Yesterday’s email may have caused some suprises.

It certainly did for one subscriber who told me:

“That tickled me so much I had to let you know.” 

What could have prompted a chuckle-tastic moment like this? 🤔

This, perhaps…

“I legit thought you had a heart wrenching story about colon issues to overcome.” 

It was the experience of opening my email thinking it was one thing. When it was in fact another.

My email was about these guys… “:”

The humble colon. Used for punctuation.

Now, I knew there was a word with a two meanings in the subject line. Which made it ambigious. And therefore not clear.

So I’d understand if I got a right scolding…

“Chris, you really shouldn’t be writing subject lines like that!”

Which is probably fair enough. Considering I do blab on at times about being CLEAR when we write.

Well, on this occasion, I say… 😛

Because subject lines that raise a question in our readers’ minds… that have them wondering what it’s about… and their curiosity gets the better of them, so they click to read…

That’s better than being clear. 

Certainly in this case.

Because having the tug of that question in their minds prompting them to open the email, is the first step to reading it.

And then discovering the link inside to click.

This particular subscriber was ok with it.

She finished with…

“Glad to hear your colon is well (I’m assuming it is) even if your punctuation suffered for a bit. 😄” 

🤣 

There’s certainly a danger to watch out for with ambigious subject lines.

Especially when they act like clickbait.

You know? Ones that reel you in because of some outrageous claim. Or they pretend to be about one thing. When in fact they’re about another.

But the email’s nothing at all about that. Or it’s so much of a stretch that it’s ridiculous… and annoying. 😤

Sometimes it’s a fine line between clickbait, on one hand. Which people resent.

And on the other, something intriguing. That makes them smile.

Fortunately, there’s a very simple way in your emails to write ambiguous (even outrageous-sounding) subject lines. But NEVER be legitimately accused of them being clickbait by your email reader.

It’s such a simple and mindcrushingly dull thing to do that it won’t win any awards for creative genius…

But I’ve seen how emails and websites miss this time and again. 

They’ve desperately tried to capture attention. But the email doesn’t stop the reader slamming the “Clickbait” alarm.

I spill the beans in the “Harnessing the Power” section of my email subject lines guide. So you can safely walk that line.

To create subject lines that tickle your readers’ curiosity and get them reading.

Without them fuming over a subject line you may have (inadvertently) tricked them with.