How To Increase Open Rates For Email Marketing

     So imagine this, you get a customer to your website and they join the mailing list.  This is kind of like dating...You ask someone out and they say yes, now you need to bring that person out and show them why they said yes.  This can be equated to a customer’s first dining experience at your establishment.  The food was great, comfortable atmosphere and outstanding customer service, what is there not to love?  Now you ask them to join your mailing list, and they say yes!  Great!  Now how do you re-engage with them?  

     In today’s world of 2015 and multi-screened platforms, you don’t want to just reach out to your customers and ‘hope’ they get the message you want to relay.  Mobile email open rates have grown 180% in three years, with 48% of all emails opened on a smartphone (Resource: Marketing Tech Blog).  After your initial first date you want to keep them coming back for more, you want them to anxiously await for your next email.  An email that invites them back saying you missed them and maybe even an offer to entice the behavior you are looking to achieve.  

     First, you need to think of a couple of subject lines that you would think entice your customer base.  For every business there is a different success rate for one of the nine triggers to entice a customer to open an email.  We compiled a small list of ways to improve your open rate.

1. Personal subject line
   A personal subject line is intended to make the customer feel like you are talking directly to them.  That you know who they are in a sense.
       Examples:
           ‘John, We Really Miss You’
           ‘John, Spend Your Birthday With Us!’
   
   
2. Timely subject line
   Letting your customer know that time is limited on an offer will create urgency in them opening the email.
       Examples:
           ’Only 48 Hours Left To Snag This Deal’
            ‘Hurry, We Are Almost Out’
            ‘Don’t Be Last To Catch This Awesome Deal’
3. Incentive subject line
   Customers open email especially when they see there can be a possible good deal inside.  Everyone likes to feel like they got a deal.  This also gives them a reason to continually receive emails from you without feeling like they are getting nothing in return.
       Examples:
          'Back To School Savings - Enjoy $5 Off!'
          '$5 Off Makes Good Times Better!'
          '★ Take $10 Off Today Only ★'
   
   
4. Open-ended question subject line
   This creates excitement and curiosity.  Customers tend to open up emails that lead but do not give up the whole email subject.  However, tread lightly as people aren’t curious about subjects they have no knowledge on.  Luckily for you, we are in the food business and everyone loves food!
       Examples:
           ‘🍹 The Best Way To Cool Down. . .’
           'C’mon – Everybody’s Waiting For You…'
           'Here’s What We’ve Cooked Up Just For You'
5. ‘How To’ subject line
   People are sometimes at a loss for ideas.  We make so many decisions in a day that often times, even I appreciate some simplicity in my life.  Offering ways to make the customer's life easier (through Party Planning, Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner) is a home run.  A ‘How To’ email gives your customers faith in you.  This subject line is also helpful for the DYI (Do It Yourself) generation as well.  Ways to make their lives easier:
       Examples:
            ‘How To Make Your Family Smile At Dinner Time’
            ‘How To Make Your Kid's School Lunch In Under 5 Minutes’
            ‘How To Make Lasagna Better Than Your Grandmother Did’
6. Number subject line
   These subject lines do tend to outperform most other subject lines as they provide a structured precursor and set customers’ expectations.  Subject lines like the following can help:
       Examples:
           '5 Tips To An Easier Lasagna'
           '4 Ways To Celebrate Your Birthday'
           '10 Top Sellers For Football Season'
   
   
7. Surprise/Humorous subject line
   In life things can become pretty mundane.  How many times have you gone through your emails and nothing jumped out at you so you just deleted the email?  Well this technique is intended to create a small chuckle or pleasant surprise once the customer opens the email.  Play on words and shocking subject lines like below can definitely help you with re-engaging customers.
       Examples:
           'You’ll Like This A Latte'
           '10 Awesome Party Ideas To Get You Guests Excited!'
           'Baby Got (Feed)Back!  ----> For Surveys!'
           '🎃 Brace Yourself For The Ex-FEAR-Ience! 🎃'

     Secondly, we need to establish a time and day that your customer are most likely to open their emails.  Most people will open an email that is sent on a Sunday afternoon, or weekday early morning/late afternoon.  We can always help you by A/B testing with your list to split them in half and see what type of email subject line, day and time will be the most beneficial for you to get your message out there.
 
     You need to grab their attention when they open the email campaign.  Many people don’t realize that their customers no longer depend on desktop to retrieve their messages and you want to make sure your emails are formatted for a mobile device.  It’s like playing screen roulette and praying that half your customers will read the email after they open it.

Let’s do the math:

- You send your email to 1,000 email contacts.
- Out of 1,000 a good open rate is around 20%.
- If 20% of 1,000 customers open their emails, that leaves you with    only 200 opens.
- Out of the 200 opens maybe 5-10% go to the ‘Junk Folder’.
- Leaving you with 180 possible customers who have opened the email you have sent.
- 40% of those customers are viewing it on a mobile device!
- If your emails are not compatible with a mobile phone, right there you are down to only 108 customers who can properly view your email.  - All that hard work and only 108 people will receive the message!? 

Now you are just wasting your energy. 

We want to ensure that all your marketing efforts are to help you succeed and not waste your energy. Email with a mobile-ready design is no longer a ‘nice to have’, but now a ‘must have’. We can create beautiful, graphic emails that are simple yet get your message across.  Best part, is that all emails we create are able to be viewed perfectly no matter what type of screen you are on. 

Lastly, keep reaching back out.  Just like anyone would do after a first date, you call to plan your second date. Customers need to be reminded of the reasons they come to you and follow your email list.  Whether it is to send out holiday wishes, wish a happy birthday/anniversary, or to give them a reason to come back in.  Consistency is key and once you A/B test to see what your secret mix is, you will be unstoppable!


Your turn: What email subject line tactics get you to open and read emails? Are there some that completely turn you off from opening?

Written By: Colleen Leonardo