Things I Did to Achieve a 50% Open Rate on Email Marketing

This morning alone, before 8am, I'd already received 20 promotional emails, mainly from companies I'm pretty sure I'd never opted in to receive marketing emails from. Of those 20 emails I'd received, I opened two: one from Shutterfly, who was telling me I had unlimited free pages in a photo book (good timing, because I'm wrapping up my baby's first year album), and the other from Woot telling me I had personalized deals (spoiler alert, the deals weren't personalized).

In the world of digital marketing, email remains a powerful tool for reaching and engaging with your audience. However, with inboxes flooded with promotional emails, it's becoming increasingly challenging to capture the attention of recipients (I've already said, I open about 10% of all marketing emails). As a marketer, one of your primary goals is to craft email campaigns that not only land in the inbox but also get opened and acted upon.

Mailchimp tells us that the average open rate for all marketing emails is 34%. Achieving a 50% open rate on your email campaigns might seem like a lofty goal, but with the right strategies and techniques, it's definitely attainable (because I did it last month). Here are some actionable tips based on my experiences that can help you boost your email open rates and drive meaningful engagement.

Below I'm giving generic examples, but then following up with the exact verbiage I used to achieve my 50% open rate (note: the target audience is individuals who are small business owners or web designers).

1. Craft Compelling Subject Lines

The subject line is the first thing recipients see, and it heavily influences their decision to open your email. Make it concise, relevant, and intriguing. Personalization can work wonders here—include the recipient's name or refer to their recent activity or purchase. Use urgency or curiosity to entice them to open the email. For example:

• "Last Chance to Claim Your Exclusive Discount!"

• "You're approved for UNLIMITED FREE photo book pages!" (the subject line for the Shutterfly email I opened this morning)

• Or, the headline that got my 50% open rate: "Sweat & Code: It's Time to Shape Up Your Body and Website"

What worked well for Shutterfly that got me to open the email was the all-caps, UNLIMITED FREE portion of the subject line; I ignored all the text before that, and read just after that - because they got my attention with the all caps, and I'm working on a project that's relevant to their promo.

What worked for my email was that the subject line was directly catered to my audience - the email was sent in March, during the time when New Year's Resolutions are starting to fade into distant memory, and brought recipients the reminder that your goals don't have to start in January.

2. Segment Your Audience

Sending targeted emails to specific segments of your audience ensures that your content is relevant to their interests. Use data like demographics, purchase history, or behavior to create personalized campaigns. A clothing retailer, for instance, can send different emails to men and women, showcasing products tailored to each group's preferences.

For the Shutterfly case, they segmented the email audience to those who had an unifinished and/or unpurchased photo book project. Giving me a 5-day deadline to get my 'unlimited free' photobook pages added to the urgency of getting the project done and into my shopping cart - which ultimately worked, because I have my laptop open with baby photos so I can sort and finish out the last two months of her first year album.

In my case, I wasn't able to segment my audience because I don't have enough information to form segments - all I have is a giant email list that was given to me by the Operations Department. Therefore, I had to make my subject line generic enough to cover a wider segment - website developers and coders. Similarly, health and fitness is the number one New Years Resolution, according to Forbes, so that seemed a safe bet.

3. Provide Value Upfront

Capture attention by offering something valuable right from the start. Whether it's a discount, exclusive content, or helpful tips, demonstrate the benefit of opening the email immediately. For instance:

• "Get 20% Off Your Next Purchase—Today Only!"

• "Learn the Top 5 Strategies for Boosting Your ROI"

4. Optimize Email Design

Ensure your email is visually appealing and easy to read across different devices. Use a clean layout, compelling images, and clear call-to-action buttons. Keep the content concise and scannable—most people skim emails rather than reading every word.

5. Leverage Social Proof

Include testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content to build trust and credibility. Social proof can reassure recipients that your offer is worth their time and attention. In my case, I always ensure I use a customer testimonial and link to their website or use case to show that my customers are real people - not models or individuals paid to rave about my product.

6. Experiment with Send Times

Test different send times and days to determine when your audience is most active and responsive. Use email analytics to identify patterns and optimize your sending schedule accordingly.

For my work, as a rule I send out my email campaigns at 10am - because I'm trying to get into people's email boxes while they're at work. If you're selling plants or impulse purchases, opt for sending your emails later in the day, when people are scrolling on their phones and are actually in the mood to buy the product.

7. A/B Test Your Campaigns

Continuously experiment with variations of your emails to identify what resonates best with your audience. Test different subject lines (or try the same subject line, but with and without an emoji!), content formats, visuals, and calls to action to refine your approach over time.

8. Maintain Consistency

Establish a consistent sending frequency so that recipients anticipate and look forward to your emails. Whether it's weekly newsletters or monthly updates, stick to a schedule that works for your audience.

9. Implement Strong Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Guide recipients on what action to take next. Use persuasive language and create a sense of urgency to encourage immediate responses. For example:

• "Shop Now and Save!"

• "Claim Your Free Trial Today!"

10. Monitor and Analyze Results

Regularly monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Use these insights to refine your strategies and improve future campaigns. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't, and adapt accordingly.

By implementing these strategies consistently and refining your approach based on data-driven insights, you can significantly increase your email open rates and drive meaningful engagement with your audience. Remember, the key to successful email marketing is to deliver value, build relationships, and continuously optimize your efforts based on feedback and results. With dedication and strategic thinking, achieving a 50% open rate—or even higher—can become a realistic milestone for your email marketing campaigns.