Conducting an email campaign without securing a decent open rate is like flogging a dead horse. The overall average email open rate across all industries currently stands at 32%. However, it would be ideal if modern marketers could push their limits and expand the margin by an additional 8%. Reportedly, 15% of marketers believe that their company does not review and track email open rates on a regular basis.
As this statistic seems alarming, digital marketers worldwide must leverage the maximum potential of emails to ensure a remarkable 40% email open rate this year.
Here’s How To Increase Your Email Open Rate:
Step 1: Personalise Your Email
First and foremost, consider adding a personalised tone to your email so that the recipient feels compelled to read the entire subject. According to reports, only 5% of companies personalise their emails.
Actionable Points:
- Consider the aspects of location and time. A client might prefer receiving an email at 8:00 am, while they might respond better to an email received at 4:00 pm.
- Use behaviour-triggered emails to gauge real-time reactions from your customers.
- Refrain from sounding too formal. Initiate light-hearted conversations with emails like “Hi Karen, how’s life?”
Step 2: Consider Email Authentication
According to reports, 76% of inboxes worldwide now enforce email authentication. By harnessing the potential of email authentication, you can maximise the chances of getting into your consumer’s inbox. Authentication verifies and confirms your existence, thus allowing the company to establish trust, leading to an enhanced email open rate.
Actionable Points:
- Create and organise a roadmap of all the IP addresses.
- Recognise and utilise the benefits of SPF and DKIM. SPF allows the sender to define which IP addresses are used or allowed to send email for a particular domain, while DKIM provides a digital signature and an encryption key for the final verification.
Step 3: Focus on coming up with the perfect Subject Line
It goes without saying that subject lines can make or break your email. According to a survey, 33% of respondents decided whether to open an email based on its subject line.
Actionable Points:
- Pique your client’s curiosity and combine it with the benefits your products or services provide to create a compelling subject line.
- Keep email subject lines short and get straight to the main point.
- Refrain from promising anything in the subject line that your company can’t deliver.
Step 4: How about using Emojis?
In a test and trial method, Mailchimp sent 1.4 million emojis directly to readers’ inboxes. Experian also tested the use of emojis in emails and experienced a 45% boost in email open rates. This clearly indicates the popularity of using emojis globally.
Actionable Points:
- Use emojis to substitute words. For example, you can insert the “heart” sign between “We” and “You” to express “We love you”.
- Identify the right opportunities and use emojis sparingly; do not overdo it.
- Check compatibility before using an emoji. Not all emoticons are visible to clients across various email platforms.
Step 5: Check and manage your email list
Regularly checking and managing your email list can effectively improve open rates. Sending emails to inactive subscribers won’t contribute to your efforts. Thus, it is crucial to manage a list of active subscribers and email addresses for satisfactory click-through rates.
Actionable Points:
- Include a checkbox in your email for readers to opt in.
- Ask all prospective email subscribers to confirm their addresses before adding them to the list.
Step 6: Keep reminding your subscribers of their worth
Everyone enjoys feeling special, including your subscribers. Why not show appreciation to your subscribers from time to time?
Actionable Points:
- Acknowledge subscribers or customers for signing up. Send a “Thank you” email.
- If you’re holding an event, send an email thanking your customers for participating.
- Offer coupons and occasional rebates on products and services. Combine the message with a “Thank you” email that celebrates milestones such as “1 million subscribers” or “86% client-retention rate”.
Step 7: Focus on coming up with quality content
Content marketing yields conversion rates six times higher than other techniques, as people appreciate quality content. When aiming for maximum email open rates, you cannot afford to have weak content. Here’s what you need to do:
Actionable Points:
- Don’t focus solely on the promotional aspect.
- Leave something valuable for the readers to take away.
- Ensure that the subject line and the email body are consistent with each other.
Step 8: Eliminate all misspelt email address from your list
Regularly sending bulk emails to misspelt addresses will result in poor conversion rates.
Actionable Points:
- Check your subscriber list for misspelt words in the address book.
- Ask subscribers to reconfirm their email addresses if you find errors like webmaster@webhostingreviewsx.co.uk or rebeccaa@hotmial.com.
Step 9: Prioritise subscribers’ preference while composing an email
Some subscribers might be happy to hear from you every week, while others might prefer monthly notifications. Therefore, you need to compose and send emails according to their preferences.
Actionable Points:
- Allow prospective subscribers to sign up for newsletters and choose from monthly, weekly, and daily notification options.
Step 10: Invest in your newest subscribers
It is said that the newest subscribers are most likely to open emails and read through the entire content without discarding it. According to a statistical study, 75% of email revenue is generated by triggered campaigns. Thus, it would be a good idea to create emails that engage new clients effectively.
Actionable Points:
- Send a series of welcome emails to users right after they subscribe.
- Include guarantees, assurances, and similar aspects in your email to achieve the desired open rates.
Step 11: Master the art of weaving a story
If you are looking for ways to bring your brand to life, storytelling is one technique that can ensure a strong ROI.
Actionable Points:
- Conclude your email newsletter with a promise to introduce something more interesting in the next issue.
- Try to relate real-life instances and basic human instincts to craft an email that presents the content as a story.
Step 12: Send emails for the second time
After your newsletter is sent, spend some time following up on the campaign. If there are multiple recipients who haven’t opened the email, send it to them once more.
Actionable Points:
- Modify the subject line this time and present the same message in an engaging way.
- Verify and confirm that you’re not resending the email to someone who has already received it.
Step 13: Maintain a consistent design
Remember, your email design and its consistency are directly associated with establishing brand trust and loyalty. Your target audience opens the email because they find it trustworthy and familiar.
Actionable Points:
- Use HTML text/font format when composing an email.
- Keep all CTAs short, concise, and intriguing.
- Keep everything within 600px wide.
Step 14: Follow up with the unsubscribes as well
There’s no harm in receiving negative feedback and prioritising it to improve your email content or the services offered. Here’s what you need to do:
Actionable Points:
- When a subscriber leaves, send a personal email requesting them to list the reasons behind their decision.
- Determine whether you email too often or if the content has become irrelevant or stale.
Step 15: Spamming is a Big No-No
If you aim to ensure maximum email open rates, then relying on the practice of using spam filters won’t work in the long run. Email marketers must follow certain conventions to maintain ethical practices.
Actionable Points:
- Avoid using words and phrases like “Extra Income Opportunity”, “Clearance Sale”, or “Click to Claim Your Prize” in the email subject line.
- Turn off caps lock while typing an email and refrain from using exclamation marks.
Step 16: Make sure the email opens on a mobile device
Did you know three in five consumers check their emails on the go and 75% of them use smartphones to do so? This statistic emphasises the importance of ensuring emails are accessible on mobile devices.
Actionable Points:
- Use responsive designs that automatically work seamlessly on mobile devices.
- Use a single-column template and ensure all small images in the email are displayed on mobile screens.
Step 17: Do not develop email fatigue under any circumstances
You should maintain a fine balance between emailing too often and causing email fatigue. Even if not too frequent, consider sending emails at regular intervals.
Actionable Points:
- Determine whether your subscribers would prefer receiving fewer emails and adjust accordingly.
- Stay updated on the latest industry trends and ensure you discuss them, at least once a week.
Step 18: Categorize your subscribers prior to sending an email
Emails should be relevant to users. For example, if a subscriber is searching for the best platforms offering online assignment help, sending them an email about lifestyle and health won’t be effective.
Actionable Points:
- Segment your email list by demographics, consumer behaviour, and interests.
Step 19: Wrap up the email with a professional closing
It would be unwise to treat email closure as an afterthought. The perfect closing not only motivates the reader but also helps you identify the recipient for future reference.
Actionable Points:
- Ensure the closing is genuine and realistic, and that it supports the subject line and body content.
- Last but not least, check and correct all typos and grammatical errors to avoid appearing unprofessional or careless to your readers.
Now that you understand the best practices and conventions to follow when creating and sending emails, implement these strategies for a satisfactory return on investment.
Good luck!
