Today, our email messages are invaded by commercial solicitations and it is not uncommon to skim over their content in search of what really interests us. The opening rates of your e-mails are therefore increasingly affected.
Yet, with the proliferation of social networks and instant messaging, email remains a safe way to stay in touch.
So these are our best tips for improving their visibility!
1. Get the timing right
According to this study published by SendInBlue, for associations, the best days to send your e-mail would still be Tuesday and Wednesday. Therefore, give preference to this day as well as to the 3pm-4pm time slot, which seems to be more successful.
Also keep an eye on the news to be able to rebound on it, as well as the famous “chestnuts” prized by journalists, to which you can make reference while remaining subtle.
2. Gardez des objets d’e-mails courts
Objects that are too long will be cut off by email clients, especially on cell phones, which now represent more than 3/4 of the consultation media.
Take care to put the main information at the beginning of the title and as far as possible to keep the title around 40-50 characters.
3. Grab the attention…
The title of your e-mail does not always have to reflect the entirety of its content. You can arouse curiosity, give your message a sense of urgency, use humor or even pique the recipient’s pride to get them to open your e-mail.
Examples:
- “Here’s why…”
- “You are not alone”
- “Ready for the challenge?”
- “Last places – Don’t miss out…”
4. …without making false promises!
Be careful not to overdo it and abuse these techniques so as not to bore your audience. Also, don’t let your members miss out on information that could be of interest to them. Sometimes, a very “boring” subject line at first glance can get record opening rates, thanks to its simplicity or timing. If in the past your newsletters have had a high open rate despite a very simple subject line, there is no need to change it if your members are interested in the content.
Examples :
- “… Alumni wishes you a happy holiday season!”
- “Looking back on the 3rd forum of…”
- “Newsletter February 2019”
5. Choose your words and numbers
Don’t be afraid to overuse numbers in email subject lines, with “10”, “5”, “15” and “7” resulting in more opens according to this study..
Use action verbs that will give more dynamism to your communications and encourage your members to know more.
Avoid as much as possible “spam words” such as “Promotion”,”Free” ou “Urgent” where you will quickly find yourself in the spam list of your members.
6. Personalize your emails
Netanswer allows you to use dynamic data in your communications, take advantage of it by integrating for example the first name of your members directly in the subject of your email.
For a more personal relationship, depending on the reason for your communication, you can also use the e-mail of a physical person “claire@netanswer.fr” rather than a standard e-mail such as contact@…
7. Thank your audience, make them feel special
Let’s take for example the newsletter sent by our AniENIT customers:
AniENIT, which recently hired NetAnswer to redesign its website, shares its results and takes the opportunity to thank its most active members.
This is a good example of communication, without lies or manipulation but with gratitude which shows AniENIT’s recognition and allows them to maintain a special link with the network.
Of course, we are getting into the content of the mail here, but if this intention is written in the subject line of the mail, it will have all the more chance to be opened.
8. Bring your help
In his book “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” Gary Vaynerchuk, an American entrepreneur and expert in communication and marketing, explains that to get what you want from your audience, you must first provide value. The jabs represent what you bring little by little and the right hook represents the solicitation of the target audience. So don’t hesitate to communicate about everything you do for the network and share your tips and advice, before asking for help in return from your members.
9. Pre-header
Netanswer allows you to display a text after your email subject. As it is preferable to keep the subject line as short as possible, you can nevertheless provide more details about the content of your mail in this appropriate space.
10. Test it!
Communication is not an exact science, and if our advices can be useful, you will have to test what attracts your members the most, learn to renew, play on the current events, see which days and times are the most favourable to openings and clicks…
Netanswer offers you the possibility to analyze all these data, take advantage of it to draw your own conclusions and add your personal touch to your communication, your members will be more receptive!
In conclusion
To conclude, let’s take a concrete example: as the new year approaches, you may want to remind your members to contribute for the year 2019.
Following these previous tips we can then title:
5 resolutions we kept in 2018.
(And if you kept more, you can bump it up to 7 or 10!)
This will lead your members to see all the actions you took this year and make it easier for them to support you for the coming year. At the end of your email, you can add a one-click membership link to encourage members to renew their commitment. (Feel free to check out our “2 min to…” on the subject in your admin area).
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