Subject Headings to Turn Heads for Your Next Science Email Marketing Campaign

To elaborate on last month’s post “How to Create a Successful Email Marketing Campaign by Engaging the Scientific Mind” , this month I will be addressing how to choose a subject heading for your science email marketing campaign that will save it from the recycle bin.

Your choice of words here is essential, and has to immediately grab the attention of your audience and entice them into the body of your science email. Within the span of just a few key words, you must make the temptation to read on irresistible. It may sound like an impossible task, but here are a few surefire ways to snag a scientist’s attention in the subject heading of your science email marketing:

FREE

Yes, we all know this one well. Whether it’s free food, free T-shirts, or even free iPods, scientists will drop everything and come running (or at least schedule experiments accordingly). Powerless against this word, a subject heading featuring the word “free” is like cryptonite against a scientist’s aversion to email marketing. Like Pandora’s box, they will be unable to resist opening the email to find out what’s inside. But please, provide them with presents rather than plagues (they get enough pathogen exposure in their research). Back up your claims with the goods, or you will turn your audience against you. There is nothing worse than a false lead and empty promise.

CONTEST

Most companies don’t have the resources to give out free stuff all the time. Instead hold a contest to give away prizes to a few selected winners. This is more enticing than a raffle which is left to the fates to decide (and I don’t know about you, but I never win those and question whether anything is actually given away at all). A contest has many advantages:

1. Scientists can take matters into their own hands and have an impact on their chances of winning. Winners will be rewarded based on their effort and creativity, not the luck of the draw.

2. Entering the contest will get scientists more engaged in your company and product than simply entering their name for a raffle. This will make you more memorable next time they need to order supplies.

3. Use the winning entries in your next science email marketing campaign! (with permission of course) This will both entice readers and give your audience and contest participants a more intimate connection with your company- translating to more sales on your end.

So how do you get started? Here are some fun contest ideas to get you going:

Music Video

If you haven’t seen the Lady Gaga knock-off “Bad Project” it’s a must-see. Challenge your customers to create their own lab music videos and give out various awards for the most authentic, best choice of song, funniest, and the grand prize, BEST PRODUCT PLACEMENT! The experience will sear your company into the minds of both your contestants, and the viewers. AND, you can use the submissions as entertaining material for future science email marketing campaigns! (with permission)

Here are some excellent examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4L4M8m4d0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amknI7qr25g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xjs6iTjdJc

Song Lyrics

Making a music video is a lot of work, especially on top of a job in research. To make the contest a little easier, have your contestants make up their own lab related lyrics to a popular song. You can choose the song, or let them choose, and again, award various prizes as above. Bonus points if they can get their whole lab to sing it on video.

Short Skit

For the less musically talented, hold a contest to create a short skit or commercial. The possibilities here are endless, and could be left up to the creativity of your contestants or focused to a more specific topic.

For example:

• translate your favorite sitcom, movie, etc. to the laboratory setting
• create a news broadcast of what REALLY goes on in biomedical research
• make a superbowl quality commercial featuring your product

Other ideas:

• what you’d really like to say or do as a TA
• if my mother worked in my lab
• what happens when the boss is out of town
• when my paper makes it into Science!
• my experiment just failed for the umpteenth time

Use your imagination! Again, award the grand prize for product placement with your product as the ultimate solution!

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Hold a contest for who can submit a photo of:

• the ugliest western blot
• the best “what do you mean you have no data for me this week?” PI face
• the funniest mouse photo
• the most classic “caught being a grad student” shot
• …and other entertaining facets of laboratory research

Have some fun trying out these science email marketing subject headings and activities and let us know how it goes.

We would enjoy hearing your comment belows and let us know a great way you’ve used (details please) to engage your scientists – who knows, you may make headlines on the next HSS blog!

Shannon

Shannon earned her PhD from the University of California, San Diego's Biomedical Sciences Program. Her specialties include Microbiology, Virology, Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine. She now uses her scientific background to write for various outlets, specializing in conference coverage, web content for pharmaceutical companies, blog posts for science networking sites, editing, and event planning.

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