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What really causes a high email open rate

by jamawebinc
14 replies
There are many things written about the ties between email open rate and the subject line.

I don't doubt that that the subject line matters, but I think something else matters more and that is the "From:" field.

Take a step back and try to see what you yourself do when you check your own email.

Where does your eye go first, the subject line or the "From:" field?

The "From:" field is always on the left hand side of your email program, web browser, or blackberry.

Eye tracking studies have shown time and time again that people's eyes, automatically start at the left side of a page.

When you receive an email from a friend, do you not open the emails if the subject line doesn't appeal to you or do you open it anyway even if the subject line is something like one of the following:

Hi
Dinner tonight
what's up
This is cool

When I get an email from my father, I open it. When I get an email from my wife I open it. When I get an email from my friends, I open it.

And, I know it is from them because I look at the "From:" field first.

I belong to many mailing lists from marketers and companies.

When I receive an email from a marketer I like to read, I open it, most of the time regardless of the subject line.

When I receive an email from a marketer I'm not crazy about, I don't open it.

And how do I know if it's a marketer I like or don't like? The "From:" field.

You have to quickly establish yourself to a new lead as someone they want to hear from, looks forward to hearing from, and have them (perhaps subconsciously) put you in the same category of receiving an email from a friend --- when your email arrives, they open it.
#email #email marketing #high #iwebdigest #open #open rate #rate
  • Profile picture of the author WhamSoft
    I think Mike Filsaime touched on this subject at somepoint,

    The "From" part of the email is the most important part and then the "subject line".

    You need to establish a relationship with your subscribers so that when they see your name in the "From" line field, they open and read the email.

    Providing quality content and useful resources is a must before trying to market to your list.
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  • Profile picture of the author digigo
    good point.. make each mailing count.. overmailing may hurt open rate.. I know i stop opening mails from some of the advertisers after a few times I did not find anything useful
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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    Exactly right. You want your name to become an email open magnet. Content is king, they say, when it comes to websites. Well, it's much more so for email lists. It's all about the relationship and the value you provide subscribers. Then your subject lines make less and less of a difference.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    You make a good point. The "from" field isn't on the left in all email clients though. I use Thunderbird and the "sender" is the center column, subject on the left, date on the right. I look at the sender, so eye tracking studies don't always apply.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jacer
    Great post. It is about the relationship. I belong to many IM lists, but there are few marketers who's emails always get read by me. Most of them I ignore, unless the subject just forces me to open based on curiosity.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Peters Benn
    That reminds me of something that has bothered me an awful lot about autoresponders - getting the sent on behalf of. It makes me want to have an autoresponder on my own domain.

    I don't want the from field faked, that can be even worse I guess- open rate wise.

    Those emails I do read are the ones from marketers who offer something of genuine value to me. Or entertain me. I guess that isn't good but it's true!
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  • Profile picture of the author trevor75
    Kill them with content...give your readers everything under the sun, thats free of course. They'll start to remember you as someone who actualy cares about them and then your head line wont matter as much, theyll always open your mail.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Peters Benn
    Trevor - what sort of content - and is content what really get's emails opened? I ask because I'm not sure - some of my best email open rates have been quick calls to action that deliver value - but the actual content was on my blog, not in email if that makes sense.
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    • Profile picture of the author jamawebinc
      Originally Posted by Steve Peters Benn View Post

      Trevor - what sort of content - and is content what really get's emails opened? I ask because I'm not sure - some of my best email open rates have been quick calls to action that deliver value - but the actual content was on my blog, not in email if that makes sense.
      On a related note...

      I've seen with my own lists - An email with nothing but a sales pitch have a complaint rate of 0% while an email with a lot of "teaching" content get a complaint rate of over .30%

      Content is not what gets emails opened.

      You open an email from a friend, or someone from work, or an acquaintance, etc, just because you know them - it doesn't matter what the subject line is.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
    Two things that will guarantee high open rates...

    1. A list of recipients who know, like and trust you

    2. A reputation for writing stuff people want to read.

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  • Profile picture of the author digigo
    I also like to add that if your email can trigger a "WOW" moment, they will remember your name for a long time. mediocre ones will dilute your reputation sooner than you hit that send button.. less is more .. less is more.
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  • Profile picture of the author secretagent
    I think most of the responses here are correct, however, let me put a closing spin on the question.
    It's a fact, people notice the from: line, BUT after the first email, it's ALL about the subject line consider the fact you have NOT built up your relationship yet.

    Stats show the open rate increases with value added headlines.
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    • Profile picture of the author jamawebinc
      Since I started the thread, I'll make some comments on the followup posts.

      Originally Posted by digigo View Post

      good point.. make each mailing count.. overmailing may hurt open rate.. I know i stop opening mails from some of the advertisers after a few times I did not find anything useful
      This may happen for some. it may not for others. There are plenty of very successful people who market online that send multiple emails to their list daily.

      Perhaps if after a few emails, you did not find anything useful, you are not a good fit for that list to begin with.

      Originally Posted by trevor75 View Post

      Kill them with content...give your readers everything under the sun, thats free of course. They'll start to remember you as someone who actualy cares about them and then your head line wont matter as much, theyll always open your mail.
      I think you have to define content. I've heard many different definitions of content. Is it information which teaches something? Is it entertainment? Is it a free report? Is it an offer for a product for sale that will benefit them?

      All of these things could be considered content.

      Yes, this thread was only about what I think is the part of an email that is most connected to open rate - the "From:" field -- but that's not the entire goal of having a list. You still must convert people into paying customers.

      You could have a great open rate of 50%, but if nobody buys anything, what good is it?

      There comes a time when you have to make offers for a product that costs money. And I have had great success sending repeated emails that have nothing but an offer, with no "useable" free content.

      If you just keep giving content, people will thank you up and down, they will think you're great, and they also won't buy anything.

      If people stop opening your emails after a time because you want them to spend some money, then you should let them go and concentrate on the people that are spending money with you.

      Originally Posted by secretagent View Post

      It's a fact, people notice the from: line, BUT after the first email, it's ALL about the subject line consider the fact you have NOT built up your relationship yet.

      Stats show the open rate increases with value added headlines.
      I appreciate your response, but I don't agree that it's all about subject line after the first email.

      That first email and what you give them in exchange for the email address they have given you has the job of establishing you with that lead.

      Then, let them know to expect more emails from you. And you do that in a very simple way... you tell them somewhere in your email about your next email to them.

      Something like: "I will be sending you another email tomorrow with some more information, see you then"

      There's no trickery needed, just flat out tell them you will be sending another email and when to expect it.
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