You've Got Mail: 5.5 Tips for Improving Your Email Open Rate

Believe it or not, email marketing can be one of your most effective channels. But the hard part can be getting people to actually open your fantastic emails.  

You’ve spent time crafting the perfect email blast, now it’s time to wait for the conversions to roll in. Except… hardly any of your subscribers have opened the message. What should you do?!

Don’t worry, that’s what Charisma is here for! Let’s work on improving your email open rate!

Is Improving Your Open Rate Even Worth It?

Your potential customers signed up for your emails because they are interested in what you have to offer. Since they’re already qualified leads, you have the perfect opportunity to nurture them and reel them in.  

Low open rates don't always mean something negative. Instead, interpret it as a sign that it's time to act. Ask yourself:

Is the subject compelling enough?

Does the email provide real value?

Has your email address been flagged as spam?  

There is a lot that you can learn from your email metrics, but first, you have to get rid of the dead weight that is bringing your stats down.  

A crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy email list is to clear out any inactive subscribers, also known as non-openers, and hard bounces. They aren’t doing you any favors, and you aren’t getting an accurate picture of how your emails are performing.  

Re Engage Email Subscribers with These Strategies

Here are some tips to re-engage your audience to boost your open rate:

#1. Revitalize Your List: Keep Things Fresh!

Let’s get straight to the point. Are your email subscribers still interested in hearing from you?

To keep your subscriber list fresh, it's critical to send emails to your subscribers frequently.

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Subscribers can lose interest even if you send emails frequently. Some people may have switched email addresses or may no longer be interested in your brand.  

We advise frequently removing inactive subscribers to keep your list active and full of engaged subscribers. Even so, try sending them one final "win-back" campaign to try to re-engage them before you get rid of them.

Remember, an inactive subscriber could be anyone who has not engaged with any of your emails in the past 6 months or more.

#2. Discover the Power of Segmentation

The relevance of an email to the recipient is one of the most crucial considerations when deciding whether or not to open it.

The best way to increase the relevancy of your emails is to segment your email list.  

You can start by categorizing your subscribers depending on their actions, such their purchasing patterns. You send a different kind of email to a paying customer than you would to someone who hasn't made a purchase yet. Even better, you might tailor your emails to the specific things they bought.

Your list can also be divided up depending on demographic factors like geography or interests. Take into account how they ended up on your email list. Create a section of those people if they downloaded one of your opt-in freebies on a specific subject so you can send them more emails on that subject.

If you have established these categories, it will be easier to come up with subject lines and content that will compel your target audience to open and interact with your email marketing campaigns.

#3. Beat the Spam Filter

Even though spam filters have advanced over the past few years, they still have some flaws. Your emails can still get caught in the dreaded abyss of the spam folder.  

You must take all necessary precautions to avoid being reported as spam if you want your email marketing campaigns to have the widest potential audience.

Here are some of the best practices:  

• Ensure that all recipients have opted-in to receive your emails
• Send your campaigns from a good IP address  
• Keep any code clean  
• Use merge tags to personalize the “To:” field - personalization is KEY to great emails
• Show subscribers how to whitelist your emails and ask them to add your email to their address book
• Avoid “salesy” language
• Don’t use deceptive subject lines
• Include your location  
• Include an easy way for subscribers to opt out of your newsletter - a channel like text messaging may be a better fit for your clientele

#4. Unlock the Secret of Perfect Timing

MailChimp says that in general, the best time of the week to send emails is on weekdays rather than weekends, but honestly no single day is the best. This is why it is important to identify which timeframes seem to perform best for you and explore those in future campaigns. Remember, this can take some time.

The bottom line on email send time is this: imagine a day in the life of your specific audience. What are they doing in the morning, afternoon, and evening? What does their workday look like? When do they get up in the morning and when do they go to bed?  

All these questions will help you decide on the best send time for your emails. Then, if you really want to make sure it's a good time – check your Google Analytics to see when your website typically gets traffic. These insights are often a good way to build on what’s already working.

#5. Make Your Subject Line Shine

The subject line is crucial for email open rates. It's your jobto make the topic stand out.

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Follow these tips to craft a creative subject line:  

• Entice curiosity, but don’t be so cryptic that the subscriber has no clue what you are talking about.  
• Insert numbers. Something about numbers always catches people's attention.
• Use a joking or conversational tone.  
• Use words or a style that your readers would use themselves.

#5.5 Don’t Forget About Mobile Users

Many people use their phones to check their email, so you can’t afford to ignore mobile users. Make sure your email is mobile-friendly with responsive formatting and loadable media. And remember, long subject lines won’t be as viewable on mobile.  

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Learn More > Build Your Email Subscriber List from Scratch

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Maximize Your ROI with Email, Communicate with Charisma

Don’t get discouraged if you implement these tips and don’t see a turnaround right away. Email marketing is both an art and a science, so give yourself some time to experiment and find what works best for you and your subscribers.  

Lean on our team at Charisma Communications to help you along the way! We love designing compelling email newsletters for our clients. Schedule an email marketing consultation with us today!

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