“Hell no” – 21 Email Subject Lines From Barack Obama

by John McIntyre

Obamas Email Subject Lines

Obama has a rockin’ marketing team behind him.

Who would’ve thought it, right?

A president that understands internet marketing… better, it seems, than most internet marketers.

Hell, his landing page is probably better than yours.

Good for him. Whoever’s behind his marketing shiz should get a pay-rise. Or better than that, they should quit their job, start a lifestyle business and move to Thailand or Bali. When you’ve got serious chops, why work for the Government when a white sandy beach in the Philippines is waiting?

Given Mr O’s chops (or the team behind him), I thought we’d take a look at his subject lines. Being an Aussie, I’m not interested in the hallowed halls of American politics, but the word on the street was that his subject lines rock.

I hopped on over to Obama’s website and signed up to his list. The only emails I received asked me for donations… but the magic wasn’t so much in the emails as in the subject lines.

Corporates should pay attention. If Obama can send you an email saying “Hell no” in the subject line, I’m sure the dignified corporates can bear it.

Take a look at the subjet lines below. There are plenty of ideas for swipes! In other words, grab Obama’s subject lines, save them to your PC or Mac and use them to improve your own email subject lines.

3 Lessons from the President’s Emails

  • Talk like a friend. When big companies send emails, they try their hardest to sound like a big company. But unfortunately, people prefer doing business with people, not big companies. When you write marketing emails, write like one person to another.
  • Short subject lines. When you send emails to your friends, do you use short subject lines or long?
  • Don’t capitalize every word. Same thing. Friendly emails are casual, relaxed and unprofessional. Capitalize the first letter of the first word, but that’s it.

My Favorite Subject Lines

“Hell no”

“To be frank” (this is a spin on the classic IM subject line – “Frankly, I’m puzzled”)

“Wonderful news”

Barack Obama’s Email Subject Lines

  1. Fly in for my birthday get-together
  2. Barack’s birthday party
  3. This is potentially devastating
  4. Romney’s Bain secret exposed
  5. Re: I will be outspent
  6. Urgent:
  7. Take this quick survey
  8. Your seat on Barack’s bus
  9. To be frank
  10. An emotional moment in the Oval Office
  11. Say you’re with me
  12. Today’s decision
  13. If we’re drastically outspent
  14. You deserve a thank you
  15. Take this seriously
  16. Dinner with the Obamas
  17. Hell no
  18. Wonderful news
  19. Did you hear the President today?
  20. Go ahead, keep waiting
  21. Meet me for dinner

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