From: David's Bridal (co-brand with Shutterfly)
Subject Line: Congratulations! Our Gift to You
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009

From: Disney Movie Rewards
Subject Line: Amy, Happy Birthday! 25 Bonus Points Inside
Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009

From: Starbucks.com
Subject Line: Let Us Treat You To a Free Pastry
Date: Monday, July 20, 2009

A sure way to drive people to your website: offer an incentive!
Here are 3 emails that offered me a free gift, no strings attached!

Four reasons why giving something for free can make you money:

1. Great for Customer Loyalty
I wouldn't consider unsubscribing knowing I might have another gift coming in the future. I'll also hesitate to leave an email unread per chance I may be missing another great deal.

2. Helps to Grow Your Subscriber List
Immediately after getting my gift and seeing it wasn't a scam, I was enticed to encourage others to sign up so they can get their free gift (which I did, of course - who wouldn't want a free movie?!)

3. Provides Cross Promotion Opportunities
Along the way to getting my free gift, there is the opportunity to cross promote other products and/or get me accustomed to browsing the website.

4. Get People Hooked
Give me a sample of your product, I may just find that I can't live without it!