Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate income for your business. It’s a way to get in touch with your customers and prospects without having to be physically there. But it can also be frustrating when you notice that many people don’t open emails from you, even emails that are important. That’s why email open rates are one of the most crucial metrics for your small business to track.
If you have low email open rates, chances are your customers aren’t engaging with your emails and thus not being exposed to the offers or information that could be beneficial to them.
Here are four ways you can improve your email open rates so that you’re able to get more eyes on the important content in your mass emails.
1. Always Provide Value and Include Relevant Content
When sending emails, always provide true value and relevant content. For example, if you’re emailing a list of information about your new product line, instead of writing an entire sales pitch in the first paragraph, provide some background on where you got the inspiration for this new product idea or how it’s evolved over time. This way, subscribers feel like they’ve received more value from your email and are more likely to open it and continue reading.
Emails without any relevant value or content are often ignored and end up hurting your open rates. That’s why email deliverability monitoring tools exist. They allow marketers to look at what content is getting sent and how subscribers are interacting with it, so they know when there’s a problem or an opportunity that needs more attention. Improve open rates by making sure all of your emails stay true to your brand and message.
2. Test New Email Subject Lines Using A/B Testing
A/B testing is a simple way to test out different subject lines on your email. This will allow you to determine which one has the highest open rates so you can use it as your primary subject line for future mass emails. That doesn’t stop there, as you have the option to further test out the effectiveness of your subject lines by changing them slightly and testing again. This is a great way for you to save time creating new email subject lines while still thoroughly assessing which one will be most effective in future campaigns.
For instance, if you were trying out different headlines for an event, you can split your list in half and send out two different emails with slightly different headlines to see which one resonates better with the audience. This way, you can get a better idea of which email subject lines to use for future events.
3. Create a Welcome Series for Your Newest Email Subscribers
Welcome emails nurture new subscribers to your list over time, but you only have one shot at a first impression. Make sure that “first email” is the best it can be by personalizing each welcome series message so that receivers know exactly who sent the information and why. You may even consider giving away some of your best content for free in this email.
Subscribers who receive welcome emails actually show more long-term engagement with business brands – an increase of up to 33%. Not only that, the more engaged your new subscribers are, the more likely they’ll be to open your future emails. So, go ahead and welcome them with open arms. The welcome series email should include a helpful tip or content, along with several calls to action at the end of the email.
4. Segment Your List and Track Performance of Mass Emails
Another great way to improve email open rates is to segment your list. This means that you are able to separate people into different groups based on common features or demographics such as location, age group, and so on. This allows for more personalized content and offers the opportunity for greater engagement. Segmenting your list offers you the ability to send targeted emails, which are more likely to get opened.
You should also track email performance in order to find out which types of emails get opened most often by the recipient, when they are most likely to be opened, and how many replies you get. Tracking such data will give you a better idea about what your customers want and expect from you, as well as the information they are most interested in. It will also help you send more effective messages, increasing your overall open rates.
Implement These Tips to See an Improvement
With a thoughtful approach, you can make some quick changes and see measurable improvement in your open rates. By using these simple strategies to improve your email marketing strategy, businesses will be able to increase customer loyalty and engagement by providing relevant and valuable content that is more likely to be opened. This can ultimately result in increased sales and profits for you.
