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5 Email Marketing Tips to Boost Your Open Rates & Increase Engagement

Writer's picture: Lindsay JohnsonLindsay Johnson

The Radical Connector Blog: 5 Email Marketing Tips to Boost Your Open Rates & Increase Engagement

Email marketing is a powerful way to connect with your customers and promote your products or services.

 

But if your email open rates are low, it becomes pretty obvious that your subscribers are missing out on your brilliant content, expertise, and ultimately, getting to work with you!


Worst of all, you're left feeling like you're wasting your time. Am I right?!


Now, if you're new around here you might be asking, "Lindsay, what is email marketing anyway and why do I need it?"


Email marketing is the process of using email messages, either sent individually or in bulk, to market and promote a product, service, or cause.

 

To be effective in email marketing, you need to understand your audience!

 

  • Who are you trying to reach?

  • What are their interests?

  • What are their problems?

  • Why did they sign up for your email list?

  • What are they expecting to learn or receive from you?


Once you figure this out, you can create targeted emails that will capture their attention and give your subscribers a clear path from strangers to happy, paying customers.


Here are five tips for boosting your open rates and increasing engagement in your email marketing ... 

 



 

Tip 1: Let Your Personality Shine

This one may sound super obvious but answer me this ...

 

Do you write your emails in a conversational tone so it feels like you are talking one-on-one with your subscribers?

 

Or are you trying to sound professional and your subscribers feel like they are reading a pamphlet while sitting in the doctor's waiting room?


When you're writing emails I want you to picture someone specific in your community and talk directly to them as if you were in the same room having a conversation!


There's no need to get stuffy, formal, or overly professional.


You want people to have fun reading your emails and feel YOU coming through their screens.


Another great way of ensuring your personality shines through is to think about how you want your subscribers to feel when they open your emails.


  • Surprised

  • Delighted

  • Blown away

  • Supported

  • Hopeful

  • Inspired

  • Empowered

  • Confident


Pick a feeling and as you write, ask yourself if you're delivering the impact you're going for. 


Nobody wants to open a humdrum email. 


Make your goal to connect authentically and make their day just a little bit brighter!

 



 

Tip 2: Make Your Emails Scan Friendly


Remember, people don't read ... we scan! 


The last thing you want to do is send out a giant block of text. Trust me, your subscribers are gonna skip it. 


You want to give your subscribers something to scan so they can get the gist of what you're saying and then read more in-depth if the subject matter interests them. 


You can use


  • Bold or coloured headlines

  • Bulleted or numbered lists

  • Bold or add colour to important words or phrases within paragraphs 

  • White space and short paragraphs

  • Emojis

  • GIFs

  • Images or custom graphics*


 *Something to consider when using images and graphics in your emails:


❗Images and graphics shouldn't take up more than 25% of your email.


❗You should NEVER include important information in your graphics that isn't also written in the body of the email as some email programs won't load graphics and that important info will be missed. 


❗I don't recommend using graphics in the very first email your new subscribers get (like your thank you email after someone signs up for your lead magnet) as your email will most likely end up in the spam folder!

 

Your goal with adding a little texture is to keep the reader's eye moving down the page. 

 

✅ Your subscribers should be able to get the gist of your email simply by scanning it. Make sure to give your email a "scan test" before sending it!

 



 

Tip 3: Write Intriguing Subject Lines


Think of your subject lines as the gatekeeper between your subscribers and your brilliant content.


If you don't write a subject line your readers care about, they're probably not going to open your emails. 


Give it to me straight, do you tend to be a little too literal in your subject lines? 

Are you writing subject lines like this ...


  • This Week's Sleep Podcast is Now Live!

  • Today's Fitness Class Replay is Posted

  • New Blog All About Making Money


🛑 Stop it!

 

You need to be less literal and write subject lines that your subscribers will relate to. 

 

Try this instead:


  • 3 Underrated Tips for a Better Sleep Tonight

  • 10-min Ab Routine Guaranteed to Rock Your Core

  • Can You Really Make Money In Your Sleep? Heck Yah!


Here are even more tips for how to write strong subject lines

 



 

Tip 4: Share Wow-Factor Content


SEO content like Blogs, Podcasts, and YouTube videos are the key to unlocking higher rankings for your website on search engines.


We talk a lot about creating SEO-friendly content in my community.


When people search for information on a topic, they are most likely to find it if it’s been well-written, well-researched, and incorporates an SEO & keyword strategy.


And, as you probably know, a high ranking on Google is essential for success in the online world. 


Another reason to create SEO-friendly content is that it helps boost engagement with your website visitors. When people are engaged with your website and enjoy reading what you have to say, they’re more likely to come back again and again. 

Make sure you’re putting out the right kind of content – SEO-friendly material that will help your subscribers and help your website shine above the rest.


Then, use your regularly scheduled emails to distribute your wow-factor content to your subscribers. 


Remember to use still use catchy subject lines!

 



 

Tip 5: Use A/B Testing To Improve Your Results

What is A/B testing and how do you use it?


A/B testing is a method for testing different versions of a web page or email to see which one performs better. 


For example, you might send the same email to your list but half of them (group A) gets a different subject line that the other half (group B) 


Many email providers like mailchimp, Constant Contact, AWeber, HubSpot, mailerlite, and drip offer A/B testing.

 

By using A/B testing, you can determine which version of your email is more likely to result in higher open rates and greater engagement.

Email marketing requires testing and tweaking. Everyone's audience is different and you need to figure out what makes YOUR subscribers open, engage, and click the links in your emails. 


What kind of A/B testing can you do?


  • Test different subject lines 

  • Using Emojis in your subject lines

  • Long or short-form emails

  • Images and graphics vs none

  • Calls to action as hyperlinks vs buttons

  • Call to action placement

  • Different types of calls to action

  • How much of your SEO-friendly to write in your emails to get people to click for the full version

  • Different ways to promote freebies or paid offers

  • Frequency; how often does your list want to hear from you


The key with A/B testing is to test ONE variable at a time. Once you get an idea of which option performs better you can start testing another variable. 

 



 

Email marketing is a great way to connect with your customers and build relationships. However, if you're not happy with your open or clickthrough rates, don't give up!


Test and tweak your email marketing strategy to see which methods are working best for you.


And above all else ... have fun! 



 

Lindsay Johnson, aka The Radical Connector, is a sales coach for misfit entrepreneurs building their business to the beat of their own drum and radical enough to believe they can change the world!


Lindsay’s passion for showing entrepreneurs how to use entrepreneurship as a tool to liberate themselves and others from systems of oppression and lead an impactful life shines through in everything they do.


After 20+ years of teaching entrepreneurs how to make money in a way that feels good, Lindsay’s message is clear: you matter, the work you do is important, and you need to make excellent money so you can change the freaking world!



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