Southwest Airlines announced a new campaign today that offers a set of round-trip tickets as an incentive for subscribers, new or old, to open emails. In email marketing today one of the biggest struggles is getting people to actually open the email. Obviously, subscribers know there’s something of value from a company they’re already getting a newsletter from otherwise they wouldn’t have subscribed in the first place. It’s just sometimes life, and even an overabundance of other email, can detract from getting to (and reading) some subscriptions. I fall victim to that time and time again.

So, as an email marketer I know how big of a struggle it can be to reach out to people like me and get them to even notice the newsletter I’ve sent out. One of the most successful ways of getting people to open emails has always been through a creative or compelling subject line. When I saw “Click and Win Free Travel” I was all over it.

Southwest has stepped it up a notch above a great subject line. Each time a subscriber opens up their Click ‘n Save email then the subscriber will be entered into a monthly drawing for a chance to win 2 round trip tickets. Nothing more. No need to click through. No need to shout their praises. No need to fill out a form. You open? You enter.

This is a genius strategy. They’re offering some serious value. Now, they’re getting more people to open the email due to this incentive. What that does is it creates a higher likelihood that people will actually read their content. That, in turn, increases the chances of the subscriber carrying out whatever call to action exists within it.

Incentives are always a great way to encourage an action out of your target audience. If you’re able to offer something free then you should do it. The ROI will prove the campaign’s effectiveness each and every time.

It’s all about incentive. Way to go Southwest!

Subscribe to the Southwest Click ‘n Save email newsletter here.