Is using the letter O instead of the number 0 in email subject lines a good practice?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from MarketingProfs advises against using letter substitutions in subject lines. They suggest that while creativity is important, clarity and professionalism should take precedence to maintain credibility.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests testing the approach and notes that organizations sometimes follow outdated practices without proven benefits.
Email marketer from Reddit believes that using 'O' instead of '0' might be a bad idea, as it could trigger spam filters and potentially harm deliverability. They suggest A/B testing to see if it affects open rates or spam scores.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Tips Blog shares that while creative approaches can sometimes grab attention, substituting numbers with letters can make your email look unprofessional or even like spam. It is a risky approach with little potential benefit.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Community Forum strongly discourages replacing numbers with letters in email subject lines. They indicate that it can make the email look less professional and potentially be flagged as spam by various email providers.
Email marketer from Marketing Forum recommends against using 'O' instead of '0.' They mention that it can impact readability and might annoy subscribers. Clear communication is key, and such substitutions can create confusion.
Marketer from Email Geeks questions the consistency of the letter O's appearance across different devices and asks about extending the practice to the email body.
Email marketer from LinkedIn suggests that any perceived aesthetic benefit is outweighed by potential deliverability problems. The small visual change isn't worth risking being flagged as spam.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Institute emphasizes that deliverability should be a top priority. Using 'O' instead of '0' might negatively affect sender reputation and email placement in inboxes.
Email marketer from Quora notes that while individual results can vary, most experts agree that such character substitutions can be detrimental. It's seen as a shortcut and can diminish trust with recipients.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares concerns about accessibility when using the letter O instead of the number 0 in subject lines.
What the experts say1Expert opinion
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that character substitutions like using 'O' instead of '0' are a bad idea because they make an email look unprofessional and trigger spam filters. She notes that while email filters are becoming more sophisticated, these kinds of substitutions are often a sign that the sender is trying to hide something, therefore harming sender reputation.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google Support emphasizes the importance of clear and genuine communication. Using character replacements can be seen as deceptive, impacting user trust and deliverability to Gmail accounts.
Documentation from Microsoft Support warns against using deceptive techniques, including character substitutions. These practices violate their anti-spam policies and can result in emails being marked as junk.
Documentation from Mailchimp Resources recommends avoiding character replacements in subject lines as it can trigger spam filters and negatively impact the overall performance of email campaigns. Authenticity is key for successful email marketing.
Documentation from Spamhaus advises avoiding tricks like replacing characters (e.g., '0' with 'O') to bypass spam filters, as modern filters are sophisticated enough to detect these tactics, and such attempts can negatively affect sender reputation.