I read Playboy for the interviews

And enewsletters for the subject lines

Really. In the same way I read newsletters for the subject lines. It doesn’t even have to be a topic I’m all that interested in. For example, the newsletter by the Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” Salkin.

You have heard about HH before in My HOH. Aleks writes about kettlebell exercises and bodyweight exercises. Regardless of whether or not you use kettlebells (I do not), the newsletter is worth subscribing to for no other reason than the subject lines. Like this one:

“Whole Lotta Lunge”

Now, the play on the Led Zeppelin song made me laugh out loud and it’s enough for me (and probably others) to open. If you’re running a business out of your home and competing with much larger companies, e-mail opens are critical. So, you want to write compelling subject lines. Here are a few from the Hammer:

“Why I stopped military pressing”

“Why I am not a huge fan of the swing”

“Snatches are NOT the ultimate kettlebell ballistic.”

You’re probably thinking these subject lines have nothing to do with my business. Well, what makes these subjects lines great is that you can easily tailor them to one of your marketing e-mails. For example:

“Why I stopped (fill in the blank)”

“Why I am not a huge fan of (fill in the blank)”

“(fill in the blank) are NOT the ultimate (fill in the blank)”

These subject lines can be used for whatever your business does or service you offer. Just fill in the blanks. For my copywriting practice, I could alter these subject lines for my business with something like:

“Why I stopped writing for large corporations.”

“Why I am not a huge fan of social media for small business clients”

“Newsletters are NOT the ultimate way to reach your best customers.”

Copywriters refer to this practice as creating a swipe file. For anybody who does marketing, having a swipe file when you’re stuck for a headline saves time and gets opens. It can simply be a Word document that you update when you see a great headline.

To check out the Hebrew Hammer’s newsletter, visit his website at alekssalkin.com. For even more great subject lines, check out my list of recommendations for Substack newsletters.

Having it made with the shade

Sick of AC and fans and want to work outside? Frustrated that working outside means squinting and barely being able to see your screen no matter how much you adjust the settings? A Laptop Sun Shade like this one from Nexstand™ might just do the trick.

It looks and works a lot like the shades you see NFL instant replay review referees use. Though it seems a little less obtrusive. It’s on sale for $69 and Nexstand does offer a discount for first-time customers. Check it out and then get outside!

My latest must read: The Orangutan

The Orangutan is the daily newsletter that every day sends a short" lesson "from the best of business and marketing Practical, actionable, and useful content is ready to be applied".

Check it out.

Inspiring quote of the week

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

—Helen Keller