I love stand-up comedy.

Growing up, I used to watch Def Comedy Jam and Comedy Central on TV.

Now with YouTube and Netflix, there are so many more options.

So the other day I was watching a podcast where comedian Hannah Berner said something I knew I'd email you about.

(Yup, I'm a Giggler...IYKYK)

When talking about her first Netflix special, We Ride At Dawn, she explained how she initially didn't have a joke that paired with the title.

So she reworked one of her jokes at the end to include the phrase "we ride at dawn".

Why'd she care?

In her own words:

Now why did I care enough to tell you about it?

Because I do something similar when writing emails.

I try to repeat the subject line in the email.

I do it for the same reason Hannah did it in her comedy special.

She described it as giving the audience a warm feeling.

I describe it as a nod to the reader saying "here's what I promised".

And I actually did it in the last email I sent.

Did you notice?

In this example, it wasn't just the subject line.

It was actually the pairing of the subject line with the preview text.

Now I haven't tested this enough to know with hard numbers what kind of difference it makes.

But what I do know is that email marketing works when you've built trust with the person who's reading.

So that tiny, subtle detail is a gesture to make you feel at home in this virtual living room by knowing you're getting what's promised.

Talk soon!
Lette

P.S. Here's the email again if you want to take another look.

If you decide to try it in your next email, let me know how it went.

P.P.S. Here's the podcast of Hannah getting interviewed by comedians Dana Carvey and David Spade.