11 best email marketing tips to boost open and click through rates

To help you boost email open and clickthrough rates, we asked CEOs and marketing leaders this question for their best advice.

From using images and videos to keeping your emails simple, there are several ideas that may help you boost email marketing for your business. 

Here are 11 tips to help improve email marketing success:

• Use images and videos
  

• Employ a robust automated email series
  

• Avoid no-reply email address

• Increase the rate of email opt-ins

• Add your name to the sender's details

• Avoid spam trigger words in your subject line

• Award customer loyalty with coupon codes

• Win customers with gradual and steady emails
  

• Send product-specific emails to browsing customers

• Create mobile-friendly emails

• Keep your emails simple

Use images and videos

One effective email marketing tip is to use images and videos in your email messages. Not only will this help to engage your readers, but it will also help to encourage them to click through to the full message. If you can include a call-to-action at the end of your message, even better! 

Additionally, always keep in mind the time of day that your email is sent. Email marketing is most effective during the morning and evening hours when people are more likely to be online and interested in what you have to say.

Paw Vej, Financer.com Ltd

Employ a robust automated email series

One email marketing strategy to employ is a robust automated email series, which helps companies engage with customers after they’ve made a purchase.

Emails that include order confirmations, shipping, and delivery notices, asking customers for feedback/reviews or simply how to get in touch if they need help or have any questions.

There are many ways to incorporate an element of automated personalization such as referring to the customer by name, addressing the products they purchased, and linking to a tutorial (if applicable) with the product customer purchased in use, etc.

Implementing these small processes is extremely important in fostering an ongoing relationship with your customers.

Maegan Griffin, Skin Pharm

Avoid no-reply email addresses

No-reply email addresses have their benefits, but you can drastically improve your open and click-through rates if you send your marketing emails from a “real” email address instead.

This enhances the customer experience, allowing them to easily respond with their questions or to express their interest. 

Another benefit is that using a “real” email address lowers the likelihood that your emails will go straight to the spam folder. It lets your message have a better shot at being seen and read, which improves all other relevant metrics.

Johannes Larsson, JohannesLarsson.com

Increase the rate of email opt-ins

Purchasing an email list and sending emails to individuals who are not expecting to receive them reduces open and click-through rates.

It also increases the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam, which can harm your reputation and impair future email deliverability.

Asking subscribers for permission to send them outreach and campaign emails is a wonderful approach to enhance open and click-through rates.

They have already confirmed their interest in the information you will be giving them, so they are more likely to anticipate and open an email from you.

Create opt-in incentives to enhance your email opt-in rate. Consider holding promotions or contests and making joining your email list a requirement for entrance. Alternatively, provide free delivery or freebies to individuals who join your mailing list.

David Bitton, Doorloop

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Add your name to the sender's details

Rather than use a generic business name, it can be an excellent idea to add your name to the sender's details. Alternatively, you can combine the sender's name with the company's.

Adding your name gives the email a personal touch since it looks more like a private message than an advertisement. Since people receive many emails, they may not open or click on an email's content if they are unsure who the sender is.

For consistency, larger teams should use a single person's name for all their emails.

John Tian, Mobitrix

Avoid spam trigger words in your subject line

Your subject line is one of the most important factors in how many people open your emails. Getting it right is a delicate art, even down to the specific words and phrases that you use.

To start with, make sure not to use shady or manipulative terms such as "Urgent", "Act Immediately", or "You've been selected!".

Emails using these words and phrases seem far less trustworthy, and almost always get caught by inbox spam filters.

An email you spent hours crafting might be gathering dust in the reader's junk box. That's bad for business. 

To make sure it gets read instead, be honest about your offer and the content inside the email. If your solution truly has value, there’s no need to stretch the truth or exaggerate.

Honest subject lines allow readers to 'pre-qualify' your email, giving them everything they need to know before clicking through and getting in touch.

Not only does this weed out unqualified prospects, but it helps you build a more personal connection with your audience.

Aaron Gray, Agency 101

Award customer loyalty with coupon codes

Send a coupon code to consumers with slowed purchasing rates using a catchy headline, “We miss you – enjoy 15% off your next order!”

No matter the income of your target audience, if you want to reach the hearts of your consumers, look no further than keeping their money in their pockets. 

Email subscribers are proven fans of your products, and a discount might be all that's needed to pique interest and get your email read.

Additionally, occasional discounts are a great way to appreciate your customers' loyalty. Announce your products at a discounted rate and watch your emails open and sales rise!

Amrita Saigal, Kudos

Win customers with gradual and steady emails

Be sure your CTA (Call To Action) is the only CTA in the email. You likely have a priority one such as encouraging shopping, so also asking people to subscribe to your newsletter and check out your YouTube channel in the same email, will distract them from your priority. 

Secondly, people may feel you’re asking too much and be turned off entirely. Save other tasks for other emails. In the end, slow and steady wins the day and will increase your clickthrough rates!

Michael Van, Furnishr

Send product-specific emails to browsing customers

Send a product-specific follow-up email to customers who were browsing your site.

For example, Levi's, the classic denim brand, implements this strategy with catchy subject lines that encourage the consumer to revisit the product page and consider purchasing.

Since the customer is an active subscriber, in many cases, the product-specific emails may serve as a reminder to purchase the item instead of an annoyance.

Email marketing and automation are a lethal combination in increasing open & sales rates.

Breanne Millette, BISOULOVELY

Create mobile-friendly emails

One essential tip to boost open & click-through rates is to make your email mobile-friendly. Today, around 81% of all emails are now opened and read on mobile devices.

And those unoptimized go straight to the trash. And you don’t want that. So make sure that your emails can be successfully opened on a phone.

Firstly, choose a responsive design that ensures content scaling depending on the screen it’s being opened on.

Then take care of text formatting: include white spaces, short paragraphs, use heading, subheadings, and bullet points, bold the most important information, and underline links.

Make sure that your email is easily scanned. Finally, test the email by sending it to yourself.

Agata Szczepanek, MyPerfectResume

Keep your emails simple

Keep it simple! We’ve found that the fewest words win in email marketing. As consumers, we’re constantly receiving emails and texts from brands, work, and loved ones.

We want to be able to quickly absorb information, process it, and act. We lead with a short, quippy subject line that sparks excitement and quick comprehension of what the email entails

Marilyn Zubak, Snif

Bonus tips

Reference to influencers and other authority figures in the email subject line

Influencers are a great way to boost interest in a product, build credibility, boost popularity, and ultimately transform the perception of the brand.

You can also use influencer partnerships as an incredible email marketing tool to boost open rates and increase conversions.

For example, you can reference the top two influencers that you have collaborated with in your email subject line and make sure to mention their positive response.

You can further elaborate on their reviews of the product as well as provide images or videos of the influencers using the product.

You can then insert a call to action with an influencer's full review on your landing page along with the purchase option.

Amra Beganovich,  Amra & Elma

Open and click through rates FAQs

How do you increase email open rates?

There are many effective ways to increase email open rates, including:

• Keep your subject lines short (use 6 to 10 words per subject line)
• Avoid spam trigger words in your subject lines (some of the most “dangerous” words and phrases you should steer clear of are: buy, buy direct, clearance, order, earn extra cash, make money, best price, no cost, no fees, hello, friend, etc.)
• Personalize your subject lines (you can accomplish this by adding your recipient’s name)
• Add your name to the sender’s details (along with your company’s name)
• Use mobile-friendly email templates and make sure your emails are easily scanned
• Avoid no-reply email addresses
• Incorporate interesting and relevant images and videos into your email messages
• Employ a robust automated email series (order confirmations, shipping and delivery notices, feedback and product/service review requests, etc.)
• Boost your email opt-in rate by creating opt-in incentives
• Keep your emails simple and concise
• Mention influencers and other authority figures in your email subject lines

What should an email marketer focus on to improve open rates?

To improve email open rates, an email marketer should:

• Be GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant
• Regularly clean and segment their email list
• Make it easy for their subscribers to opt-out of receiving future emails
• Authenticate their emails
• Write enticing subject lines but without using spam trigger words
• Personalize their emails
• Always use mobile-responsive email templates
• Send their emails at the right time (Mailbutler’s Recipient Optimized Scheduling feature can do all the hard work here)

What is a good click-through rate for email?

Depending on the industry you’re part of, a good email click-through rate can range from 1-2% to approximately 5%.

Conclusion

The best email marketing tips are the ones that are specific and relevant to your business.

With the right email marketing strategy, you can boost your open and clickthrough rates and ultimately get more customers.

We hope our tips have helped you find a new strategy to use in your email marketing. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us anytime.

We are always happy to help. We love hearing from our readers!