Simply put, an email that isn’t opened isn’t going to produce results. Achieving the highest possible open rate is the primary objective of all email campaigns. Your email gets just two seconds to pass this critical hurdle. That’s all it takes for the reader to decide to open an email or scan right past it.
Marketers rely on two elements of an email to make sure it is opened: the “from” line and the “subject” line. Make it a priority to give these two elements the time and effort they deserve. It’s an investment that will pay back. These four tips will help improve your open rates.
• Consumers relate with other people – putting a friendly face on an email can increase the open rate. Emails sent from someone the reader knows and trusts, such as jim@company.com, will be more likely to be opened than emails sent from a generic address like info@company.com. Make that human connection to maximize your readers’ engagement.
• Keep the subject short, sweet and simple. According to the US Consumer Device Preference Report: Q4 2013, a full 65 percent of all email are now accessed via mobile devices, which only allow 40 characters (on average) for the subject line, additional characters are cut off. Less is more and a shorter subject ensures your subject line is correctly displayed.
• Make it sweet. A “sweet” subject line entices the reader to open an email by offering a compelling reason why they should click to open. Build intrigue with a valuable offer and a sense of urgency to get the click. “Bonus Days Start Today” provides both and incentive and a sense of urgency in just a few words.
• Keep it simple. Don’t add “spammy” words or extra punctuation marks. Emails that are filtered out as spam will most likely never be seen. Keep the subject line clean to get in the inbox. There are many lists of spam words online, do a quick search to confirm your subject is spam free.
Incorporate these simple tips into your email campaigns. You will know you have improved open rates when you start receiving increased responses to your messages!
Suggested Reading:
How to Craft A Headline that Draws People to Your Content by Heidi Cohen at Social Media Examiner
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to improve your email campaigns feel free to contact me:
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