How to Increase Your Open Rate

One of the greatest strengths of marketing with email is the ability to track and measure the success of each publication. Perhaps the most fundamental method for measuring the success of an email campaign is to monitor the open rate. The open rate is a reflection of the number of people who actually opened your email and looked at it. The higher the open rate, the more people who opened your email and in theory, have received your communication. If your message was compelling enough for your recipient to take the action you are requesting, you will have achieved your email marketing goal.
In this issue of 360Review we will cover a few key tactics to improve your open rate which, if followed properly, will help build your opt in list, drive traffic to your site and increase your bottom line!

The following are a few items that impact your overall open rate:

1. Source of your List: Rented and purchased lists tend to have lower open rates than organically built opt-in lists. However, a good opt-in list can lose its effectiveness if left alone for too long. Therefore it is suggested that you build from your house list, adding new contacts as frequently as possible.

2. Your Target: It has been our experience that B2B email campaigns tend to generate higher open rates than direct to consumer email. If your target market is directed to consumers you will need to implement more powerful strategies for growing your lists, which in turn will ensure a higher open rate. 

3. Email application your readers are using:  Certain email applications like Microsoft Outlook for example have the option to view your messages in a preview pane without actually opening the email. When received by such an application, although your reader did not open it, your email could be considered "open."  This detail could attribute to B2B marketers having higher open rates since Outlook is used more in the work place. Readers who use a Web-based email reader like Hotmail and Gmail usually have to click on the 'from' field or subject line to open the email. These systems could reflect a more accurate open rate than Outlook users, but also have their own spam filtering methods which can reduce the amount of email actually reaching your readers.

So what can you do to increase your email marketing open rates immediately?
There are three elements of an email you do have control over that can help you increase your open rate right away, and with effective testing, can continue to improve over time.

1. The "from" Field: Pay attention to your 'from' field. Peer360 allows for a customizable 'from' field in order for you to test different strategies. Here are some tips:

Take advantage of name recognition. If you are marketing a well known brand, use the name in the "from" field. If someone on your staff is a well known specialist who has written content for your article, use their name. Emails with familiar names in the "from" field will have a much better chance of being opened than one with an unknown or generic name.

Be consistent with the "from" field. If you're just starting out, your open rates may be low because you're unknown. As you develop email relationships, keep the 'from' name the same over time so you can benefit from the brand you've built thus far.

2. The Subject Line: Spend time developing your subject line. The subject line is basically your moment to shine and get your recipient interested enough to open your message. Make it count.
Here are a few suggestions:

Custom Fields. Use a custom field to insert their name or company name. 

Always be honest. Don't try to trick your readers into opening your email by offering something that is not the actual subject of the email.  

Avoid "spam" oriented words and phrases. Terms like "Free", "Limited Time" and "Special Offer" will most likely get picked up by your reader's spam filter or deleted by your reader if they make it to their inbox.

Experiment with different styles. Test different phrases and topics included in your email and measure the results. After a few broadcasts you will have a better grasp on the subject lines that get the best results.

3. Timing: One more piece of your email marketing campaign you have direct control over is when you send your messages. It is important to keep your target audience in mind when planning your broadcast time. Although there are optimal times for sending email to specific groups, we recommend testing and measuring multiple send times on your own campaigns.
A few tips to keep in mind: 

Not all businesses operate the same. Although B2B emails normally tend to have better results when sent Tuesday through Thursday, early morning and early afternoon, that doesn't mean you have to stick with those time frames. Think of your audience's time zone and what type of business they are in. Perhaps the people you are sending to work overnight and on weekends. Since less B2B email is sent over the weekend in general, your messages will have less competition for attention in your recipient's inbox. A little research on the companies you are sending to in regards to hours of operation will go a long way in improving your open rate. Again, test your send times to get the best results.

People check email all day and night. If you are sending B2C emails, keep in mind that consumers check their email several times a day including work hours (70 percent according to an AOL survey) and a lot of people give their business email with their personal contact information. When sending to consumers it is especially important to test your send times and measure the results.

Vanguard Financial Consulting helps businesses everyday to develop strategies designed to build brand recognition and generate online and offline exposure. Discover how Vanguard can help you get people talking, contact us today!