10 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Email Open Rate

The email era is far from being over. While many marketers have ditched their email campaigns in search of a socially charged future, did you know that 72% of consumers still prefer to be contacted via email?

The question is, how do you make sure they read yours? With inboxes packed full of advertisements and campaign follow-ups, your emails must stand out from the crowd.

From subject lines to mobile optimization, let’s look closely at some of the key things to include in your next email campaign for a lead-generating engagement boost. 

What is An Email Open Rate?

The email open rate refers to the percentage of recipients who open an email you send them and is used to measure the effectiveness of your email campaign. Email is considered opened when:

• The recipient views images in the preview pane or in a full view of the email.
• The recipient clicks a link in the email

In this case, if you sent 100 emails and only 10 were opened, you’d have a 10% email open rate. The higher the open rate, the more engaging and successful your email is at capturing the attention of your audience. 

Looking at the Averages

Experts at SuperOffice recently reported that the average open rate for an email campaign is 24%. Sounds low, doesn't it?

However, when sent at the right time to the right list of people, email campaigns can see high levels of success.

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As you can see here, email open rates continue to fluctuate year by year, with averages dipping since 2020.

The good news, however, is that according to historical trends, dips in email engagement have also been followed by a strong period of growth.

The question is, will your campaign hit the high demands for success? If you’re wondering where to go next with your email campaign, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 tactics for an email open rate that’ll knock competitors out of the park. 

Craft Compelling Subjects 

One of the first things to think about in your email campaign is your first impression. What does a consumer see first? A subject line.

The key here is to make sure your subject line stands out from the crowd. Use curiosity to interest your leads, and craft something creative that doesn't necessarily read as an advertisement.

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Take this example from Adoric for example. Using the phrase ‘Pssst….I Got a Secret is a great way to draw attention at first glance. 

Prioritize Preheader Text

In the same way as your subject line, your preheader text also draws consumer attention at first glance.

The preheader is a preview of what is to come within the email, so ensure that your first line is catchy with a quick call to action.

Better still, try to couple your pre-header with your subject line for a better chance at enticing those all-important clicks.

Start A/B Testing

Before sending out your email, don’t forget to test your content for the ultimate shot at success.

Here is where you experiment with alternative subject lines, email copy, and even sender names to reduce your chances of inbox bounce.

Using A/B testing, you can measure your success by pitching two versions of your content against each other. Monitor a number of parameters and use your A/B samples to influence your final product.

Work On Your Timing 

Conducting an email campaign takes more than just sending out your content. The time you choose to send your email could be a make or break for your open rate.

According to MailChimp, emails are more likely to be opened during the week rather than at the weekend, as consumers are likely to be connected to their email accounts at work and on the go.

Regarding the perfect ‘hour’ to send an email, that question is much more difficult. Depending on your location and the scale of your business, your mail could be hitting different time zones.

Our advice would be to schedule an email mid-week,  at a time that appeals well to your most prominent targets. This could be lunchtime or early evening. The key here is to keep trying different combinations.

Personalize Your Outreach

In the digital age, the competition for consumer engagement increases. As digital natives become more demanding, personalization should play a key role in your outreach strategy if you’re looking to see success.

Did you know that 63% of consumers won’t even open an email that isn't personalized?

Make sure you’re tailoring your content for each individual inbox. This means including customer names and using historical data to personalize offers and call-to-actions.

Deliver Value

Your content should also deliver value to the consumer. Don’t waste the inbox space simply advertising a product or service; instead, establish yourself as an opinion leader who cares about your customers' interests and values.

In order to establish your brand as an authoritative voice, ensure that you focus on more than just your email content when it comes to building up your reputation. Ensure that your site content is polished and your name is constantly spotted across many platforms.

One way to improve the value of your content is to partner with an SEO agency, such as Solvid. Onboarding SEO experts help optimize your content from all angles of your business.

Why not optimize your content templates too? Adding visual elements to your emails is a great way to keep your target hooked and prove to them that you’re a source they can trust. 

Optimize For Mobile

Did you know that a whopping 81% of emails are now opened on a mobile device first?

If you want to enhance your smartphone success, ensure that your email content is optimized for a smaller screen.

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In order to cross-test your email campaigns, make sure that you create a practice template for all devices. Every avenue of access from desktop to tablet to mobile should be optimized for prime viewing.

Build A Positive Sender Reputation

You don’t want to be mistaken for spam. Building a positive sender reputation could be the difference between your domain being blocked by a customer and being welcomed into their inbox.

The best way to do this is to send high-quality content consistently. Better still, encourage your loyal customers to subscribe to your email list to avoid the risk of ending up in the junk folder.

Another crucial factor to remember is your domain name. Ensure that it matches your company website and is easily recognizable amongst your targets. 

Clean Up Your Email List

While subscription lists help direct content to the right consumers, they can get crowded after a while and even start bouncing as email accounts become inactive.

If you have the time, a great way to streamline your outreach process is to clean up your email list. 
Persuade your regular email readers to sign up for an opt-in list and continue to value it on a regular basis. This will ensure that your content only reaches the most active prospects. 

Don’t Forget The Follow-Up

Last but not least, don’t forget the follow-up. In an email campaign, the optimal number of messages to send to each consumer is 2 or 3.

Ensure that you’re giving your targets enough time to read the email before following up for a speedier response.

This is a great tactic for targets such as editors swamped by hundreds of emails daily. A swift follow-up skyrockets your content straight back to the top of the inbox for maximum opening potential.

As we step into a new era of email marketing, your strategy should be streamlined from the subject line right down to the follow-up email. Improving your open rate is the beginning of mastering a winning strategy for today’s demanding digital consumers. 

Improve Open Rates To Create More Effective Email Marketing Campaigns

In order to be masterful with your email marketing strategy in 2024, it’s important to prioritize your open rate tactics. Whether you polish up your follow-ups or prioritize your pre-header text, those who aim to catch consumer attention will win the targeting war. These tips can help you create more effective campaigns to reach your business goals.

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