Tips on Getting Customers to Open your E-mails

Email marketing is an essential strategy of any business. But… it only works if your customers actually open the message. Many marketing emails go straight to the trash without even being opened. And with the new Gmail feature of categorizing, marketing emails go straight to the “Promotions” tab and have every chance of being ignored, getting lost, or being deleted without a single glance.

Here are some ideas to make your emails so impressive that your audience will go crazy to open them.

 Provide exclusive e-mail only offers

To make sure your emails appear valuable, give recipients a privileged offer through email only and not available elsewhere. You can then supply promotional codes through a link provided in the mail body, which can be redeemed against purchases with you online.

Use a stimulating subject line

Customers get hundreds of thousands of promotional e-mails, and you need to work really hard for your message to stand out. The best way to differentiate your email from the rest would be to have a provoking subject line with clear, tempting information on why they should open it.

Personalise

Generic emails miss out on that personal feeling, so research the different types of customers on your list and provide them with made to measure offers. Segment your emails based on places, consumer preferences, demographics of the area, and interests. Emails with personalised subject lines and body copy have 26% higher chances of being opened.

 “Important Information”

When an email says “Important information concerning …” it’s straightforward and tells them immediately that it’s going to be relevant to them. Be careful not to go over-the-top to get attention, it may look like spam or something suspicious, also be aware that doing this too often will stop people trusting you.

Don’t Overdress

For important account updates use clear, concise messaging, especially in the subject line. Avoid using marketing fluff (like all capital letters, or too many exclamation points). If internet service providers can tell the difference between a marketing and transactional email, your customers can too.

Include a deadline

If you want people to open emails, put a deadline in the subject line. People take deadlines seriously and they will be much more likely to open your email if they feel like they will miss out if they don’t quickly take action.

Get the timing right

If you run a business that deals with a worldwide client base, getting the timing of your email communication right becomes essential. Make sure that your clients get your important messages at the right time, based on their location. Early morning or lunchtime is the best time for biggest wins.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

Keep testing. Test a variety of different subject lines to see which one gets the highest open rate. Always try to beat the best subject, and over the long run, your open rates will increase consistently.

Send emails from YOU, not the office

When you really need your subscribers to open an email, make it clear that it’s from a real person; they will pay much more attention when they see a note from an actual individual.

 Make acting on the offer simple

Once you have enticed them to open your email and illustrated what is on offer, you have to provide them with the easiest way to act on it. There are only milliseconds to capture attention, so tempt them with a link just below your description, taking them straight to the place they need to go. This will increase the chances of a sale, if they are made to search, they are unlikely to bother.

Do you have any tips and tricks of how to increase your email open rates? Please share them with us using the comment box below, we would love to hear from you!