How to get a 63.6% open rate

The feeling was fantastic, but I fear I’ll now be disappointed with my EDM results for the rest of my career. So, here’s what I’m going to do to try and replicate my results:

1. Put yourself in the shoes of the recipient: Know your database - who are they, what does their day and week look like, what do they want to hear from you? Understanding these things will help you identify the best time to send out the EDM and help you write a subject line that will intrigue them.

2. Carefully craft your subject line: This is what determines whether you get an open or not, so it shouldn’t be rushed over. Entice curiosity and be original, but don’t elude to what the EDM is about completely. 

3. Segment your database: It is important not to send the same message to everyone. Your business can bring value to different people in different ways. Think about what you do that appeals to different groups, then create content around that and send it to the right people. 

4. Work with your data: Always seek to understand what was received well in your EDM content by looking at the link clicks. If your recipients mainly clicked on job opportunities, send another EDM focused on that. In your analytics, you are given valuable insights and lists based on what people click. When you have a list of contacts who clicked on a certain product, send that list an EDM about that specific product with more valuable, tailored information.

5. Mix it up: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. If your EDMs aren’t getting the desired response, don’t keep doing the same thing. You need to think about what can change to improve, or you’ll be wasting your time.

6. Ask for help: As much as we like to feel confident in our ability and work autonomously, it can be worthwhile to ask for guidance occasionally. I am lucky enough to have the guidance of Mellissah Smith and Christina Kortesis, who have over 45 years’ marketing experience between them and certainly know how to nail an email campaign. So, I reached out to them about how I could make sure we got fantastic results, and it payed off.

 
So, if you’re sick of ending up straight in the deleted folder or getting unsubscribes, it’s time to do something about it.