How to Improve Email Open Rates
Does your business rely on email marketing to attract new customers and generate sales? If so, you’re probably well aware of the importance of maintaining a high open rate. The term “open rate” is used to describe the percentage of email recipients who open the email. If you sent an email to 5,000 users, 1,000 of whom clicked the message to read it, your open rate would be 20%. So, what steps can you take to improve your email open rates?
Split-Test Different Subject Lines
Split-testing isn’t limited strictly to pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. It’s also a useful tactic for boosting email open rates. Try to get into the habit of split-testing a minimum of two different subject lines, allowing them to gather data for several days before ditching the loser and replacing it with a new subject line. Continue this process indefinitely and you’ll discover your open rates, click-through rates and conversions gradually increasing. Even if you have a winning subject line to which users are responding well, you should always split-test it with at least one other subject line. Assuming you are using the Infusionsoft Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, split-testing is an easy task. And if you aren’t using Infusionsoft, you should probably think about making the switch.
Make it Personal
Another simple technique to increase email open rates is to make them more personal. In other words, don’t use a generic template, sending the same email to hundreds or even thousands of recipients. By customizing your emails just slightly, you can make them more relevant to the recipient. For instance, you can use tokens to automatically include the recipient’s name in both the body and subject line, such as “Hey John [or any other name], just thought you’d like to see our new line of products.” Personalized emails such as this have a stronger connection with the recipient, which usually means more opens.
Ask a Question in the Subject Line
One of the easiest ways to improve email open rates is to ask a question in the subject line. The human brain is hard-wired to respond to questions. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the visitor will purchase your product or service — or even take action — but they will subconsciously stop to look at the email, and hopefully open it if the subject line is structured as a question.
Timing Matters
What time of day do you normally send your emails? It may seem insignificant enough, but the timing of your delivery can make a world of difference in your open rates. According to a recent study conducted by Experian, the best time to send emails is Saturday and Sunday, which tend to yield the highest open rates. On the other hand, Tuesdays and Thursdays have the lowest open rates, according to Experian.
Have any other email marketing tips that you would like to share with our readers? Let us know in the comments section below!
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My suggestion is always to keep it mobile friendly. Most people check their email on the go. If your email isn’t mobile friendly, it’s not likely to entice readers.
The subject is probably the most important component. You need a subject line that grabs attention. The best way to do that is to use urgency, power words, questions or controversy.
While I agree the subject line is critical, you also need to provide value to your audience. People don’t typically love email marketing. But they will make the exception if you offer them information on current and relevant trends.