Why Aren’t People Opening Your Emails?

Ever feel like you’re just shouting into a void? That no matter how amazingly beautiful your emails are, no matter how Earth-shattering the subject matter, it doesn’t even matter because barely anyone is opening them? Don’t lose hope! The bad news is that people aren’t opening your emails. The good news is that you can fix that. 

If your emails fall flat, it could be because…

The Subject Line Doesn’t Capture Their Attention

When open rates are low, usually the culprit is your subject lines. The average person sends and receives 122 emails a day, according to a study by The Radicati Group. That’s a lot of subject lines to digest. If yours don’t stand out, they get lost in the crowd. Don’t just send “April 2016 Newsletter” and expect a lot of clicks. Instead, try:

• Keeping it at 5-7 words or under
• Including an action (e.g., “Join Us at the Design Conference”)
• Asking a question
• Being punny
• Including a deadline (e.g., “Last Day to Register”)
• Adding numbers (e.g., “The Top 5 Tools Every Business Needs”)
• Taking out spam words like “free” or “buy now”

And always remember the 2-2-2 rule: it takes two seconds to capture readers’ attention, the first two words are the most important and you want to inspire action today.

People Don’t Recognize You

Question: how many emails do you open from senders you don’t know? If you’re like most people, not a lot. Your customers are the same. If they don’t know that your emails are coming from you, then they’re not going to open them. Before you hit send, take a look at your email address:

• It should be immediately recognizable – for most organizations, this will be your business name but if you are better known to your clients, it should be your name.
• It needs to come from your website – if you’re still using a personal address a la @yahoo.com, it’s time to make the switch and brand your emails with your business url. Your website host will be able to tell you how to do this.

If your customers can trust your email address, you’ll see your open rate start to rise. 

You’re Sending at the Wrong Time

If your subject lines are killer and you’re using a recognizable from name and your emails are still missing the mark, it’s time to take a look at when you’re sending your emails. Unfortunately, there’s no magical day/time combination that will guarantee results – but it is possible to find your ideal time. Constant Contact recommends 5 steps to find your ideal send time:

1. Look at your industry’s trends to see what works on a large scale
2. Think about your audience – when are they likely to check their email?
3. Think about your campaign – make sure your messages are timely
4. Set expectations by emailing a newsletter at a consistent day/time

For even more email tips check out our December 7 BizzyWebinar: Power of the Inbox. Can’t make it? You can always watch it anytime after broadcast on our YouTube channel.

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2017 is almost here…are you ready? It’s planning season, and we’re all looking at what we need to do to make 2017 successful. If you’re looking for ways to grow your business with fresh digital marketing strategies and tactics, we’re here to help.