(Chuck Muth) – I received an email this week from “Darius Schmidt” (name changed to protect the guilty). Not only did I almost immediately delete it unread, but I almost blocked the email address permanently, as well.
You see, I had no idea whatsoever who the heck “Darius Schmidt” was and just assumed it was one of the thousands of “spam” emails that regularly make their way into my inbox from people or organizations I have no interest in.
As it turns out, the email was actually from the campaign of a candidate I support. But that’s the thing…
The “from” name was not the name of the candidate I support and whose name I would have immediately recognized. The “from” individual was a worker on that candidate’s campaign who I’d never heard of.
And I see campaigns all over the country doing the same thing on a regular basis.
It was only by accident that I actually opened Darius’ email and realized it was for/from a candidate who I did NOT want to delete-and-block.
Which brings me to the subject line for today’s Campaign Hot Tips that I “swiped” from the newsletter of veteran direct response copywriter Bob Bly who wrote…
“Did you know the #1 reason someone opens your emails isn't your subject line? It's what's in the ‘sender’ field…your name. Which makes sense. If you got an email from your best friend or a close family member, you'd open that email immediately, right? Regardless of the subject line, that person is important to you. You have a relationship with them.”
I don’t know what “political” genius decided that sending emails “from” unknown people working on a candidate’s campaign who the recipient has never heard of and has no relationship with, but I’m pretty certain they have no marketing background.
It’s just a hare-brained gimmick some political operative came up with because they thought it was cute and original. In reality, it’s just dumb.
People who subscribe to Campaign Hot Tips know Campaign Hot Tips come “from” Chuck Muth. You and I have a relationship. You know my name.
If today’s Campaign Hot Tips had come from “Darius Schmidt” instead of “Chuck Muth,” there’s a good chance you wouldn’t even be reading this right now.
Candidate/campaign emails should come “from” the CANDIDATE. Not some staffer or volunteer your supporters don’t know and whose name they don’t recognize.
An unread email is useless to you. And sending emails “from” people other than you that no one knows or recognizes makes it far more likely your email will be quickly deleted…unread.
It’s YOUR campaign. It’s YOUR email. Use YOUR name. Or don’t be surprised when your “open” rate drops, your “unsubscribes” jump and you end up in your supporters’ “junk” file.
Signed,
NOT Darius Schmidt
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