8 top tips to improve your email opening rate
1. Amazing subject lines!
The subject line is the first thing that people see & they will make a snap judgement whether to read your email or send it directly to the junk folder, so keep it informative & true! Nothing destroys your emailing reputation faster than using ‘click-bait’. You need to either sum up what the content of the email will be about or entice people to read further by giving a ‘hook’ and stir up interest. A great subject line is the first step you can take to improve your email opening rate.
2. Personalize your email.
And we don’t just mean writing Dear {firstname}! Use as much personalization as is appropriate & really try and speak on a personal level. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you have targeted the correct people with the correct message. Why would they be interested in your proposition?
3. Keep your content short & interesting.
People are busy, nobody has time to read 5000 words on the merits of your product or solution, no matter how great it is! Learn how to be concise, it really is an artform to describe your solution in one or two sentences.
4. Send out emails at the correct time.
What do we mean by the correct time? For this you need to know your target audience very well. When are they likely to open your email? Studies vary significantly when it comes to agreeing on the best time of day to send an email. Late morning is the classic answer, but other studies have shown that later in the evening works just as well too! The truth is you need to find out for yourself as the answers will vary greatly even within the B2B Telco lead generation market. Conduct tests. Note opening and click through rates. Become an expert in your own market. Consider time-zones too if you are marketing to a worldwide audience.
5. Avoid spam filters.
Do your best to stay away from spam filters. Avoiding spam filters is much more complex than simply avoiding spammy words in your subject line. You must ensure that you comply with all technical requirements – are your DKIM and SPF records set-up properly? Without appropriate technical measures you will never improve your opening rate if your email doesn’t even reach the target’s inbox.
6. Segment your list.
Consider whether you should send a different message to different people. Will a ‘one size fits all’ approach work or should you vary your message depending on the audience? Split A/B testing can help you trial different messages to the same dataset.
7. Never use purchased lists from low-cost companies.
In our experience cheaply purchased lists only lead to bad results and they will damage your sender reputation. The best possible outcome is that these lists are full of people who are not interested in your solution, however often they are full of old contacts who may not be in the same job anymore, and even worse, they often contain honeypot spam traps. If you are going to buy a contact list, make sure that you buy from a reputable company!
Use an industry expert
What happens if you don’t have the expertise inhouse, or aren’t seeing results? You can always turn to an external agency such as DEVEO for support. We have helped hundreds of Technology Vendors to connect with the right person in Telcos and Broadcasters worldwide.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you!
