Email marketing can produce substantial results, helping to increase sales and spread the word about new product launches. Building an email list is an essential task for all businesses and marketers, as it provides instant access to people who have already shown an interest in your products and services. However, many people delete marketing emails without ever opening them, so you need to work hard to ensure that members of your email list will open and read your messages. Here are five ways to improve the open rate for your email marketing campaign.

Create an Irresistible Subject Line

The subject line of your email is the single most important factor in determining whether or not your message will be opened. Creating an irresistible subject that compels your list members to click through and find out more should be your first goal. Consider the types of questions, statements and instructions that will appeal to your audience and use strong verbs that encourage the reader to take urgent action. Keep your subject line short, ideally around 40-50 characters, as tablets and mobile devices have small screens that may not display the full subject.

Avoid the Spam Filter

Spam filters are designed to block unsolicited marketing emails and other types or undesirable content. One of the ways in which spam filters achieve this is by blocking emails that contain certain trigger words. These trigger words vary from one email provider to another, but words like cash, loan and quote are common triggers that will send your messages straight to the spam folder. Choose your words carefully and consider how spam filters may interpret your subject lines.

Use Real Names

Emails that appear to come from real people, rather than sales or marketing departments, have a higher open rate, as they offer a more personal touch. Build relationships with members of your email list by sending your messages from accounts that use real names in the email address. Similarly, using the recipient’s name in the subject line of your email can be an effective way to encourage them to open and read your message.

Set the Preview

Many email users set their accounts to show a preview of each email, which enables them to judge whether or not to open the message. You can boost your open rate by setting the preview to display a specific message to recipients using the preview feature. Create a concise message that tells the recipient about the benefits of opening your message and what they can hope to gain by reading your email.

Test and Experiment With Subject Lines

Testing a variety of different subject lines enables you to analyze the results and determine the best strategy to reach your target audience. Experiment with different keywords, verbs and language. Try posing questions, making bold statements and using other techniques to see which work best.

Email marketing campaigns can be a simple and effective way to increase sales and promote new products. However, if your intended audience fails to open your message, your email marketing efforts will be useless. Creating irresistible subject lines, avoiding the spam filter, using real names, setting the preview and testing your messages are essential elements to help improve the open rate for your emails.