Val Geisler - do buzzwords work in emails?

...if they did I'd just write:

User centered design user story co-working workflow pair programming pivot physical computing pitch deck hacker. Engaging quantitative vs. qualitative agile ideate cortado fund 360 campaign prototype earned media. Viral Steve Jobs quantitative vs. qualitative workflow engaging Steve Jobs minimum viable product driven thought leader. Earned media ship it bootstrapping earned media pitch deck pitch deck big data.


Buuuuuut it just doesn't work that way. Having a bunch of buzzwords in a subject line might get someone to open your email once, but if you don't follow up with actual killer content that your subscriber deems valuable, good luck getting them to open your email again.

So like this email.

You're here reading and going "Okay, Val. Got it. Can't just load it up with a bunch of buzzwords in that subject line. Get to the point, lady."

I hear you.

And there's one thing I need to clear up before we go any further.

Inbox Placement > Subject Lines > Call to Action > All the Other Content > Email Template/Design

Getting your emails into the inbox trumps everything else about the email.

Inbox placement is more important than a subject line, than what you want them to do next, than the layout of the email or the copy around that CTA.

If your subscriber isn't getting your emails, who cares about all the rest?

Deliverability (email term for "getting that sucker into the inbox at the top of the stack") covers a world of issues between email service providers and inboxes. From the moment you hit send on your latest broadcast to it whipping across the Internet and into inboxes everywhere, there are roughly 512* factors that are considered.

All of those other elements (subject lines, CTA, content, template) DO MATTER. They're some of those deliverability factors.

We'll get into those pieces because ultimately you have control over what goes into your emails. That part you can own.

But right now there's one setting I want you to be sure is up to snuff.

This is like a 2-ish minute task so don't just click over to Twitter right now (I saw that mouse move).

Go do this check and help your emails get to where you want them to go.

-Val


*I have no idea how many factors there truly are in deliverability. It really comes down to a few solid best practices, some industry know-how, and a big rub on the magic wishing ball. 🔮







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