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Optimize Your Open Rates

The success of your email campaigns depends on your open rates. If you don’t grab your subscriber’s attention from the inbox, your beautifully crafted, personalized and strategic emails won’t generate business.

According to the IBM Benchmark study, across all industries the average unique open rate for Non-Profits & Associations in 2019 was around 26%. We’ve compiled some tried-and-true methods to help you understand subject line best practices and optimize your open rates.

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Target the right emails & segments

No matter how well crafted your email is, subscribers will delete or ignore if the messaging is not relevant or interesting to them. Look at engagement history, preferences, and demographics to ensure the content you’re sending is relevant to your lists. Regularly clean inactive email addresses from your database.

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Optimize your timing

23% of email opens happen within an hour of delivery, while the opens drop dramatically as time goes on. Consider running tests on which day of week the most interaction happens and schedule accordingly.

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Familiar or personal “From” names

Make sure your From Name populates with an intentional value. This can either show your company name or, some research has shown better engagement on emails from an individual name, like an account rep. Send domains should also be configured with a branded and reputable IP

Subject Line & Preheader Best Practices Checklist

1Front load important info in the subject line

Depending on the inbox preview (device size, client, etc), some of the subject line may be hidden. Put the most important information first to ensure your message is relayed.

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2Leverage A/B testing to optimize subject lines

A/B test your subject lines, and pre-header text to gain an understanding of what resonates with your members and drives open rates. Maintain an A/B Test Summary Report to capture insights.

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3Keep it simple & concise (30-50 characters)

With subject lines, less is more. Challenge yourself to get the message across in the most impactful way using the minimal amount of words. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

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4Use action words & a sense of urgency

Call the reader to action with your subject line and preheader text. Research shows that including a sense of urgency or indicating a limited time to take action helps to increase opens.

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5Personalize with first name or relevant info

Personalization is a proven method of increasing open rates. Use clean data fields like first name, membership level, or geographic information to customize your subject lines & preheader text.

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6Present a clear value proposition

Your subject line and pre-header text should state the value of your email content clearly and concisely. Make it obvious as to what benefits they can receive from opening the email.

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7Use humor & surprise to entice opens

Help your email stand out in the inbox by including humor or surprise in your subject line or pre-header text. Stay engaging & interactive by testing this method with your members.

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8Develop a consistent brand, tone, & style

Through testing what resonates with your audience, begin to establish a brand voice and style in your email messages. Consistency improves deliverability and builds member trust.

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Download Printable Checklist

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