Survey Emails: Subject line advice

Are you talking to people you know (customers) or people you know a little (prospects) or people you don't know at all (suspects)?

Are they expecting to complete surveys as part of their relationship with you?

Remember, something you know about your customers is worth more than anything you know about your product. It's easier to talk with relevance to someone because you know something about them, than it is to try and be clever about your product because you don't know the people with whom you're talking. That's why it's hard to get people interested in a premium such as an ipod if you don't know them - you just look like another ipod competition.

Try talking with them as you would in person. Always read your subject line out loud to yourself. If it doesn't sound like you talking personally to someone face-to-face, then rewrite it. If they sound like a public broadcast rewrite them. Would you say to someone you know "fill in this survey and you get a chance to win an ipod"? Or would you give them a reason to complete the survey and then offer them a chance to win as a bonus?

Here are some suggestions:

• Please complete the 5 minute survey for
  customers
• Your opinion on topic is important to us
• What's your opinion on topic?
• Would you mind sharing your opinion on topic?
• Would you share your opinion on topic?
• How does your opinion on topic differ from others like you?
• Are you part of the XY% who believe...
• Thank you in advance for your time
• Can you spare 5 minutes and share your thoughts on topic?
• What's your time worth to you?
• Have your say and a chance to win
• 500,000 minutes of music for 5 minutes of your time

Thanks to everyone whos offered they're valuable advice! We ended up using a gift card specific to the recipient's industry. The response rate was decent. The subject line was XYZ Survey - a gift card for your opinion. Any constructive criticism? The open rate was about 30%, click through about 20% and completion rate about 80%. Survey was about 10 min long.

Thanks again to everyone for their time and advice!

I like 'Have your say and a chance to win" or "What's your opinion on..." It's hard to advise you on this because as Malcolm says we do not know who the survey is intended for and that does make a difference. I like Brian's idea to work it in another email. I have had emails from email marketing companies end up in my spam box so putting anything about winning in the subject is likely to be a trigger.

Great response Malcolm-  I love this one - must try it one day

"How does your opinion on topic differ from others like you?"

Sounds a bit harsh but may I suggest changing the incentive. Through the rather successful work of Gratis Internet (and others) iPods have almost become the second currency of the internet - hell refer enough of your "mates" and you'll get one for free, guaranteed.

If the iPod was the client's idea or you have a bunch of them sat out the back then try looking at subject lines that are a softer sell. In other words they sell through being engaging rather than 'salesy'. It's being "salesy" that spam filetrs are trained to recognise. Try stuff like:

• Even if you have one, it would make a great gift for nanna.

Or something to that effect. Problem I find these days is that e-mail marketers are all coming out of the same mould. They seem to think that writing subject lines is about working out which salesy words will make it through to the inbox rather than thinking about what people are likely to read on from.

That is a tough one, I cant tell you how many spam emails I get with that heading.  "Fill out this Survey, win an IPOD Touch"

Maybe just include it in your normal emails, maybe just covertly work it into the copy?

I don't think I have ever bought into a survey that was "pushed" onto me via an email. But then again, I am not your typical user ;)