -4.7% | -40.5% | -37.5% | -6.4% | |
| Free | -3.0% | 3.7% | 6.9% | 35.7% | |
| Offer | -13.1% | -30.8% | -20.3% | 6.4% | |
| Urgency | Don’t miss | 6.3% | 40.0% | 31.7% | 9.4% |
| Last chance | -10.1% | -43.0% | -36.6% | -26.4% | |
| To go | -0.6% | -19.0% | -18.4% | -12.2% | |
| Features | Agenda | -2.9% | -21.0% | -18.6% | -6.8% |
| Brochure | -0.4% | 9.7% | 10.2% | -26.2% | |
| Industry | -4.7% | -11.4% | -7.0% | -0.3% | |
| Keynote | -15.3% | -40.9% | -30.2% | 5.8% | |
| Speakers | -1.4% | -36.8% | -35.9% | 17.2% | |
| Benefits | Exclusive | 1.5% | 6.6% | 5.0% | 0.1% |
| Innovation | 15.0% | -5.0% | -17.4% | 58.2% | |
| Learn | -18.8% | -31.1% | -15.1% | 6.2% | |
| ROI | 9.3% | 42.7% | 30.5% | -29.9% | |
| Call to action | Badge | 15.6% | 67.5% | 44.9% | 63.3% |
| Download | 10.0% | 77.4% | 61.3% | -31.3% | |
| Invitation | 18.1% | 37.9% | 16.8% | 41.8% | |
| Registration | 9.2% | 48.1% | 35.7% | 50.8% | |
| Free Stuff | Game | -3.8% | -45.0% | -42.8% | 23.7% |
| iPad | 1.9% | 17.5% | 15.2% | 37.4% | |
| Kindle | -15.5% | -47.8% | -38.3% | -19.9% | |
| Win | -4.1% | 30.7% | 36.4% | -10.3% |
B2C Events
| Objective | Keyword | Open Rate variance vs. average | Click Rate variance vs. average | Click to Open Ratio variance vs. average | Unsubscribe rate variance vs. average |
| Money | $ | 25.5% | -74.9% | -80.0% | 81.6% |
| £ | 14.6% | -43.6% | -50.8% | 59.4% | |
| € | 5.2% | -42.3% | -45.1% | 111.8% | |
| Ticket sales | 2 for 1 | 30.2% | -53.8% | -64.5% | 108.2% |
| Cheap | 63.2% | -11.0% | -45.5% | 82.1% | |
| Discount | 12.9% | -64.4% | -68.4% | 72.1% | |
| Early bird | 7.3% | -50.5% | -53.9% | 154.0% | |
| Free | 8.7% | -66.4% | -69.1% | 85.8% | |
| Offer | 17.3% | -46.1% | -54.1% | 145.8% | |
| Save | -3.4% | -65.5% | -64.3% | 91.0% | |
| Tickets | 23.0% | -42.8% | -53.5% | 72.9% | |
| Show features | Exclusive | 22.6% | -57.5% | -65.4% | 152.3% |
| Explore | 19.3% | -52.6% | -60.3% | 54.7% | |
| Preview | 33.3% | 15.0% | -13.7% | 38.7% | |
| Program | 10.5% | -51.2% | -55.8% | 56.6% | |
| Reasons | 25.1% | -41.2% | -53.0% | 55.7% | |
| Win | 26.2% | 9.0% | -13.6% | 100.8% | |
| Urgency | Last chance | 16.8% | -51.2% | -58.2% | 49.3% |
| Meet | 23.7% | -38.9% | -50.6% | 72.0% | |
| Still time | 25.9% | -58.5% | -67.1% | 68.4% | |
| Call to action | Opens | 16.1% | -36.8% | -45.6% | 54.0% |
| Register | 56.6% | -0.8% | -36.7% | 93.7% | |
| Tickets | 23.0% | -42.8% | -53.5% | 72.9% | |
| Visit | 28.0% | -33.0% | -47.7% | 82.0% | |
| Miscellaneous | ! | 24.6% | -28.2% | -42.4% | 74.5% |
For the ‘4 Steps to writing a killer subject line’ Infographic visit: http://www.adestra.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/4_steps_to_writing_a_killer_subject_line_infographic_adestra_full_size.jpg
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