I was looking through my email stats for this newsletter for the past quarter — which emails performed best, had the most clicks, etc. — when I noticed something:

There was one word in common in each of the subject lines that had the most opens this quarter.

And I used it completely accidentally.

You know what that word was?

I'll give you a hint: I used it in this subject line too.

"I"

Yep. The word "I" appeared in every single one of my top-performing subject lines for this quarter for the business and ministry side of my email list.

And I think I know why.

Because I'm starting to see a shift in marketing. It's something that's always been there, but it's getting stronger.

People want to know the people behind small businesses and ministries.

They want to feel like they know you.

Not just your company.

But you.

They want to know your go-to takeout order and your favorite recipe.

They feel like they're part of a secret club when they know what you're nerdily passionate about.

And they love a good, intriguing story.

You know how we all love those "I am" statements from Jesus?

It seems the same is happening in marketing too.

My theory? Because AI is dehumanizing so much of life (let alone marketing), we're desiring to actually get to know the humans behind the brands we support even more.

So try using "I" in one of your upcoming subject lines, and definitely include some personal stories from your life if you're able!

Not sure how to do that without betraying your privacy? We talked about it in this newsletter and in this one.​

And then report back and let me know if you see the same trend too!

For His greater glory,

Emily

Random Things From My Life

Random snippets from real life!

• My fun summer reading list? Parish bulletins. I have a goal to read 250-300 in the next few weeks. Why? I'm working on helping the church side of my email list with their bulletins this summer and want to read a variety of bulletins from different kinds of parishes so I can best help them make them better. Speaking of which, could you reply and send me a link to your parish's bulletin? I have a bunch, but it saves me Googling random parishes. Thank you!
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• Since I mentioned this in the email: My go-to takeout order is Cracker Barrel's Chicken and Dumplings, with mac and cheese and fried apples. And biscuits, obviously. And I think you all know what I'm nerdily passionate about (#OxfordComma).
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  Another of my nerdy passions? Jane Austen. And yes, I know a lot of people are Jane Austen fans, but are you really a Jane Austen fan if you haven't taken a full college class on her works and then presented at a conference on a paper you wrote specifically about how she uses the words "enlightened" versus "undeceived" differently in Northanger Abbey? Asking for a friend. (But like seriously, figuring out which characters she uses each word for and the nuance of why is actually crazy cool.)
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• Since we're on the topic of college, you know how people used to make their punctuation a few sizes bigger to get to page minimums? Yeah. I used to make mine smaller to fit page maximums. Shocking, I know.
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• Been chewing on (and feeling seen!) by this line from Isaiah 30 recently: "'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the Lord, 'who carry out a plan, but not mine; and who make a league, but not of my spirit.'" Prayers that all our plans are made in alignment with the Spirit of the Lord this week!