Profanity in Emails?

by 60 replies
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What do you guys think about using profanity in emails, typically in email subject line?

I personally think it has a place depending on your audience, and can probably increase open rate; however, it does speak a lot about the sender, like if is actually somebody you can trust and want to do business with, especially if you were using it for the IM niche.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #emails #profanity
  • Banned
    Dunno about subject lines but some guy called Frank Kern just sent me an email about Kajabi with this in the first line - I want to warn you in advance that I fully plan to promote the bejeezus out of this:

    But if you've been to an FK event you'll notice he loves to use colorful language.
  • How does use of profanity relate to trust, in any way? They are just words and only have meaning that you, personally, attach to them. If you are offended by a word, it's because you chose to be offended. It says nothing about the sender. Most people use profanity, but will refrain from using when dealing with people they don't know. Some marketers choose to just be themselves, and speak like they do around their friends. How does that make them less trustworthy?

    Bottom line, if it bothers you, unsubscribe from their list.
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    • Banned
      In this context, it says about the sender that he was willing knowingly to risk offending some people on his list. That's not "nothing".

      It doesn't bother me, but I still think they're usually making a mistake using it.
      • [2] replies
  • Does not increase my open rate, send me one with direct profanity in the subject and it will result in one of two events. I either report it as spam, or I unsubscribe from the list, or if you are really lucky, I'll do both.
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    • Most of the receivers will react the same way. But then it depends upon many other factors as well.

    • If you are offended by something - whether it be profanity or anything else - then of course you have the option of unsubscribing.

      But under what circumstances could anything in the subject line - again profanity or anything else - make an e-mail spam?

      You asked for it? Not spam. You didn't sign up or otherwise subscribe? Spam.
  • Are you talking about using four letter words or just colourful language?

    If I got emails with swear words in the subject line I would certainly unsubscribe from that list.
  • I don't know about you guys, but using it tastefully (if you want to put it like that) has improved my open rates in some niches.

    Just don't over do it, or do it for the sake of doing it.
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    • How can you use profanity "tastefully?" That just doesn't make any sense at all! Have you tested this and found that it really works? Or could it maybe possibly just be how you are marketing things instead?
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  • Personally I don't give a rats ass how another person chooses to conduct themselves.

    Chris
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  • Honest to goodness.. It will get a higher open rate too..

    And a nice ctr...

    Caleb.

    ...

    Oh yeah... And the open rate will be people clicking on the "Unsubscribe" link and then clicking the report e-mail as spam link.

    Swearing in your e-mails is what gets people not to open them. You realize that it offends a lot of people, and that those people who you offend will NEVER be your buyers again, and will probably tell there friends about it as well.
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    • '
      If you target purrty purtys yes.
      IF you target a "normal" working man Well they be proud you eb a honest god damm mothaf**'' amen but people are diffrent and i think about (Guess from own calcs) only 45% are purty purty.
      Edit: in the IM targeting
    • To be honest, if someone "tells their friends" not to buy from someone because they swore in an email, they are hardly the kind of customer you want. I'd suspect these are the same people who are serial refunders, too.

      I personally don't do it, but I certainly wouldn't be offended if someone did. Everyone has their own personality.

      My only pet hate is spelling mistakes, that says more to me about a person than their choice of words.
      • [2] replies
  • I don't swear in emails or subscribe to marketers who do so. Then again, I don't swear in "real life" either, nor do I spend much time around most who swear endlessly, so I'm consistent.
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  • One of my best selling emails was something I wrote a couple of years ago for Andy Jenkins promoting one of my client's affiliate products. The subject line?

    "I just kicked Tiger Wood's @#$..."

    But I don't think it was the veiled profanity that sold it. It was the idea, the theme, and the intrigue of the subject line that made this one work. And since it was coming from Andy's lips (and he has a strong, assertive personality), I could have a little fun with it. Hence the added "@#$".

    With that said, I try to avoid profanity in my emails if at all possible. It worked for this one, but it usually just clutters up the text and ticks some people off.
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  • Apart from whether or not swearing is right or wrong, I actually LIKE the idea of using it IN the subject line--assuming it's going to be used anyway.

    Why?

    That way easily offended readers won't open it. They can just delete it without further offending their sensibilities. No surprises about what could be inside.

    I would much rather have a head's up on it, rather than seeing an innocuous subject line, only to be barraged by a slew of profanities.

    All the best,
    Michael
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I agree with Kay. It's surprising what people think they can get away with online, that they wouldn't do offline. Maybe the anonymity or they don't have to see the expression on your face when they say it.

    Either way, to me it shows a lack of command for the English language and the profanity becomes filler for the lack of being able to come up with something intelligent to say.

    Thanks,

    John
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I swear in my on stage talks but rarely in text. When you speak and swearing happens it's from passion. In text it's too easily calculated.

    I like it when speakers swear. I have no opinion on email but I rarely swear in mine.
  • Why would you want to eliminate anyone by offending when there are thousands of other words you could use?

    Unless you are targeting a VERY specific market that will feel more connected to you because you cuss - I would say it's not worth it.
  • I think that profanity works for some but fails for others.. Like Frank Kern it works but for someone else it may not. And some people have enough subscribers that it doesn't bother them to offend some. Definitely, gets the attention of others!
  • I don't care if they say a** or da**, but if you pull an f bomb in an e-mail title well that's bad taste...

    I get what your saying Michael, what words are acceptable? I would rather stay away from it all together, in worrry of it... Of course, an F bomb drops in the occasional business conversation.... I remember this guy calling me about a JV once, and dropping f bombs (ironically, I never did a jv with the guy.. unrelated reason).

    If they say "D**** straight" or something.. All is cool, but if it's like "What the f****", then its weird.

    Caleb
    • [2] replies
    • only in your opinion Caleb see my post above
    • Some of y'all will remember the fuss over Lenny Bruce and his use of profanity in his comedy act. There were places that simply refused to book him because of it. Nowadays, ol' Lenny would be fairly mild.

      There's a whole new breed that, if you took the profanity out of their vocabulary, their 60 minute sets would be 8 minutes long. The crazy thing is, put them on Leno's show or someplace else where the censors and the FCC would nail them and they prove they can be funny without the F-bomb.

      I'll cop to occasionally dropping a cuss word into a spontaneous message like a forum posting. I don't make a practice out of it because it would be out of character for me.

      If you are peppering your message with 'the seven words you can't say on TV' for effect, keep in mind that the more you do it, the more inured to it your audience becomes. (BTW, I think the list is down to three or four now.)

      Besides, there are things people put in emails that I consider much more offensive than a few four letter words. During the last American election cycle, I dumped a list I'd been on for months because the list owners chose to broadcast political rants. Others will stray into religion, a big no-no for me. Even gentle Jesus drove the moneychangers from the temple.

      Some people use cussing as a way to 'talk to the common man', and it's pretty obvious that they're doing it for the effect. The words themselves don't offend me. The implied disrespect does. If you think I'm so ignorant that you have to lower yourself to communicate with me, I don't need to communicate with you. Besides, have you ever noticed how silly a little kid sounds when he/she finds out they can get a rise out of Mummy and Daddy by cussing?

      Do you want to sound like an attention-craving toddler?
  • Its a perfectly reasonable marketing strategy to allienate and divide your listners

    look at howard stern. the people who hate him still listen to his show if only so they can bitch about him

    Everything else in this thread is just an opinion and every one has one.
  • Would you use profanity in the middle of a business meeting? Then, why would you use it as part of your marketing campaign? Sure, you might be working from home in your PJ's, but this is still your business.
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  • I've never used/tested profanity in e-mails and have no intention of doing so

    However I do think this depends on the market, if someone is in the adult market for example the audience may even expect it.

    Or shock comedians, if they have an e-mail list of fans/followers they may well be expecting it.

    But if you're in a market involving cooking recipes with a general demographic of ladies over 50, using profanity probably isn't the smartest idea
  • really depends on the audience , But there are some instances where it fits. I try to use words in them cases, that are "like a curse" but grandmothers version of it lol

    for example, the link in my signature. " SEO BullCrap"
  • Love it...

    Talk dirty to me all you like :p
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    • [DELETED]

    • lol note to self, start writing dirty sales letters lol
  • I don't think it's necessary. Some people appreciate shock value, but if a person needs to resort to shock value to get my attention he probably isn't as good at what he does as he thinks he is.

    I once read a thread linking to an article that used profanity in the subject/title. Many of the readers were offended by the article itself but the part that interested me most was the number of people who believed the person sharing the link posted the article. Double negative.

    True, we choose how to react to the things we see - but as a marketer you need to be conscious enough to know how the vast majority might react. There's no excuse for offending your audience.
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    • Actually, Howard Stern does a pretty good job at shocking people, consequently, he is the highest paid radio personality anywhere in the world, in fact, i hazard a bet he is the highest paid individual in the world at $100 million a year.

      Chris
  • I don't get offended for bad words at all and I don't hesitate to use them when needed, because the goal of the email is to create a relationship with your prospects, you don't need to be too "corporate" you want to be natural, to be their friend and show yourself, so they trust you and with the time buy you, furthermore I don't see anything bad with the use of bad words.
    • [1] reply
    • That's all well and good, but...

      As soon as you start thinking "Hey! I'll swear here to sound more natural", it is no longer natural. Then it's manipulative.

      ~Michael
  • It can be an effective tool for others but I won't do it. There's a right time to use profanity and for me it's not in sending out emails in getting people to work with you as partners. And yes, having it on the subject line may cause people to unsubscribe and lose your revenue in the process.
    • [1] reply
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    Profanity in Emails?

    What do you guys think about using profanity in emails, typically in email subject line? I personally think it has a place depending on your audience, and can probably increase open rate; however, it does speak a lot about the sender, like if is actually somebody you can trust and want to do business with, especially if you were using it for the IM niche.