It’s that time of year, and perhaps you can relate: my inbox is overflowing with December fundraising emails to the point of overwhelm. In cases like this, my natural inclination is to pull a ‘control, select all, delete’ and flush them all away. But I’m glad I don’t do anything hasty, because some of these subject headers are truly attention-grabbing. They made me stop, think, and read on. What makes them interesting enough to get me (a fundraiser and a donor) to pause to open…and WHY?
1 A porcupine in an itchy situation. Carrots help!
In the midst of all the ‘Your Support Will be Doubled’ emails, this subject header from Toronto Wildlife Centre, injected with a dose of silly fun, was a refreshing change.
2. Look what you did
Who, me? When you squeeze the word “you” in there, it can only help. Sierra Club.
3. Slow and steady won’t get you a turtle by Christmas
Oceana’s subject header. They cleverly integrated an idiom (something familiar) and managed to get me asking, “Wait…what?”
4. You are the virtuoso!
Kaufman Music Center. That’s some high praise right there, and then there’s that “you” making yet another appearance.
5. Gratitude & Joy from NCLR
As an eternal student of marketing, and email marketing in particular, I’m a fan of NCLR’s email communications. To be honest, I may not have opened this if it had come from another organization. It resonated with me all the more due to a personal connection.
6. Update on Suraj, the One-Eared Elephant…
Wildlife SOS. Who wouldn’t want an update on a one-eared elephant? If I wasn’t familiar with Suraj already, I’d certainly want to be!
7. What happens to children who have never known peace?
War Child. This is one hard-hitting question, isn’t it?
8. What are you giving this holiday season?
Global Autism Project. Yet another question, this time, focused on me. It encourages some thought, and definitely encourages a read.
9. Give meals. And give hope this Christmas
Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities. Who doesn’t want to give hope? To think that I could make that possible is pretty darn inspiring.
10. Let’s Give a Mountain Back to the People
Potomac Conservancy. Curiosity played a factor here. On its face, it just sounds interesting and had me wondering, “What does this mean?”
11. The 12 Islands of Chimpmas…
Save the Chimps. It’s pretty rare that I don’t open emails from Save the Chimps, an organization that does email marketing consistently well while keeping things light and fun, but this particular headline kind of took the cake.
Click to download this package. What email subject headers are you opening these days?
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