It is no secret that email open rates are declining. In fact, the average person only opens about one in four emails they receive. So how can you get more people to open your emails?
There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting opened:
1). Keep your subject lines short and interesting
Make sure your subject lines are short, sweet, and to the point. The more interesting they are, the more likely people will be to open them. Try to avoid using generic phrases like “new update” or “important information.”
2). Send your emails at the right time
Timing is everything when it comes to email. Sending your emails at the right time can make a big difference in whether or not they get opened. mornings are generally best, but you’ll need to experiment to see what works best for your audience.
3). Personalize your emails
Personalized emails tend to perform better than generic ones. If you can, include the recipient’s name in the subject line and/or body of the email.
You can also customize your content based on their interests or past interactions with your brand.
4). Make sure your from address is recognizable
Your “from” address is one of the first things people will notice when they receive an email from you.
Make sure it’s something that they’ll recognize and trust – using something like “[email protected]” will likely just result in more unopened emails.
5). Avoid using too many images
While images can be effective in getting people to notice your email, using too many of them can actually decrease your open rate.
That’s because some email providers will block images by default, which means recipients will have to go out of their way to see them.
If you do use images, make sure they’re relevant and add value to the message you’re trying to get across.
6). Use alt text for your images
If you must use image-based emails (and we recommend avoiding it if possible), then always remember to include alternate text (also known as “alt text”) for each image.
This is the brief description that appears in place of an image when it can’t be displayed – and it’s important for two reasons: first, so that recipients know what the email is about even if they don’t see the pictures; and second, so that people with visual impairments can still understand your message.
7). Keep your emails short and sweet
Long, drawn-out emails are more likely to be ignored than shorter ones.
People are busy and their time is valuable – so don’t waste it with lengthy missives that could have been said in a few sentences. Get to the point quickly and leave out any unnecessary fluff.
8). Use bullet points
Another way to keep your emails concise is by using bullet points. This formatting makes it easier for people to skim through your email and pick out the most important information.
It’s also helpful for those who may be reading on mobile devices, as smaller paragraphs can be easier to scroll through than large blocks of text.
9). Use persuasive language
The words you use in your email can make a big difference in whether or not it gets opened.
Avoid using weak phrases like “I think” or “maybe,” and opt for stronger, more persuasive language instead.
Be careful not to sound too pushy or sales-y, but do try to include some element of urgency that will encourage people to take action.
10). Include a call to action
Your email should always have a specific purpose – and that means including a call to action (CTA) that tells recipients what you want them to do next.
Whether it’s clicking on a link, signing up for your newsletter, or making a purchase, make sure your CTA is clear and easy to follow. Including too many CTAs can be confusing, so just stick with one primary goal per email.
11). Make it easy to unsubscribe
It may seem counterintuitive, but making it easy for people to unsubscribe from your emails can actually improve your open rates.
That’s because those who are no longer interested in receiving your messages will be more likely to mark them as spam – which hurts your deliverability and could get you blacklisted by email providers.
So include an obvious unsubscribe link in every email, and make sure the process is quick and painless.
12). Test, test, test!
The only way to really know what works best for your audience is to experiment with different subject lines, send times, content formats, etc.
Try out a few different tactics and see how they perform before settling on anything long-term.
And don’t forget to keep track of your results so you can continually optimize your strategy over time.
Final thoughts
Email open rates are declining, but there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting opened.
Keep your subject lines short and interesting, send your emails at the right time, personalize your content, and make sure your from address is recognizable.
You should also avoid using too many images, use alt text for any images you do include, keep your emails short and sweet, use persuasive language in your CTAs, and make it easy for people to unsubscribe.
Testing different tactics is the best way to find what works for your audience.
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