Tips on increasing email open rates

[Aitor Astobieta]

One of the most frustrating things for an email marketer is to find out that his subscribers have not even opened his emails!

Usually, the reason for such a lack of interest in your email is that your subject line is weak.

So I am going to give you a few basic tips on creating attractive subject lines:

Avoid looking spammy:

Sure, you want to attract attention, but don't end up looking like a scammer! Avoid the use of characters, like @,#,>>>,#@!&$*(&@, or any other combination you can think of.

Also, make sure your "from" address contains your name or something that looks legitimate.

I can usually tell a spammer a mile away just from his "from" address, such as, "TheEmailGuru", or "kinkygirl", etc, etc.

Just use your name to keep it personal.

Make your subject line clean and simple, and entertaining!

You have thrown out "spammy" characters, so now it is time to clean up your subject line.

Try to keep it short and simple. Don't use very long lines because they might not see what you are writing!

Use simple, short, powerful words that appeal to the emotions. Avoid by all means Latinate words that are better suited for scientific papers.

In other words, don't be boring! You are a businessman, but you don't want to give that impression.

You want to seem like a friend. So be casual! (not all the time, though!)
Examples: "just checking in", "how are you doing?", "i want to know more about you..."

Brand yourself!

Having just said be casual, don't go out there imitating someone like Frank Kern, who likes to keep an entertaining and down-to-earth tone.

Be yourself! Put your own personality into the subject lines. Don't be another Frank-Kern-wannabe! (I have to admit I used to be one)

If you are funny and comical, create funny subject lines. If you are very emotionally intense person, convey that in your subject line.

But what if you are boring, dry, and plain? Well, you could convey yourself as a no B.S., straight shooter kind of marketer. Some people do like that kind of seriousness, sometimes.

Whatever your personality is, just make sure that you personalize your subject lines.

You want to make your email stands out from all the other emails flooding your subscribers' inbox.

And you know which emails always stand out for me? Those from my family and friends!

Why? They stand out because I have an intimate relationship with these people.

Of course, you will not be able to become a family member to all the subscribers in your list, but you do want to come off as somebody who genuinely cares about them.

Do NOT copy other marketers who are promoting the same affiliate product!

Okay, this one irritates me!

Whenever there is a product launch, I receive several emails from different marketers all with the same subject line!

What this tells me is that those marketers have not put in the effort to alter the templates given to them by the owner of the product.

For goodness' sake, be creative with your subject line! Differentiate yourself from all other affiliates!

Use numbers, figures, and anything that makes your subject line specific

Numbers are awesome!

What attracts you more?

"Make some money sometime soon with my system"

"My system will make you $2,450 in 5 days"

People love to see figures because it helps them to visualize in their mind what they want to achieve.

Also notice that I used the pronoun you to refer to the email recipient. This is a very powerful word since it aims directly at the subscribers' self interest.

You can make this even more powerful by personalizing the message this way:

"John's system that makes him $2,450 in 5 days", where John is one of my email subscribers.

In this way, your subscriber now feels personally involved with your email.

So make sure that you convey your personality without overshadowing your client.

Don't put yourself in the spotlight.

Rather, put your client in the spotlight, and he/she will be very responsive to you.

Make it mysterious. Arouse curiosity.

"This is why you are not making any money...."

"You will be fat for the rest of your life ..." (be careful with this one!)

Humans are curious by nature. If you make your subject lines into incomplete sentences, people will want to click to find out the rest of your sentence.

Of course, don't deceive your subscriber. I have received some emails where the subject says one thing and the email is about another subject entirely.

"FREE course on email marketing for Aitor...."

Later I find out that I have to pay a monthly membership fee. So much for it being free!

The greatest secret of getting your emails read

It has nothing to do with your subject lines or the content of your emails.

In fact, it happens before people sign up to your list.

I am referring to the impression people have of you before they sign up to your list.

Naturally, if they signed up to your list, they have some trust in you, but they still remain skeptical.

However, if you manage to gain trust even before they sign up, then they will open your emails consistently.

How do you do this? Offer good content on your site, don't lie to them, show videos where you show your face (make it more personal), and try to keep the hype down in your sales letters.

Also, make sure that the way you presented yourself before they signed up and the way you present yourself after they become your subscribers is coherent.

I have found out that some marketers suffer from multiple personality disorder!

They act very friendly in order to get you to sign up to their list, and then they become hungry sharks who only want your wallet, offering you sales pitch after sales pitch, without delivering any kind of meaningful content.

I hope this has helped you in some way.

The topic of email subject lines is big, so I have decided to just look at its general features.

To look at it in further detail would take me an entire ebook!

[TLTheLiberator]

Good tactics for getting more of your emails opened - especially for those operating in the IM market.

I would also add using the prospects name as often as prudent in the email.

TL

[Clint]

This is a good value thread.

I'd stand behind what he tells you..

Having a good understanding on how to market to your list is the biggest advantages that you will have in your business.

Ceep on ceeping on

Clint S.

[Aitor Astobieta]

TLTheliberator,

Yes, using the subscriber's name is also useful in personalizing the message.

By the way, have any of you tried collecting phone numbers and real addresses to get in touch with your clients in a REAL manner?

That is what I call a true relationship with your prospects!