How to increase the Open Rate in your Newsletter

What is the open rate?

The open rate is the number of emails that the users who receive them open when comparing it with the total number of emails sent.

Although there are no absolute percentages on what is the ideal opening rate for newsletters. The professional email marketing claim that between 20 and 30% is a good open rate for email marketing actions.

How to increase the open rate?

Achieving a good open rate is one of the challenges that digital marketing agencies face when conducting an email marketing campaign or with newsletters. To achieve this, they take into account these guidelines:

Create an attractive subject:

The subject is a few visible resources from the inbox , therefore, it is essential that it is relevant and attractive to the recipient. It should be a text that very briefly summarizes the content of the email with a maximum of 50 characters, so that it is fully readable.

To get them to open it, it must contain language that calls for action and creates a sense of urgency . That is, it must invite the user to want to know more and create the need to discover the information at the moment, so that it is not forgotten among other more important emails.

Customize the sender

Along with the issue, the sender is one of the variables that most affects the open rate . Since they are part of the three elements (subject, sender and preheader) that the user sees in their inbox.

It is essential that the user trusts the origin of the emails that arrive. There are 3 main ways to convey trust via sender name:

1. Name and surname of a member of the company: It is a good option when there is already a direct one & one relationship with the contact. It can help us convey more closeness . But also keep in mind that if you know the sender’s name, there won’t be a reason for you to open the email.

2. Brand name: Allows the user to easily recognize the origin of the newsletter .

3. Name of a member of the company + the name of the brand: This option is a mix of the two previous options. Provides closeness , but also confidence by containing the brand name. The only downside is that the sender’s name will be longer.

In the case of options 1 and 3, it must be taken into account that the email must be sent from that person’s email address and users will be able to send comments that must be attended to personally .

In the case of option 3, the use of emails such as no_reply@outreachway.com should always be avoided . It is advisable to use emails such as reach@outreachway.com or newsletter@outreachway.com

Includes a pre-header:

The preheader or preheader is the text that appears along with the subject as a way to advance the content of the submission. The number of characters will vary by email service, browser and device, but it is recommended to limit it to between 85-100 characters . And put the core of the message in the first 35 characters , to ensure that even on tablets and smartphones the most important part of the preheader is displayed.

One of the most common errors is not having the pre-header present and the phrase “See in the browser” or “If you cannot see this message well, click here”.

How to improve the content of the newsletter?

Inverted pyramid scheme and scannable content:

The information must be presented under the inverted pyramid scheme so that the most relevant content is at the beginning. In addition, to increase readability, it is recommended that it be easily scannable visually. That is, since many users will read it superficially, it is important to highlight the keywords so that the message is transmitted clearly.

Content balance:

Although one of the main objectives of the newsletter is the promotion of products or services, the copy of the email must be balanced between advertising content and information of value for the audience. Otherwise, the newsletter will end up in the spam tray or users will unsubscribe.

Newsletters are a very good opportunity to offer exclusive content , making users feel special by being able to access unique content that others cannot have.

Personalize and generate closeness:

Target users with their name creates a relationship more direct and personal . In the same way, ending newsletters with a signature also transmits more closeness and provides a differential element with respect to other newsletters. In the case of the signature, the type of content must also be taken into account, since on some occasions it may turn out not to be suitable, such as in the newsletter of discounts or promotional actions . But it can be a great tool for those related to brand news , new product launch announcements, or event invitations .

Power the call to action:

You must always keep in mind the purpose of the email marketing strategy and the objective that is sought in each newsletter. This will allow us to clearly define the type of content to be broadcast. It will also determine what response is expected from users in order to perform a conversion rate analysis .

In addition to providing information and transmitting the message of the brand , you must make a clear call to action , encourage the audience to take the action you want with the sending of the newsletter. Through the visual design of the newsletter , the links that lead to ecommerce, invitations to events, links to the brand’s social networks, etc. are introduced in an attractive way.

The newsletters are a great tool to generate conversions and customer loyalty . In addition, thanks to its low cost, brands can maintain a continuous link with their audience, through frequent positive impacts . The creation of the email marketing plan, the design and copy of the newsletters represents a significant investment of time to achieve good open rates . For this reason, some companies interested in implementing newsletters in their digital strategy choose to hire specialized email marketing agencies.

Are you interested in an email marketing strategy?

In our agency we have a digital marketing department with a team specialized in email marketing to create the strategy of your newsletters, write the contents of your emails and design the graphic section of your emails.