Email marketing is a great tool to use to directly communicate with customers. They have establishing an interest in your company and products or services and signed up for your email list, establishing the expectation of a long term relationship. Your goal is to provide these customers with information that will resonate and grab their attention while avoiding being caught by the spam folder and not delivered.

One of the words that continues to be debated is the use of the word “free” in the subject line.

Common questions about the use of the word in email marketing include:

• Does using the word “free” hurt deliverability?

Using the word “free” in the subject line can significantly impact your emails deliverability as spam filters have grown smart enough to recognize the word is regularly used in spam emails. To ensure you land in your customers inbox, leave the word “Free” out of the subject line.

Unlike the subject like, using the word “Free” in the body of your email will not impact your deliverability. Customers will receive your emails in their inbox at a rate comparable to emails without use of the word “free” in the body of the email.

• Does click-through rate improve with the word “free”?

Click-through rate can be affected by use of the word “free”. Some people are more hesitant to click through an email using the word, so it does not perform as well statistically. It varies from business to business, so it’s best to try and gain an understanding of what it is your customers are looking for before deciding to throw the word “free” around in your email marketing content.

Overall, the word “free” may not be as dangerous as once though, if you are using it in the right places. Subject lines with the word should be avoided but the use of “Free” in the body text will still reach the inboxes of your customers. If you are interested in learning more about the workings of email marketing, please contact Fasturtle to speak with one of our knowledgeable and experienced email marketing professionals at 888-468-8785 or visit us online. Together, we can work to create a specialized email marketing campaign that is best suited for your business.