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An email marketing campaign starts with getting names and emails, remember we gain permission first. But that’s not the end of your email campaign, not by a long shot. People need to be emailed in order to read them! I know too many businesses that collect the emails but get too scared to email their customers!
Once you have your customer’s email address the next challenge is to get those people opening, reading, and taking action on your email messages. Otherwise, it’s a bigger waste of time than just sitting on the email addresses.
If you’re getting a zero or low open rate and you’re not getting your customers eyes on your email messages, here are 5 possible reasons why and how to fix it.
Your ‘From’ Line
One problem could be the ‘from’ line. Send a message to yourself and see what it looks like. If the ‘from’ line doesn’t clearly state who you are, the recipient is unlikely to open the message. In fact, your emails are probably getting relegated to the spam folder. Your ‘from’ line should be the name of your company and not an email address. It needs to be instantly recognisable as your business (in other words, the list the customers signed up for). I brand all mine Sarah Arrow / SarkeMedia.com so there’s no confusion.
Subject Line Problems
Most often, it’s the subject line that gets people to either open or ignore your messages. The subject line needs to capture the readers’ attention and do it quickly. They’re likely to give it a few short seconds of their time at most. It needs to be compelling enough to urge them to open the email in that short period of time.
Your messages also need to deliver on what the subject line promises. If you say in the subject line that you’ve got some secrets to share with them, your email had better deliver some secrets. If it doesn’t do this, the customers will quickly start tuning out your messages, no matter how compelling the subject lines. Worse than ignoring you and making your list unresponsive – they’ll unsubscribe, and you’ll be caught in the perpetual cycle of chasing subscriptions.
Boring Content
If people aren’t opening your emails, you may need a content upgrade. If you offer good, valuable content that truly helps customers out, they’ll be eagerly awaiting each email. If each email is a sales pitch or just plain boring, they’ll quit opening after a few. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes – what would you like to gain from the messages? It also helps to mix up your email messages. Don’t only offer promotions, but sometimes give helpful tips, multimedia content, or other things people can use.
Too Little or Too Much
Frequency also factors into whether or not people will open your emails. It’s hard to strike a perfect balance. If you send too many emails, people will get sick of you. If you don’t send enough, they’ll forget they signed up for your list. As a general guideline, most people recommend sending two to three messages per week maximum, but it depends on the nature of your email list. There’s also the time of day to think about. Certain times have higher open rates.
It’s All About Testing
It can be a long hard slog to figure out just where your email messages are failing, and that’s why testing is essential. If you experiment with different subject lines, message frequencies, types of content, and other factors, you’ll start to discover exactly what works. Testing gives you a realistic idea of what your subscribers like and don’t like, and when you know that – you keep giving it to them.
So there we have it message your list, and keep them captivated, If you don’t they’ll treat you like junk mail and throw you in the bin!
What tips can you share in the comments about getting your emails opened?
PS if you liked this post you will also like my book, instantly downloadable on Amazon – Zero to email marketing success.
Sarah Arrow
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For us testing has made the biggest difference – subject lines especially and also images (for clients that are featuring a product) – There is nothing like trying out a couple of subject lines on a small percentage of your list to see which performs the best – before sending to your entire list.
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Marty Diamond recently posted..9 Ideas for Testing Your PPC Landing Pages
Twitter: martydia
Hi Sarah…great post as ever…so much of it is trial and error as lots of good practice exists but niche to niche it is different and I do think the waves of how much readers go on and off email are so fast – there is a lot of email traffic in general and I do think, well what works for me is a mix of strong social media too… recently I read something about not giving away anything free including blog posts, written so compellingly – and it can blow your mind somewhat on what to do and the right way forward…!
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Sarupa Shah recently posted..The shocking truth about business & personal development…
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Sarah this certainly has been a test and retest event for me. I am taking note of which types of emails my subscribers are opening and trying to repeat that type of post. Great tips thanks.
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Lydia Brown recently posted..HOW NOT TO SABOTAGE YOUR BUSINESS
Twitter: lydiajbrown
Testing seems to be the key, Sarah.
But not just subject lines, which is the thing most email marketers test.
It’s important to test the kind of content you’re giving in your emails, and even the types of sequences that are more likely to keep folks involved.
It is certainly a process, and there’s no one-size-fits-all here. Your newsletter is the lifeblood of your online business, and it’s also requires the most intensity and creativity.
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David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | Audio Downloads
Hi Sarah,
You’ve covered 5 excellent ways to improve open rates. The key is to test what works. One point I would like to mention is that I know that when I get an email with a headline that doesn’t have anything to do with the content, it is a sure sign that I’ll ignore future mailings from the sender, or I’ll unsubscribe. Congruency is very important. It is a challenge to finding an effective balance for your subscribers. Following your guidelines will definitely increase open rates. The quality and responsiveness of your list will also improve.
Your list is the most important segment of your business and once you get subscribers, it takes consistency and testing to keep it healthy and growing. Thank you!
Raena Lynn
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Raena Lynn recently posted..We Will Build Your Business For You Great Lie #4
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Hi Sarah,
1. I think it is very important to instruct your prospects even from the beginning. When they opt-in you have to tell them:1) how to whitelist your email messages;2) what your email would look like.
2. 2 or 3 messages per week is probably safe. I don’t send more than 2.
3. There seems to be contradictory advice on the internet, related to emails. There are 2 sides:
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a. 99% of people are bored, satiated by email messages and when they browse their email account they are full with disgust and contempt so they will open only the perfect messages; Advice: Craft your message near perfection.
b. Most people want to open and read emails. As a result: procrastination and failure. People are often told not to waste so much time reading emails as this is the way to failure.
My experience? People are curious. Most of them want to open their email account and see what’s new. They want to know who, where, why etc. The only thing that may stop them to open emails is the fear of spam, viruses or malicious software. If you do everything correctly from the beginning and state clearly in your subject line who you are, there are high chances for your message to be opened. The rest is, of course, a continuous struggle for quality.
Have a nice day
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