What do you consider a good open rate for an IM list?

I aim to keep mine at 80 - 90% otherwise I'm paying rent to house nothing.


Daniel

This. Exactly.

Constant testing and improving, appropriately setting and fulfilling/exceeding subscriber expectations, branding yourself, building relationships, establishing credibility, earning respect and using a reliable and consistent continuity-process are hard work.

But perhaps not quite as hard as the struggle to convince yourself that "a 15% open-rate is normal in this industry".

This is true.

At the end of the day you shouldn't compare your open rates with those of others -- It just doesn't matter.

But what does matter is results.

I consult with small businesses here in TX who are smart enough to use email (good for them), but they're dumb in the marketing department so they lack all signs of sales and marketing (Bad idea.)

So their open rates are through the roof -- but the emails produce very little results (the email doesn't lead to a sell.).

I on the other have what most would consider low open rates (even in niches outside of IM).

However, my click through rates would amaze many. And my conversions are very high.

The reason I see results like this is because I have a very unique way of marketing via email -- Essentially I do the exact opposite of what everybody says you should be doing.

Anybody can boast and rant about high open rates but its the results that matter.

My advice would be to focus increasing the rate in which your list responds to you.

If you aren't getting sells and making money then whats the point??:confused:

Look at yourself like the big muscle man in the gym in which all of the skinny guys desire to be like. All of the skinny guys look at you and say "wow, that guy clearly knows what he's doing. I want results like him. I'm going to go ask him to help me or give me some advice. And I'm willing to follow everything he says."

When you have that type of influence over people -- They respond to you and your message with excitement and eagerness.

Focus on results - once you master that you can focus on increasing your open rates.

Good luck.

-Antonio

From my list I am getting around 75%-77% every time and I think is good. People can't buy every time, so those who did not will buy next month.

On one of my lists my open rate is 100%. Mum always opens my emails :-)

This. Exactly.

Some are people who can themselves earn a living far more easily by selling "information" to the constant high turnover of beginning marketers than they ever could by putting into practice in their own businesses exactly the information/products they're now touting as "advice" to others.

Selling shovels is far easier than digging for gold - of course, I don't suggest there's necessarily or intrinsically anything wrong with that at all, but it also remains simply factual that many of the shovels, in this context, are riddled with massive holes and are being sold by people who couldn't profitably dig with them.

Rarely, if ever, have the words "caveat emptor" applied more appropriately than in the case of IM/MMO "niche information".