Ask a question in your email newsletter, and the reader will be inclined to respond
The linguistic structure of a question requires the reader to pause and respond.
In other words, questions force us to think and answer. Question subject lines generally pull well because they entice the reader to find out the answer.
In many cases, the reader already thinks they know the answer, and your headline is merely feeding their need for affirmation.
Examples:
- Would Self-Hypnosis Help You Achieve Your Goals?
- Will You Have Enough Money to Retire at 65?
- Tired of Making Your Boss Rich?
- Can This Marriage Be Saved?
Rhetorical questions are intended to provoke thought rather than prompt a specific answer.
- Are You An Over-Educated Under-Achiever?
- Is the Life of a Child Worth $15 to You?
- Does Uncle Sam Owe You “Forgotten Money”?
According to Brian Clark of Copyblogger, starting a headline with the question of “Who Else Wants…” is “a classic social proof strategy that implies an already existing consensus desire.” Example subject lines given by Clark include:
- Who Else Wants a Great Blog Template Design?
- Who Else Wants a Higher Paying Job?
- Who Else Wants More Fun and Less Stress When on Vacation?
For more great subject line templates, download our free white paper: The 13 Best Email Subject Lines: Using the 12 Mequoda Email Subject Line Archetypes to Improve Your Average Email Open Rates.
