Latest / The Newsletter Podcast with Fexingo: Substack, Beehiiv, and Email Newsletter Business / How One Word Change Boosted Newsletter Open Rates by 34 Percent
Transcript
- Lucas: So there is a newsletter I have been following — calls itself 'The Daily Brief' — and last month they ran a subject line test that cost them exactly nothing to set up and increased their open rate by 34 percent. The only difference? One word. Luna: One word? That sounds too good to be true. What word? Lucas: They swapped 'Your' for 'This'. So instead of 'Your Weekly Marketing Tips', it became 'This Week's Marketing Tips'. That was it. And the 'This' version won by a landslide. Luna: Interesting. So the psychology is that 'Your' feels like a chore — like something you already own — while 'This' feels like a discovery. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the core of what we are talking about today — these small, low-effort changes that can dramatically improve how your newsletter performs. Speaking of which, a quick honest thing: This podcast stays ad-free because a handful of listeners chip in monthly at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It is not much, but it means we can keep making episodes like this one. Luna: Yeah, and it is genuinely appreciated. We try to make every episode actionable, so if you have gotten value, even a few dollars makes a difference. Lucas: Back to subject lines — that test is a perfect example of why you should never assume you know what your audience wants. You have to test. So after that result, they tested other swaps. Luna: Like what? Lucas: They tested 'How to' versus 'The secret to'. 'The secret to' outperformed by 18 percent. Same principle — 'how to' is instructional, 'secret' triggers curiosity. Luna: Curiosity gap. That is classic psychology at work. Lucas: Right. And then they tested a simple question mark. For example, 'Your weekly tips?' versus 'Your weekly tips.' The question version got 12 percent more opens. It invites a response, even if there isn't one. Luna: So the question mark creates a conversational hook. But how often should you run these tests? Every send? Lucas: Not necessarily every send, but at least once a week if you send daily. The key is to change only one variable at a time. If you test two things at once, you won't know what drove the lift. Luna: Makes sense. And what sample size do you need? Lucas: Most platforms will run the test until they reach statistical significance. But a good rule of thumb is at least a few thousand subscribers per variant. If your list is smaller, you might need to run the test longer or wait for a bigger list. Luna: What about tools? Which platforms have good A/B testing built in? Lucas: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Beehiiv all have native A/B testing. Beehiiv actually lets you test subject lines, preview text, and even from names. It is very easy to set up. Luna: And is it free on those platforms? Lucas: Most include basic A/B testing in their standard plans. Mailchimp's free tier even allows it up to a certain list size. So there's really no excuse not to test. Luna: One thing I've wondered — does mobile versus desktop affect how these words perform? Luna: Great point. On mobile, subject lines are cut off sooner, so the first few words are critical. That's why testing the front-loaded words is even more important. For example, 'This Week's Tips' — the 'This' appears immediately. Lucas: Absolutely. And preview text also plays a role. Sometimes the preview text can reinforce the subject line or add a second hook. But today we're focused on the subject line itself. Luna: Are there any words you would say to avoid? Lucas: Avoid spam trigger words like 'free', 'act now', 'limited time'. They can land you in the promotions tab or spam folder. Also, avoid overly salesy language unless your audience expects it. Luna: What about words that tend to work universally? Lucas: 'New' and 'Now' are consistent performers. 'New' signals novelty, 'Now' creates urgency. But even those can wear out if overused. That is why testing is essential. Luna: And numbers — like '5 Tips' versus 'Five Tips'? Lucas: Numbers add specificity and often boost open rates. But the format matters — numeric digits tend to stand out more in the inbox. '5 Tips' got 17 percent more opens than 'Five Tips' in one test I saw. Luna: So it really comes down to testing everything. There's no magic bullet. Lucas: Exactly. And the beauty is that these tests take minutes to set up and can yield data you can use forever. My challenge to listeners: pick one word to test this week. Maybe it's 'Your' versus 'This', or 'How to' versus 'The secret to'. Luna: I am going to test 'Your' versus 'This' in my own newsletter. What about you, Lucas? Lucas: Same. I have a suspicion that 'This' will win, but I want to be proven wrong. That is the fun part — you never know until you test.