Look, I’ll be blunt. Most small business owners are flushing money down the toilet with their email marketing.
You spend an hour—maybe two—hunched over your laptop on a Tuesday night, trying to put together a newsletter or a promotion. You hit send. Then… nothing. Crickets.
You check your stats and see that maybe 15% of your list actually opened the thing. That means 85% of your hard work went straight into the digital bin without even being looked at.
Why? Because your subject line was rubbish.
It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. In the split second someone looks at their phone while waiting for a coffee in Paddington, they’re looking for a reason to delete your email. Your job isn't to 'market' to them. Your job is to stop them from hitting that delete button.
I’ve seen this hundreds of times. A business owner has a great offer or a helpful tip, but they title the email "March Newsletter" or "Weekly Update #42".
Nobody cares about your newsletter. They care about their own problems.
If you want more phone calls and more bookings, you need to understand the psychology of why people click. It’s not about being a genius writer. It’s about being human and getting straight to the point.
Stop Being Polite, Start Being Useful
One of the biggest mistakes I see local businesses make is being too 'professional'. They use formal language that sounds like a bank statement.
If I’m emailing a mate about a pub lunch, I don't write: "Formal Invitation for Midday Sustenance at The Paddo." I write: "Pub? 12?"
Your customers are people. They want to feel like you’re talking to them, not at them. When you write a subject line, imagine you’re texting a regular customer who actually likes your work.
If you’re a plumber and there’s a massive storm coming to Brisbane, don't send an email titled "Pre-Storm Maintenance Tips". Send one that says: "Check your gutters before tonight."
One sounds like a textbook. The other sounds like helpful advice from someone who knows what they’re doing.
The Curiosity Gap (Without the Clickbait)
We’ve all seen those trashy headlines: "You won't believe what happened next!"
Don't do that. It’s cheap, it’s annoying, and it’ll land you in the junk folder faster than you can say "unsubscribe." If you want to know why that happens, you should check out why emails end up in junk and how to stop it.
Instead, use what I call 'honest curiosity'. Give them enough information to know it’s relevant, but leave one detail out so they have to click to find out.
Bad: We have a new discount for April. Good: A quick way to save $50 on your next service.
The second one tells them exactly what’s in it for them (saving fifty bucks) but they have to open the email to see how to get it.
Use Their Name (But Don't Be Weird About It)
Most email software lets you pop a customer's name into the subject line automatically. It works. People like seeing their name.
But don't overdo it. If every single email starts with "G'day [Name]," it starts to feel like a robot is stalking them. Use it when you’ve actually got something important to tell them.
"Hey John, your aircon is due for a checkup" is a lot more effective than a generic reminder. It feels personal. It feels like you’re looking out for them.
If you're worried about the tech side of this, keep in mind that email platform costs vary wildly, and some of the 'free' ones actually make it harder to do this stuff properly. Choose a tool that makes personalisation easy, not a headache.
The Power of Negative Stakes
As humans, we’re hardwired to avoid losing things more than we like winning things. It’s why we stress more about a $100 fine than we get excited about finding $100 on the street.
In marketing, we call this 'loss aversion'.
Instead of always talking about what they’ll gain, try talking about what they’ll miss out on or the mistake they’re probably making.
- "Is your hot water system about to burst?" - "The mistake that’s costing you $200 a month on electricity." - "Don't lose your booking spot for Christmas."
These get opens because they trigger a little bit of healthy worry. You aren't being a jerk; you're genuinely helping them avoid a bad outcome.
"The best subject lines don't try to sell the whole service; they just sell the next click by promising a solution to a specific headache your customer has right now."
— James O'Brien, Content Marketing Manager
Keep it Short or Make it Weird
Most people read emails on their phones. This is a massive trap for business owners who love long, flowery sentences.
On an iPhone, you’ve only got about 35-40 characters before the subject line gets cut off. If the most important part of your message is at the end of the sentence, they’ll never see it.
Bad: We are very excited to announce that we are opening a second location in Milton this weekend! Cut off version: We are very excited to announce that...
Nobody cares that you're excited. They care about the new shop.
Good: New Milton shop opens Saturday. Free coffee!
See the difference? It’s punchy. It’s clear. It fits on the screen.
Sometimes, being a bit 'weird' or off-beat works too. I once saw a local gym send an email with the subject line: "I'm disappointed."
Everyone opened it. It turned out the owner was 'disappointed' he hadn't seen a bunch of regulars in a while and offered them a free week to come back. It was cheeky, it was human, and it worked.
Stop Blasting Everyone
If you send an email about lawn mowing to someone who lives in an apartment in Newstead, they’re going to stop opening your emails.
This is where most people fail. They have one big list and they send the same rubbish to everyone. If you want to make more sales, you need to sell smarter by only sending relevant stuff to the right people.
If I know you’re a commercial client, I should get emails about commercial rates. If you're a residential client, I want to hear about home repairs.
When the subject line matches exactly what I need, I’ll open it every single time.
Numbers and Lists
There’s a reason why magazines use headlines like "5 Ways to Lose Fat" or "10 Best Burgers in Brisbane." Our brains love lists. They feel manageable.
For your business, this looks like: - "3 signs your roof needs a repair." - "5 things to ask your accountant before June 30." - "7 local spots for a perfect Sunday lunch."
It promises the reader that the email will be easy to scan. They know they aren't about to read a novel. They’re getting quick, actionable info.
The "Quick Favour" Approach
If you want feedback or a Google review, don't send an email titled "Customer Satisfaction Survey." Nobody has ever woken up excited to fill out a satisfaction survey.
Try: "Quick favour?" or "Could you help me out?"
Because you’re a local business, your customers often feel a connection to you. They’re much more likely to help a local bloke or lady out than they are to help a massive corporation. Use that. Be real.
When to Send (And When to Shut Up)
I get asked all the time: "What’s the best time to send an email?"
My honest take? It depends on your business.
If you’re a cafe, Saturday morning is great. If you’re a B2B service, Tuesday at 10:00 AM is usually a winner because people have cleared their Monday morning chaos.
But here’s the bigger rule: Don't send an email just for the sake of it.
If you don't have anything useful to say, don't say anything. If you start spamming people with boring updates, they’ll stop opening your emails. Then, when you actually have a massive sale or a big announcement, they won't even see it because they've already tuned you out.
What to Do Right Now
If you’re sitting there thinking, "Right, I need to fix this," here is your game plan for this week:
1. Look at your last 3 emails. Were the subject lines boring? Did they focus on you or the customer? Be honest. 2. Pick one offer or tip. Something your customers actually ask you about all the time. 3. Write 5 different subject lines for it. Try a 'loss aversion' one, a 'list' one, and a 'short and punchy' one. 4. Send it. Don't overthink it.
Marketing isn't some dark art. It’s just about understanding what makes people tick and being helpful.
If you’re struggling to get people to actually call you from your website or your emails, come and have a chat with us at Local Marketing Group. We don't do fluff, and we don't do jargon. We just help Brisbane businesses get more customers.
You can find us here: https://lmgroup.au/contact
Stop wasting time on stuff that doesn't work. Start writing subject lines that actually put money in the bank.