The day Google decided to move all marketing emails into their own filtered tab, I knew we were doing something right for our clients. While most people started to fret about the dreaded “promotions” tab, I got excited. Yes, it meant that businesses were sending so many emails that Google felt it needed to funnel them to a separate section. But it also proved that millions of readers were signing up for email newsletters.
Whether it’s to get wind of the latest sale at their favored retailer or to receive tips and tricks from industry leaders, people are signing up for newsletters at an exponential rate. Email is the preferred method of communication today. On top of that, good email newsletters are easy to make, fast, and most of the time–direct.
Some of you may still be thinking “yes, but I delete over 90% of the email newsletters I receive.” I get it. I do too. But what about that other 10%? Surprisingly enough, some of the most successful email campaigns today only receive a 10-14% open rate and a 3% click-through rate. While those numbers may seem low at first glance, you have to take a look at how that computes numerically. A 10,000 person subscriber list could get 1,000 opens and 30 click-throughs–with an average price point of $100–that’s an easy $3,000. From one email. And that’s if you’re getting the low-end of the response rate.
So, how do you go about getting a higher than average open and click-through rate with your email newsletter? There are a few tricks we have up our sleeves that I don’t mind sharing with you. Our clients average a 25-35% open rate. We’re proud of that. And we’re not of the “keep it secret, keep it safe” mentality. So, here’s a look at our special sauce.
3 Ways To Generate A Higher Open Rate
- Subject Line. Subject Line. Subject Line. Leave the SPAM-lines to your competitors. No one wants to see certain words pop up in their inbox. It’s a quick route to an immediate delete if you use certain key words like “Free,” “Get Noticed,” “Try Now,” “You Won’t Believe,” “New.” Basically, anything that you think you want to say to catch someone’s attention will probably place you on a SPAM list. Subject lines are meant to connect you to your reader instantly. So, connect with them. Get to your point–but be you. J.Crew is probably one of my favorite examples of getting it right. Lines like “Our favorite new layering trick”–gets me clicking every time.
- Design. Please stop sending email newsletters that look like a regular email. We’ve all been exposed to the clean, beautiful designs that others have sent forth. It’s time to upgrade. There are a bunch of great platforms that provide easy-to-use templates and tracking systems. Mail Chimp, Constant Contact, and Emma are just a few we like. Add some color and some images to your design and you’ll see a huge boost in sales.
- Be Direct. People don’t have time to read a mini novella. Get to your point quickly and succinctly. There’s no sense in losing a customer because you keep sending verbose emails with a tiny call-to-action at the very bottom. We want to know what you’re offering. If we get it quickly–we just may buy quickly. There’s no need to waste your time writing something word-heavy. Say what you mean to say and hit send.
Email marketing is sticking around, so it’s important that you learn how to use it to your advantage. Try these few tricks and let us know how they worked for you.