1. Boost Your Response Rates in Any Media
With “Eye Magnet” Words and Techniques
Featuring 3 Case Studies of Leading Brands
2. 2
But first, what are “eye magnet” words?
Think of them as words that do extra-heavy lifting
in any marketing communication, be it an email or a
tweet, a direct mailer or a landing page, a
Facebook post or a print ad. We call them “eye
magnet” words because usability and eye-tracking
studies confirm that the human eye is attracted to
these words more than others.
In turn, they help boost both B2B and B2C
response rates, regardless of media and type of
response (click-through, call, order in any channel,
request to learn more, etc.).
Newness
Not surprisingly, eye magnet words often have to
do with the concept of novelty. Behavioral
economists believe that we are drawn to these
words because we, as humans, are hardwired to
notice new input, new information, or anything out
of the ordinary. (Our survival once depended on it.)
For this reason, the words “new,” “introducing,”
“discover,” “finally,” “soon,” and “now” are all eye
magnet words, helping to flag your message as
“new news” — something your ever-busier
customer should pay attention to.
Consider the differences between these:
NEW. Mobile banking for your smart phone
vs.
Mobile banking is here for our checking customers
The first option is more compelling, less passive —
and it does something else well, too. It’s about
“you,” the customer, rather than “we,” the brand.
Youness
For this reason, “you” and “your” are also eye
magnet words. They drive readership because
people are inherently more interested in themselves
than anything else. In fact, recasting a
communication to be about “you,” the customer,
instead of “we,” the brand, is one of the easiest
things you can do to engage your customer. It just
takes some practice, because so many marketers
are used to talking about “we.”
Consider which of these is more engaging:
Your 401(k) plan service provider will change soon
vs.
We’re pleased to have selected a new 401(k) plan
service provider
1. Dan Ariely, “Predictably Irrational Videos: Chapter 3: The
Cost of Zero,” http://danariely.com/videos/
The first option is all about “you.” In fact, the first
word is “your.” And it really does matter. For
instance, if your customer gets 130 emails a day,
and you want to craft a subject line that gets
opened, your words should be chosen purposefully,
not randomly. It’s the same with copy for your
landing pages, mailers, posts, texts, and newspaper
ads.
The Power of “Free”
It’s widely acknowledged that the word “free” is a
word unto itself. And if you’ve ever tested an offer,
you understand this even more. The word “free”
— and its close relatives, “save” and “value” — can
be strong motivators, if you’re in a position to
use them.
Leading behavioral economist, author, Wall Street
Journal columnist, and speaker Dan Ariely explains
it this way: “Something about ‘free’ — the idea that
something has no negative side, only an upside —
creates an emotional reaction to make us value it
more, and this excitement causes us, many times,
to behave — and get [the free thing]. There is
something magical about ‘free.’ It gives us a certain
happiness that we just don’t get with other
purchases.”1
It’s the reason why “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” will always
outperform “Two for the Price of One.” It’s also why
if you can position or offer something as “free” to
help stimulate a response, you should.
Personalization: The Ultimate Eye Magnet
Technique
Nothing increases customer engagement — and
response rates — like personalizing your
communications. Consider this contrast:
Save big at our location nearest you
vs.
Tom, save 75%—only at our 375 Main Street store
The second option is personalized in three ways:
the customer’s name, the percentage off
(presuming other versions were sent for other
locations), and the store’s address.
Here’s another example:
Sue, round-trip to Tampa just $99 now
The airline already knows Sue is a Tampa frequent
flier, making the offer even more pertinent.
What’s more, studies have shown that if your
message can be sent or signed by a name that is
3. 3
the same as or similar to your customer’s, a
response is even more likely. The possibilities are as
limitless as your data, and we work with brands and
marketers at vastly different stages of readiness in
this regard.
Of course, not every eye magnet word or technique
is right for every communication, every brand,
every time. The point is to incorporate them into
your communications in ways that support your
brand and marketing goals — as we’ve done for the
clients in the case studies that follow.
1. Client: A major metropolitan daily with a
subscription-based digital edition
Challenge: This client wanted to drive holiday gift
subscriptions for the digital edition of the
newspaper, which, unlike some digital editions, is
not free to all.
Solution: We created an email campaign that
targeted past subscription givers whose gifts were
up for renewal and past gift recipients who may be
interested in giving their own subscriptions.
Eye magnet words and techniques: The concepts
of “you,” “new,” and “free” were written into the
emails from the beginning, used prominently
throughout, and enhanced through art direction
choices. Here’s an example:
You probably know just the person who’d
LOVE a gift subscription.
After all, you received one yourself.
The digital edition’s new features were called out as
such. Here’s an example of a bullet point:
NEW. Today’s Headlines via email
The button for placing an order featured another
eye magnet word: “GIVE NOW,” and a glossy wall
calendar offered as a bonus was called out in red
as “FREE.”
Results: The campaign achieved a 51.55%
conversion rate, far exceeding our client’s
expectations.
2. Client: One of the world’s top hotel and
restaurant review websites
Challenge: This client provides a free online listing
to hotels and restaurants in many countries, as well
as a forum for customers to rate their experiences.
The client’s goal was to upsell these businesses to a
premium Business Listing, which lets users call or
link directly from the listing to the property to
make a reservation, provides value-added space for
promotional messaging, and more.
Solution: As this client can provide advanced
usability data on customer traffic for each online
listing, we created a data-rich annual report, which
was heavily customized for each property and was
direct-mailed annually. The report also detailed the
benefits of upgrading to a Business Listing, which
would ultimately improve upon the results found in
the report.
Eye magnet words and techniques: This mailing
was a showcase of “you”-directed communication
techniques, both in terms of eye-magnet words in
the copy and the advanced use of personalization.
Here’s what appeared on the outer envelope:
24 Facts About [Property Name]:
Your Annual Report and Customized
Marketing Analysis
Here’s the first line of the cover letter:
Knowledge is power. Especially when it is
prepared just for you.
Using easily scannable infographics, the report
provided more than two dozen personalized data
points for each property manager, including total
number of customer reviews posted annually, the
property’s overall ranking, indexed page views, and
mobile page views.
Results: This mailing delivered a 389% ROI — the
highest ROI of any Business Listing acquisition
effort of the entire year.
3. Client: A leading, nonprofit provider of
federal student loan solutions
Challenge: This client’s major, new initiative is a
paid program for colleges that provides students
with the tools to manage their loans during and
after college. The target was key officers and
administrators at 600 U.S. colleges and universities,
with the goal of softening the market prior to sales
efforts. Most were unfamiliar with the brand
and service.
Solution: We developed a comprehensive B2B
campaign that launched the program to schools
over a three-month period and served as a turnkey
program thereafter. Elements included direct mail,
websites, print targeting administrators, and kits for
![2
But first, what are “eye magnet” words?
Think of them as words that do extra-heavy lifting
in any marketing communication, be it an email or a
tweet, a direct mailer or a landing page, a
Facebook post or a print ad. We call them “eye
magnet” words because usability and eye-tracking
studies confirm that the human eye is attracted to
these words more than others.
In turn, they help boost both B2B and B2C
response rates, regardless of media and type of
response (click-through, call, order in any channel,
request to learn more, etc.).
Newness
Not surprisingly, eye magnet words often have to
do with the concept of novelty. Behavioral
economists believe that we are drawn to these
words because we, as humans, are hardwired to
notice new input, new information, or anything out
of the ordinary. (Our survival once depended on it.)
For this reason, the words “new,” “introducing,”
“discover,” “finally,” “soon,” and “now” are all eye
magnet words, helping to flag your message as
“new news” — something your ever-busier
customer should pay attention to.
Consider the differences between these:
NEW. Mobile banking for your smart phone
vs.
Mobile banking is here for our checking customers
The first option is more compelling, less passive —
and it does something else well, too. It’s about
“you,” the customer, rather than “we,” the brand.
Youness
For this reason, “you” and “your” are also eye
magnet words. They drive readership because
people are inherently more interested in themselves
than anything else. In fact, recasting a
communication to be about “you,” the customer,
instead of “we,” the brand, is one of the easiest
things you can do to engage your customer. It just
takes some practice, because so many marketers
are used to talking about “we.”
Consider which of these is more engaging:
Your 401(k) plan service provider will change soon
vs.
We’re pleased to have selected a new 401(k) plan
service provider
1. Dan Ariely, “Predictably Irrational Videos: Chapter 3: The
Cost of Zero,” http://danariely.com/videos/
The first option is all about “you.” In fact, the first
word is “your.” And it really does matter. For
instance, if your customer gets 130 emails a day,
and you want to craft a subject line that gets
opened, your words should be chosen purposefully,
not randomly. It’s the same with copy for your
landing pages, mailers, posts, texts, and newspaper
ads.
The Power of “Free”
It’s widely acknowledged that the word “free” is a
word unto itself. And if you’ve ever tested an offer,
you understand this even more. The word “free”
— and its close relatives, “save” and “value” — can
be strong motivators, if you’re in a position to
use them.
Leading behavioral economist, author, Wall Street
Journal columnist, and speaker Dan Ariely explains
it this way: “Something about ‘free’ — the idea that
something has no negative side, only an upside —
creates an emotional reaction to make us value it
more, and this excitement causes us, many times,
to behave — and get [the free thing]. There is
something magical about ‘free.’ It gives us a certain
happiness that we just don’t get with other
purchases.”1
It’s the reason why “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” will always
outperform “Two for the Price of One.” It’s also why
if you can position or offer something as “free” to
help stimulate a response, you should.
Personalization: The Ultimate Eye Magnet
Technique
Nothing increases customer engagement — and
response rates — like personalizing your
communications. Consider this contrast:
Save big at our location nearest you
vs.
Tom, save 75%—only at our 375 Main Street store
The second option is personalized in three ways:
the customer’s name, the percentage off
(presuming other versions were sent for other
locations), and the store’s address.
Here’s another example:
Sue, round-trip to Tampa just $99 now
The airline already knows Sue is a Tampa frequent
flier, making the offer even more pertinent.
What’s more, studies have shown that if your
message can be sent or signed by a name that is](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)