9 Ways to Increase Your Email Open Rates

If you are sending out hundreds of emails daily and noticing so many of them bouncing back, it’s time to rethink your email content as well as your marketing strategy. More often than not, you Emails bounce because of what your email has in store for the reader. If you are simply providing them with information, which is long and boring, you can be sure to receive higher bounce rates. But, if you are presenting the same information with a touch of creativity to it, your email marketing could work wonders. Here are 9 ways to ensure you receive maximum opens for your emails: CONTENTS

1. Subjects matter: Ever thought about testing your email subject lines? If the answer is no, you are missing out on the basics of email marketing. A/B testing which is available for website content and landing page headings is also available for email subjects. Getting a positive A/B test result and optimizing your subject lines based on past experiences can help you strike the open rate you wish for. The best subject lines that receive maximum opens consists of short and crisp description of the aim of the email.
2. Address it Right: The answer to this is simple. Question yourself, if you would like to be addressed as one among the crowd or as an individual. Personalized emails work best, address the email to an individual person and write the email’s body as though it was written just for that one person. Bulk emailing tools now come with an inbuilt code, which adds the recipient’s name automatically to your email’s salutation line. Adding personalized offers and discounts can do wonders to your email open rates.
3. Time table: If you are scheduling your emails, it is better to do a dip test before sending out the emails that is going to cost you a lot. Each group of audience follows a different highest active time and when noticed closely, almost forms a pattern. For example, sending out emails to higher officials in an organisation might work best in the mornings, while one just about starts work or in the evenings while one is about to end their work for the day. Making sure that your email reaches the right audience at the right time helps increase email open rates extensively.
4. Spam Check: This is also where your subject line plays a significant role. In most cases, email subjects which contain the words “sale”, “offer”, “best price” etc. tend to find their way to the spam folder. Other factors which count as spam are subject lines in capital letters, subjects that look obviously promotional, email bodies that contain too many links – try to limit them to 2 links for best results. If you are not doing a spam check before sending out the emails, you might just end up throwing your money in dirt!
5. List Management: If you are into email marketing, you obviously have an ever-expanding list of contacts, being updated almost on a regular basis. But, is it worth sending your emails to the complete list, without adding any filter? Of course not. Therefore, it is important to cleanse your list every 3 months, based on star ratings that your emailing tool provides. You can also segregate the receivers on criteria such as how many times they have opened your emails over a certain period. This helps you keep your email list relevant and put your money to effective use.
6. Correct formatting: Not everyone who receives your email is going to read it (if they do) on a computer screen or a laptop screen. In fact, most of your receivers are going to view it on a mobile device. It is necessary to optimize your email to provide best visibility on every device. The email marketing tools available in market today, comes with an inbuilt option which automatically configures your email to fit every screen.

OFFERINGS

1. Sale Offers: What better way to tempt your customers than provide them with a great deal? Research has found that holiday offerings works the best when it comes to getting your customers to read your emails. While doing so, be subtle in your approach by adding click worthy subject lines and interesting content. Capitalize on events and festivities to provide offers and discounts. Make use of these occasions to wish them while providing them a great deal to strike.
2. Differentiate your Offers: Some offers you give are to clear your remaining products from last season. Some offers you give is because it’s festive time and you got to keep up the trend. And some offers you give because you have already made enough sales and are able to give those huge discounts. Another way to give offers is through indirect means, in the form of incentives. For example, get five of your friends to download the app and avail 30% off on the next purchase over Rs. 2000.
3. Social Power: Run a social media campaign associated with your email campaign. Get your engaging customers to participate in your campaigns and follow up on email. To add to the number of opens, you could include a clause to “share it with their friends” to claim rewards. Customers love discounts and the best way to get your customers to open their emails is to announce there is a gift waiting for them in their email.