How to Get More People to Open Your Emails

Did you know that North Americans open less emails than Europeans do? According to report conducted by email marketing solution GetResponse, only 10.76% of Americans who received targeted emails actually opened them, compared to 13+% of Europeans. Americans are now becoming more email-weary, and it can be a daunting task to get your email newsletter opened by your subscribers. Read below for tips on how to improve your chances.Subject Lines are Your FriendsMake sure to use a compelling subject line. No one wants to read something so boringly titled “October Monthly Newsletter.” Don't give your readers an excuse to delete your emails. Also, shorter titles are better. It's been proven that titles with fewer than 50 characters improve responses by 50%.Target the Right Demographic Getting your email in front of the right eyes is almost as important as what you actually say in your eNewsletter. Your subscribers should be people or businesses that are highly likely to purchase your products or services. In layman's terms: market to the right demographic.Timing is EverythingIt is typically better to send out emails in the middle of the week and after the early morning email rush. Be savvy about your timing. If you're promoting events, try to send out your campaign a couple of days before, but not too far out that people might forget about it. If you're a restaurant, send out your eNewsletter around lunchtime to entice your readers to stop by for some munchies.Compelling Content > Promotions People get tons of email, and if your content isn't compelling, they will not open your newsletter, much less click through it. Make sure your content is not only relevant but also unique. Don't just promote yourself, but also provide your readers with useful content.Think Above the FoldYou have the subject plus three lines to get the attention of your readers. If they aren't hooked by the time they read those lines, they will delete your email. Make sure to think “above the fold,” which means putting the most important information at the top, so that your reader doesn't have to scroll down before getting the gist of your email.Code Like It's 1999Keep it simple and avoid overly complicated HTML design. Think of your email as existing in 1999. Nearly 75% of all email clients use Outlook, which doesn't support background images, forms, Flash, JavaScript or other plug-ins, animated GIFs, CSS positioning or floats. Make it attractive—just don't make it too complex.Other Helpful Tips

• Use specific, clear and measurable calls-to-action.
• Test, preview, measure and test again for accuracy.
• Personalize where possible, but don't become excessively familiar.
• Start with a good list and keep it clean.

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