You spent ages writing that email. You stressed over the wording, made it look pretty, and finally hit send only to check back a day later and find a 1.4% open rate. Before you swear off email marketing forever, let’s have a look at what might be going wrong.

Email marketing is still one of the highest-returning channels out there. But, that doesn’t mean people will automatically open your emails just because they’ve landed in their inbox. You’ve got a couple of seconds to make them care.

Sort out your subject line

I cannot stress this enough!! A crappy subject line is the biggest reason emails get ignored. “March Newsletter” is not going to cut it. Your subject line needs to spark curiosity, promise value, or feel personal. Try different approaches, pose a question, make a bold statement or be a bit of cheeky (but not this new phase of crass, click bait-y titles) to see what your audience respond best to.

Enough with the me, me, me

Nobody subscribes to your email list because they want to hear about how fantastic your company is. They subscribed because they wanted something useful, be that top tips, helpful insights, offers (usually these) or just a good read. Flip the focus. Instead of “We’re excited to announce our new service,” try “Here’s how to [XYZ problem] in five minutes.”

Clean your list

A big list with rubbish engagement is worse for your deliverability than a small, active one. If people haven’t opened your emails in six months, try a re-engagement campaign. If they still don’t bite, remove go and move on.

Quick wins to try right now

• A/B test your subject lines. Even a small change can make a big difference.
• Personalise beyond just using the recipient’s first name and definitely avoid Dear First Name mistakes
• Make sure your emails look great on mobile as most people will read them on their phone.
• Send at the right time. Tuesday and Thursday mornings tend to perform well, but test it for your audience.
• Have one clear call to action. Not five. One.

Email marketing isn’t dead, it’s just got a bit picky. Give it the attention it deserves and it will deliver.