Hit the Mark with Email Marketing

Strategies to Boost Your Open Rate

Email marketing can be a powerful asset for businesses and nonprofits of all sizes – but if your emails aren’t getting the desired results, it can be cause for alarm.

After all, what could be more frustrating than designing an exciting and informative email newsletter or launching an inspired new campaign, only to see flagging levels of engagement and lackluster ROI? When this is the case, diagnosing and fixing the problem becomes priority number one.

First, let’s get a bit of perspective by putting some key performance metrics into context. A December 2018 review by email marketing company Constant Contact found that among its customers, the overall open rate (the percentage of people who received an email that opened it) was 16.19% across all industries. And the overall click-through rate (the percentage who clicked on an image or hyperlink within an email) was 7.06%. However, it’s critical to note that these numbers do vary by industry – so, to truly get a sense of how your email campaigns are stacking up, it’s best to judge against competing brands in your own industry.

Now, let’s look at a few things that can help boost open rates for your email campaigns…

Consumers today face a daily barrage of emails, whether personal, work-related, or promotional in nature. Stand out in a crowded inbox with a compelling subject line that gives people reason to open your email. And use preview text to your advantage; a 2016 survey found that 24% of all respondents look at preview text  before deciding whether to open an email.

Know when to send. Studies have found that people are more likely to open emails on certain days, and at certain times of the day. The optimal day and time differ from one industry to another, so do your homework. Or, go the extra mile to determine the best time to target your specific audience with a bit of A/B testing.

Spam filtering technology has become smarter and more sophisticated in recent years, but legitimate marketing emails can still be mislabeled as spam if you’re not careful. Avoid this fate by sending through verified domains, avoiding language that’s likely to trigger spam filters, and ensuring recipients have opted in to your mailing list.

Finally, this should be an obvious point, but it bears repeating – the best way to maximize your odds of success with email marketing is to establish a track record of delivering useful, high-quality content to your audience. If subscribers see value in your content and have engaged with it in the past, they’ll be more likely to open your emails in the future. And if they don’t see that value, they’ll be less inclined to open your emails, and might even unsubscribe from your list!

Need a hand with email marketing? Rosie’s Creative is here to help. Contact us today – and remember, your first consultation with us is always free.