According to a Radicati Group survey, in 2015 there were an average of 122 business emails received per user per day. With those numbers how can you possibly get your emails opened? You worked hard to build your list. Then you create personalized e-mails that share valuable content but nobody is reading them. Well, I don't have to tell you how frustrating that is! So how do you get your emails opened?
Here are three tips for you:
Get Your Emails Opened With Information (and a little selling)
If you only send e-mails when you have something to sell, then people will only open the emails when they feel like buying something (not often). If you offer helpful content in *every* e-mail (whether you are selling or not), your prospects will look forward to your emails and happily open them. There is a fine line when it comes to sharing great content and selling. Always share content and never make an offer and you teach them not to buy from you. Always make an offer and you will teach them not to open your emails. A good rule of thumb is to provide great content in every email and in about 60% of them also include an offer of some sort.
Curiosity Will Get Your Emails Opened
When you send an email there is one thing that gets it either opened, ignored or reported as spam => The Subject Line! You must peak reader curiosity to get them to open the email. I found this great Slideshare that covers the topic very well. The stats will shock you. For example:
So how do you find the best subject lines? Well start by scanning your own e-mails to see which ones YOU would open. Be careful here. You can really annoy your subscribers if they open an e-mail that promises interesting content only to find a huge sales pitch. Respect your audience – and they'll respect you.
Improve Your Timing to Get Your Emails Opened
If you are not sending your emails at the right time of day then they can become hidden with all the other emails that your subscribers receive each day. People get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of email. They will quickly scan subject lines and if nothing is interesting, they click away. Avoid this problem by sending your emails at the right time. Right at the beginning of the morning and in the evening seem to work best for us.
You need to find what works for YOUR audience. You can try different times of the day and check your metrics to find out the best time for your subscribers. Depending upon your niche, you can also make some educated guesses on when they might be at their computer reading email — THAT is the time you want to send it.
What are your best hints for getting your e-mails opened? Please share in the comments below.
