It can be very challenging to improve your email open rates—especially when your emails wind up getting lost in the inbox or sent to the SPAM folder.
Read on to discover our top 10 tips for improving your email open rates and avoiding the dreaded SPAM filter.
Don’t Buy Email Addresses
Buying an email list is one of the worst things you can do. For starters, nobody on that list has specifically agreed to receive content from you. You also have no clue if the people on that list are an exact fit for the products or services that you’re selling.
Abide by CAN-SPAM
CAN-SPAM is an acronym for “Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing.” The law went into effect in 2003 and governs the sending of emails for commercial purposes. There are many different rules that you’ll need to follow to comply with the law. Here are just a few of them:
- Give people a straightforward way to unsubscribe.
- Use clear “To,” “From,” and “Reply to” language that accurately identifies who you are
- Avoid transferring or selling emails to another list
- Include a valid physical postal address in every email you send out
Strike While the Anvil is Hot
Be sure to email new contacts within 12-24 hours of opting into your email list. The longer you wait to send some sort of “Welcome!” email, the greater the chances of that person ignoring you completely.
Send Emails from a Human Being
Avoid sending emails from a company email account, such as Sales@ACME.com. Instead, send the email from someone inside your organization, such as the sales manager or the Vice President. This is because sending emails from a company address gives off a “corporate feel” that many people don’t like. Watch your open rates jump when people receive an email from the VP or CEO of your company.
Optimize Your Subject Lines
Email subject lines can either make or break your campaign. Be sure to write clear and concise subject lines and avoid punctuation such as exclamation marks—as they can give off a spammy feel. Write subject lines that are less than 60 characters long. This can be challenging, so break out the thesaurus beforehand. Keep your descriptions under 100 characters long as well. And whatever you do, avoid triggering the SPAM filters by using such words as “cash,” “loan,” “save,” and “quote.” Using those types of words will get your email immediately sent directly to the spam box.
Keep Your Emails Short
The purpose of an email is to quickly get the reader to a landing page where they will act, such as buying or contacting you for more information. Avoid writing long-winded emails—save it for the landing page. You should also avoid adding too many links, as it tends to become very cumbersome. One link to your landing page will suffice. If you have long-winded emails, it can become a red flag for the spam filters.
Optimize for Mobile & Tablet Users
Make sure that you optimize your emails for the smaller screens of tablets and mobile phones. Depending on the email client that you use, look for something called “responsive design.” It means that the email will automatically resize itself based on the device's resolution. Keep the CTA links and buttons to 45-57 pixels minimum. The average size of an adult finger is around 1.6-2 cm, and resizing your CTA buttons to the above minimum size will allow people to easily click on the CTA button on their cell phones or tablets.
Test and Preview Emails BEFORE You Send
[caption id="attachment_1174" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash[/caption]
You’d be surprised at how many email campaigns fall flat on their faces because the business owner forgot to test and preview before hitting the “Send” button. Try to view the email preview on as many different sized devices as possible, including cell phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop monitors. Some email clients will allow you to preview what your email will look like in upwards of 30+ email clients, such as Gmail and Outlook.
Sanitize Your List
If you’re not actively sanitizing and pruning your email list, you could run into trouble. If you have too many “Undeliverable” emails, the omnipresent SPAM filters will start to take notice and furrow their angry brows at you.
Consider Using a 3rd Party Sender
Several paid email providers out there will send your email blasts using their domain. This benefit is that if you’re still hitting the SPAM inboxes, it won’t reflect negatively on your website domain.
Content Marketing Help in Raleigh
Get a head start on your marketing plans for the new year by stepping up your content marketing game by using the above five tips. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can help with your marketing needs, you may
email us,
request a quote, or call us at
(919) 832-2828.