Ninety-seven percent of small businesses are using email marketing to reach their consumers. Having a core group of subscribers and appropriate content are essential, but why put in all the time and effort if they’re not even opening it?
The hurdle of actually getting your consumers to open the email can be hard to overcome. One thing small businesses should ask themselves when using email marketing as a tool for engagement should be:
Would I open this email if I received it from another company?
Are you making a good first impression? Typically recipients see two things when sifting through their inbox: Who the email is from, and what the subject line is. This step is probably your biggest chance to increase your open rate. Does the consumer know who you are? Has your subject line enticed them enough to want to inquire further?
Timing can be your best friend. How are you ensuring your email doesn’t get lost in the inbox shuffle? If you send too early, it could get missed. If you send too late, the reader may skip over it with the intention of coming back to it later (they almost never do). Experimenting with time frames will be essential for small businesses to develop the appropriate time to reach their target audiences.
Don’t spam your subscribers. Spam filters analyze a huge list of criteria. How is your business avoiding this trap? Some suggestions include:
· Don’t use all CAPS
· Avoid using too many: !!!!!
· Stay away from spam phrases like “Once in a lifetime opportunity!!!”
Purge your dead weight. The more targeted your subscriber list, the more likely they are to engage and open your emails. They signed up for a reason. Some email marketing programs allow you access to see who or how many people are actually opening your email and how many are bouncing back. This can ensure you are utilizing your time and investment wisely.
Are you making it easy for consumers to sign up? As a growing small business, you owe it to yourself and your customers to make it easy for them to receive additional offers and information from you and your business. The harder the sign-up process, the less likely they are to do it.
Once you’ve worked through and fine-tuned these steps, I’m sure you’re questioning what a successful open rate actually is. Email marketing campaigns will differ per industry and your target market.
