We understand that it can be disappointing when you spent a lot of time trying to craft the perfect email campaign only for it to go unread or worse — in spam. Did you know that the average email open rate is only 21.33%? Our team put together a few tips to help increase your email open rate. 

Follow CAN-SPAM rules.

Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing is an act that came into effect in 2003 that gives recipients the right to stop businesses from emailing them. To comply, you should include your physical work address, a visible opt-out button, and use clear “to” and “from” language. 

Make sure that your opt-in process complies with GDPR.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is a law that was enacted across the European Union in May 2018 to protect internet users’ personal data better. The United States and other countries around the world have created similar laws to enforce data protection as well. Unlike in the past, when an email opt-in box could be prechecked, GDPR prohibits that. So, when presenting your audience with an opt-in, you should make sure that it provides them with the option to opt-in. 

Send your emails from a real person and not your generic company email. 

Recipients typically trust a personalized sender email address compared to a generic email. 

Write clear subject lines. 

Your subject line should be understandable, be fewer than 50 characters, and should have a call-to-action. You should also try to avoid spam trigger words such as “save.”

Keep your emails concise. 

It’s best to keep your emails short and compelling. 

Include only one call-to-action button per email.

You should only include one call to action as you don’t want to confuse your audience. 

Hyperlink images on your email.

This is a great way to increase your click-through rate without having too many text links on the email. Aesthetically, this is more pleasing, and it will further entice your readers to download that ebook, register for that webinar, etc. 

Add alt text to all of your images. 

In a lot of cases, email images won’t load until the receiver clicks a button that shows them their default settings. However, adding alt text to the images helps show the reader what they will be receiving. We also suggest making your alt text a call to action. 

Add social sharing buttons.

This will increase the likelihood that your content will be shared on social media. Also, if you want to increase clicks, we recommend adding sharing buttons and not follow buttons. 

Monitor your email’s performance and make adjustments moving forward.

Crafting the perfect email is like cooking your favorite recipe — you get better with time. Your first email may not be your best, but as you begin to study what went well and what went wrong, you will be able to see areas that you can grow and improve. These minor edits will make your email that much more robust and will increase your amount of clicks and opens. 

Email marketing is a useful tool if used correctly and if it is given the right about of attention.