The Ethics of Clickbait

🧠 How Far Is Too Far in Email Marketing?

Playbook

— 3 min read

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🧠 The Ethics of Clickbait: How Far Is Too Far in Email Marketing?

The fastest way to ruin email ROI? Trick people into opening.

And yet, even today, many DTC brands still bet their entire flows on cheap tactics like fake replies, misleading order updates, and forced urgency. They work, for a while. But long-term? They burn trust faster than your CPMs rise in Q4.

Why This Problem Persists

Clickbait doesn’t come from malice. It comes from pressure. When open rates drop and deliverability tanks, the temptation is real:

  • “RE: Your order”
  • “Update inside.”
  • “We need to talk”

All designed to bypass spam filters and spark curiosity. But here’s the truth most agencies won’t tell you:

Clicks without context don’t convert, and they train your list to ignore you next time.

Even worse, these tactics create a false expectation. A user who expects a shipping update and finds a product plug? You’ve just lost a future buyer, not earned one.

What High-Trust Brands Do Instead

Instead of playing games, great brands optimize for consent, not deception. They write subject lines that:

  • Lead with benefit or intrigue, not bait.
  • Align with the content inside the email.
  • Reinforce brand tone and consistency.

They also segment audiences aggressively, so the subject lines can be timely, personalized, and rooted in actual context.

If someone viewed a product, say it. If they started checkout, reference it. But never imply something happened that didn’t.

A Better Way to Lift Opens (Without Lying)

  1. Use specificity, not tricks: “Your custom skincare plan is ready” outperforms “Update about your order” when it’s true.
  2. Train readers through consistency: If every email delivers something valuable,tip, an offer, or a story, your subject line matters less.
  3. Preview text = prime real estate: This is your second chance. Use it to expand the headline, not repeat it or waste it.

Closing Insight: The inbox is a privilege, not a loophole.

If your email opens spike but complaints or unsubscribes rise with them, you didn’t win. You broke the relationship. Play the long game. Outperform with clarity, not confusion. That’s how real DTC brands scale.

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