Get better email open rates

Email marketing is important.  But if you’re sending out emails and no one is opening them, then your email marketing is getting you nowhere.  You have just a few seconds to grab someone’s attention and convince them to open your email.

So let’s look at how you can increase your open rates.

Your subject line holds a lot of clout in determining whether an email gets opened.

This is the first glimpse that your reader gets to your email, and oftentimes, it’s the difference between opening an email…or not.  Remember…just a few seconds!

Today I’ll talk about the four types of subject lines.  (Additional tips further down…)  Depending on the purpose of your email will determine what type of subject line to use.

• Blind or curiosity.  The email I sent today used a blind subject line.  It was “Shedding and…”.  It had nothing to do with my article, although it did have to do with my personal note. It created curiosity.  You don’t want to use this one too much.
• Direct or benefit.  I could have used “Get better email open rates” in today’s ezine and this would be a direct or benefit type subject line.  It’s – well, direct and it states the benefit of the email.  If you open it, then you’re probably interested in getting better email open rates.
• Urgency or scarcity.  This one will only be used if you’re promoting a special or event and time is running out to register or buy.  You don’t want to create a false scarcity.  Examples would be:
  • 50% off ends at midnight
  • Registration closes at midnight
  • Final notice…only a few hours left
• Proof of results.  With this subject line you want to use specific numbers of case studies.  Be sure you’re using real results and numbers.  Don’t exaggerate the result numbers just to get an open and then not deliver.  Use real numbers and facts.  Examples would be:
  • See how Jan earned $16,843 from Facebook
  • [Case Study] How a product launch netted $83,421
  • This one process increased profits 5 fold

Keep a swipe file of email subject lines that come into your inbox.  You know, those interesting ones that grab your attention.  That way, when you’re struggling with the subject line, you’ve got something to give you some inspiration.

Here are a five more tips to increase your open rates:

• Personalize the subject line.  By using their first name in the subject line, this can increase open rates by 23%!  But as with everything, you don’t want to over-use this trick.  If you use it too much, people will get used to it and it won’t have the same benefit.
• When you send your email can make a difference.  I don’t know about you, but I know close to the first thing I do after I get up is check emails on my phone.  My process is delete everything in my inbox that isn’t something directed to me that I need to respond to.  All the subscription type emails get deleted.  So avoid sending overnight to make it through this morning purge of emails.  As far as the date and time that’s best, you really need to test your list.  I’ve had clients who got the best open rates on Sundays… But I’ve also had clients who got the worst open rates on Sundays.  Bottom line: test.
• You know that line that shows in your preview and sometimes it says “Having trouble viewing this email” or “Click here to view this email”?  Use that as a secondary email…Put something in there that gives people more info about what they’re going to get in the email.  If you use curiosity in your subject line, you can use proof here.
• Keep your subject lines short.  6-10 words or 25 characters is where you want to try to keep them.
• You can add symbols to your subject line.  This can increase your open rates by 10-15%.  You can go to http://emailstuff.org/glyph to search for the symbol you want to use and the site will give you the code.

In this ezine subject line, I used the symbol, I used curiosity or blind subject line type, and I added additional information in place of the “Having trouble viewing” line.

If you’re doing promotional type or funnel type emails, you should be testing.  Split test your subject lines and see what version gets the most opens.  Tweak and test some more.

Do you have any subject lines that you’ve had great success with?  Share below!