Subject Lines That Rhyme Will Get Them Every Time
Subject Lines That Rhyme Will Get Them Every Time
and it's not just the subject line, either
Did you know…
Studies show that rhymes in advertising are remembered up to 22% more often than non-rhyming messages?
According to a study by Nielsen, ads with rhyming elements tend to perform better across various metrics such as brand linkage, message recall, and likability.
In a survey by Advertising Age, 93% of respondents agreed that ads that rhyme are more memorable than those that don’t.
A chapter from Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive sheds some light on this phenomenon. The chapter is titled "How can rhyme make your influence climb?" It shares a study by social scientists Matthew McGlone and Jessica Tofighbakhsh.
Noting the pervasiveness of rhyming proverbs like "Birds of a feather flock together," they set out to investigate whether statements that rhyme are believed to be more accurate than those that don't. They took a number of rhyming sayings previously unknown to the study participants and created parallel but nonrhyming versions of them. For example, they took the relatively obscure saying, "Caution and measure will win you treasure," and modified it to say, "Caution and measure will win you riches." As another example, they took the saying, "What sobriety conceals, alcohol reveals," and changed it to, "What sobriety conceals, alcohol unmasks."
Participants then read the sayings and rated each one for the extent to which it accurately reflects the way the world really works. The results are intriguing - even though all the participants strongly held the belief that rhyming was in no way an indicator of accuracy, their ratings showed they perceived the statements that rhymed as more accurate than those that didn't.
What does this tell us?
If we want our product or offer or message to be remembered, say it with a rhyme. And I say - the more fun the better (remember when I wrote about the effect of making them laugh?)
So how can you use this in your email copy?
Consider an ecommerce site that sells...dehumidifiers. Not the most glamorous or exciting product to market, is it? But what if the product description in the email tickled the prospects’ minds with a lighthearted rhyming ditty?
Maybe something like this:
Introducing --
The newest dehumidifier that’s sure to gain your affection,
Designed for optimal moisture correction!
Say goodbye to the mold and damp with effective detection,
And welcome a world where your home is dry because of the best protection!
Stop wincing, please. I know it's lame. Guess what? It's okay! If something like this showed up in your inbox, from a trusted retail store or ecommerce site, you'd laugh, right? Or at least smile, right? Then, if you were in the market for a dehumidifier, you'd go to the site and check out the new one.
Don't get stuck on being a maestro - a talented rapper - or a limerick aficionado!
Do have fun with it because your reader will appreciate the effort.
So, to wrap it up, when you use rhyme in your email copy it brings a smile to your prospect and it bolsters the believability of your message. This is what will give you the edge in a fiercely competitive ecommerce landscape.
Remember: a message that entertains is a message that remains!
Happy Rhyming!
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Okay, that’s it for the moment. Have something you’d like to say or share? I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment.
Talk soon -
Charlene Burke
PS Have you been sending emails to your list? Have you changed the emails you’ve been sending to your prospects? Yes? GREAT! No? Uh oh - we should talk. Happy to answer questions via email or you can get on my calendar for a virtual coffee chat - just click here: Coffee with Charlene
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