Email Tricks and Treats
One of the best parts of Halloween was always dumping out the Trick or Treat bag at the end of the night, to see what kind of haul you got. I did the same with my inbox this morning. Here’s what I found.
The Natick Collection sent an email invite to their Halloween Kids Fest. It was basic and to the point, inviting boys and ghouls to an event in the mall with crafts, face painting, prizes, etc. The treat was a small link at the bottom asking how likely the reader would be to visit the mall as a result of the email. To respond, all a customer had to do was click one of five shopping bags (one not at all likely, five very likely).
This is a quick and effective way to gauge reader involvement in your messages. (I checked one, but only because we’re up to our bloody eyeballs in Halloween fun already this weekend.)
Another treat, though not Halloween flavored, was an Orvis email announcing the premiere of a video featuring Betty White trying to enter their cover dog contest. Why is it a treat? Well, it has Betty White in it, for goodness sake! If you’re not a fan of Betty, well, I’m not sure we can be friends.
FTD Flowers’ sent me an email last week with a subject line that started “Hey Pumpkin!” I dunno, that seems a little forward. I mean, we hardly know each other….oh, wait, you want me take a look at your Harvest Keepsakes bouquets in pumpkin vases. You got me to look, so treat for you.
Toys “R” Us, meanwhile, used the subject line “Congratulations!” Um, for what? Finishing that pint of Ben & Jerry’s? Getting through another weekend without cleaning my spare room? I have no idea. I opened the email to see private sale offers from Little Rue, the junior version of sale site Rue La La. Are they congratulating me for being on their email list? Having small people in my life who might wear the clothing they’re promoting? No clue, so I’m feeling a little tricked.
Even though my kiddos have aged out of the stroller set demographic, Target’s “Baby stuff’s on sale [drool]” subject line was a treat. It was clever and simple, and got me to open the message, even though I’m not in the market for a new stroller (although that Eddie Fairview Travel System does look like a sweet ride, I have to admit).
“Spookiness becomes you” was one of Stonewall Kitchen’s recent seasonal subject lines. Okay, is this a trick? Because obviously, you’ve seen how I look first thing in the morning.
Share any trick or treats you’ve seen in your inbox in the comment section below.
