Email is one of those things you either love or hate.
I love it!
On social media, I hit publish and keep my fingers crossed that just one of my followers will like my post. Email is completely different.
I control who gets my content and when. I have subscribers who faithfully open every email the day I send it. And, others who save them up to read when they have some uninterrupted free time.
What about you? Are you a lover or a hater of email?
If your reading this post, chances are you aren’t too happy with email right now. I get it. Low open rates put a damper on your sales. You can’t share content or sell your products and services if people aren’t opening your emails.
The good news is, low open rates aren’t something you’re doomed to suffer with forever. Read over this list to see why your open rates could be so low, and find out what you can do to fix them.
The size of your email list.
When it comes to email open rates, size does matter. List size, that is. The smaller your list, the better your open rates will seem. If your list has 500 subscribers, and only 125 people open your email, your open rate is 25%.
But, if your list that has 5,000 subscribers and only 125 people open your email, your open rate is now 2.5%. As you add new subscribers on your list, be prepared for some fluctuations in your open rates.
You’re sending to a “sign-up only” email address.
Do you have a separate email account you use when signing up for things online? I do! It keeps my primary inbox from filling up on freebies and emails that aren’t work-related.
Chances are, your subscribers use a separate email address (or a fake one) to sign-up for freebies online. If so, this may be an inbox they very rarely check. Meaning, your emails aren’t opened right away.
Your automation is wonky.
As much as I love technology, sometimes it’s a pain in my bum. Like when I switched from MailChimp to Active Campaign. The first email automation that I setup started running all my subscribers through twice. That meant they were getting doubles of the same email AND my list was showing double the subscribers.
I was able to catch it before too much damage was done. But, my open rates were skewed because of this mess up. If you notice poor open rates, check your automation to make sure it’s running as it should.
Your subscribers aren’t getting your emails.
Like I said early, sometimes technology can be a pain. There isn’t a way to see that your email actually made it into someone’s inbox. Sometimes they hit spam folders. And, other times, they never make it anywhere.
They just float around in “email cyberspace” never to be seen again. It’s no fault of yours if this happens. But, that could be the reason for low email open rates.
Your subject line doesn’t make them curious.
Low email open rates aren’t always the fault of a wonky automation or your subscribers. There are times when the reason no one wants to read your email is that you haven’t given them a reason to.
Terribly written subject lines are a problem. Do your subject lines:
-sound boring
-sound spammy
-give away too much information, and they have no reason to click
-lack personality or intrigue
If so, that could be the reason for low open rates.
Your subscribers take their time opening emails.
Your subscribers are busy. They have jobs, kids, families, friends, and life outside of their inbox.
Days or weeks could go by before they have time to read your emails. Don’t freak out if your emails aren’t opened within an hour of sending. Give your subscribers time.
What can you do to fix low email open rates?
The number one rule about email is…don’t compare the actions of your list to others. Every business is different. Subscribers are different. Email habits are different. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you constantly focus on someone else.
If you notice changes in your numbers, here’s what you can do:
-Change your subject line. Add some fun, intrigue, and personality to see if that increases the subscribers that read our email.
-Re-send your emails to anyone that hasn’t opened it. Chances are that your email was lost, sent to spam, or hidden away between tons of other unopened emails.
-Check your automation to make sure it’s sending the right way.
-Create an email welcome sequence to get your subscribers excited to read your emails. If you don’t have an email welcome sequence in place, this could be a significant factor affecting your open rates. It’s important that subscribers get to know you and what they can expect from your emails very soon after they sign-up.
Don’t have a welcome sequence? This FREE guide will walk you through how to create one. It even comes with templates, so you’ll know exactly what to say to make your subscribers excited to hear from you.
Do you struggle with low email open rates? Or, have you in the past and found a way to improve them? Tell me about it in the comments below.