Stop Vanishing in Inboxes! How to Get Emails Opened

By: Caryn Terradas

Email marketing remains a crucial tool for small businesses to connect with their audience. With the ever-changing landscape of social media and the potential for platforms to go down, having a way to directly contact your followers is imperative. But, how do you ensure that your emails stand out in a crowded inbox? Let’s dive into some strategies to boost your email open rates.

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Understanding Email Open Rates

First, let’s discuss what’s considered a normal open rate. The average open rate across industries falls between 15% and 25%, with 20% being a common benchmark. However, this can vary based on the quality of your email list and how often you send emails. It’s important not to overwhelm your audience with too many emails; aiming for at least two to four emails per month is recommended.

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Choosing the Best Email Platform

Selecting the right email provider is crucial. Platforms like MailChimp, Sender, and Loops offer user-friendly interfaces and various features to help you manage and grow your email list effectively. Additionally, automation tools can help streamline your email marketing efforts, ensuring that your emails are sent out consistently.

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Crafting Compelling Subject Lines

The key to getting your emails opened lies in your subject lines. Keep them short and concise, ideally under 70 characters. Including relevant keywords and personalizing the subject line can significantly increase open rates. Additionally, adding emojis can make your emails more visually appealing and increase engagement. Emojis can also boost open rates by up to 25%. Finally, personalizing your subject lines with the recipient’s name can instantly boost open rates by as much as 50%.

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Segmenting Your Email List

Segmenting your email list based on shared characteristics such as purchase history, demographics, and engagement level can help you tailor your emails to specific groups, increasing their relevance and effectiveness.

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Optimizing for Mobile

With the majority of emails being opened on mobile devices, it’s crucial to ensure that your emails are mobile-friendly. Use responsive design and test your emails on different devices to ensure they display correctly.

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Avoiding Spam Triggers

To avoid ending up in the spam folder, steer clear of using trigger words like “clearance,” “discounts,” or “buy.” Additionally, make it easy for subscribers to unsubscribe if they no longer wish to receive your emails.

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Delivering Quality Content

Above all, focus on delivering valuable content to your subscribers. Great content will keep them engaged and eager to open your emails in the future. By following these best practices, small businesses can leverage the power of email marketing to build stronger relationships with their customers, drive engagement, and ultimately, grow their business.