How to Get People to Open your Emails

Key takeaways

Use a short, punchy subject line and put the most important words at the start, since many readers see only the first 3–5 words, especially on smartphones or tablets.
Keep detailed information in the email body, don’t try to convey your full marketing message in the subject line.
Write as if speaking to a friend: conversational, personal and not like a call-centre script.
Tasteful humour can increase opens. There’s an 8% open-rate rise in the UK when subject lines used words like ‘blips’ and ‘most embarrassing’.
Be consistent in delivery frequency and content type so subscribers learn when and why to open your emails.

Introduction

As marketers, we put a lot of thought into the content we deliver through our emails. Of course, all that hard work goes to waste if our consumers don’t ever get to opening them. Aside from banishment to the dreaded spam folder, there are a variety of reasons why an email collects dust in an inbox. Conversely, marketers can adopt a host of new tools to make sure that their outgoing emails are opened and read by the set of eyes they were directed to.

Keep your Subject Line Short and to the Point

If a potential customer is on the fence when it comes to reading a new email, a lengthy, bloated subject line will do nothing to sway them in your favour. Overly-maximalist titles can give your consumers a small headache, which you should definitely avoid at all costs. Keep the bulk of your information confined to the body of the email; your subject line should be succinct and eye-catching. “Don’t use the subject line to attempt to convey all your marketing,” writes Entrepreneur contributor Al Lautenslager. “People who regularly read email messages typically scan the subject line quickly, only seeing the first three to five words, especially if they’re using a smartphone or tablet to check email. This means putting the most important part of your subject line at the beginning.”

Convey a Personal Tone

If consumers feel as if they’re in regular correspondence with a robot, they’ll be quick to ignore the next batch of emails coming from that sender. Keep in mind that textual communication, though done through a virtual medium, is still a person-to-person exchange. Treat your consumers like human beings, and they’ll be quick to reciprocate that respect. “Craft your emails as if you were talking to a friend. Keep your messages conversational and as if it’s just you and your recipient communicating,” writes Lautenslager. “Those receiving your message want to feel as if you’re talking directly to them, not the masses. They want to feel as if they’re the only one who received the email you sent. Whatever you do, avoid sounding like you’re reading from a call center telemarketing script.”

Be Funny!

A trait common in all of us is that everyone loves a good laugh. A well-placed joke in a morning email can make a potential customer’s day, and they’ll definitely remember that moving forward. If it’s done tastefully, poking fun at trending elements can contribute to your growing subscriber list in the long run. According to Marketing Tech News contributor Rachael Power, “Humor also makes an appearance on the list of elements that’ll get people to open your emails; particularly when it’s at someone else’s expense. There was an 8% increase in open rates when brands included the words ‘blips’ and ‘most embarrassing’ in subject lines for the UK market.”

Consistency is Key

Being a good marketer means running a tight ship, each and every day. It’s important to understand the broad spectrum of needs that your consumers have. Hold yourself to your own standard of perfection, and keep in mind that consistency is what your consumers will always expect of you, every single day. “Plan your email delivery frequency, but make sure you’re consistent, both in what you deliver and how often you send it,” offers Lautenslager. “If subscribers expect to hear from you every month, send them an email every month. If they expect special offers and news, send them special offers and news. The goal is to engage your audience and condition them to open your emails as they get them.”

FAQ

How short should an email subject line be and where should I put the key message?

Keep subject lines succinct and place the most important part at the beginning. Many readers scan only the first three to five words, especially on smartphones or tablets, so reserve details for the email body.

How can I make my marketing emails feel personal rather than robotic?

Craft emails conversationally, as if speaking to a friend. Write as though it’s just you and the recipient, avoid call-centre phrasing and aim to make each reader feel like the only person who received the message.

Can humour help improve email open rates and how should I use it?

Yes. Tasteful humour can make emails memorable and increase opens. For example, including words like ‘blips’ and ‘most embarrassing’ in UK subject lines correlated with an 8% increase in open rates, humour should be tasteful and can reference trending elements.

What should I consider when planning how often to send marketing emails?

Plan your delivery frequency and then be consistent in both timing and content. If subscribers expect monthly contact, send monthly and if they expect special offers and news, deliver those. Consistency helps condition the audience to open your emails.

What common issues cause marketing emails to be ignored in an inbox?

Aside from being filtered to the spam folder, emails get ignored for reasons such as lengthy or bloated subject lines, impersonal or robotic tone and inconsistent delivery that fails to meet subscriber expectations.

email email open rate