Why is your email open rate low? 4 possible reasons
Even if you know what constitutes a good email open rate, the real test comes when your rates drop. Many factors affect email open rates, such as invalid email addresses, emails going to spam, ineffective subject lines, and more.
Let's look at four possible reasons for low email open rates.
1. You have boring subject lines
Email subject lines are the lifeblood of your marketing campaign. If you have a bad subject line, you can't present your message to your audience.
Of course, you need good email copywriting skills too, but that's a different issue. First, we need to get people to open up so they can read.
A good email subject line arouses curiosity, creates excitement, or otherwise captures the reader's interest. For example, if you let people know there's a surprise inside—like a discount code—you're more likely to get good rewards for opening the email.
There are a few questions about email subject lines that you should ask yourself before sending them. Let's look at a few of them and their answers.
Should you personalize subject lines? Yes, if you have your subscribers' names, try using them in subject lines to increase open rates.
Is it okay to add emoticons? Yes, but only if they are relevant and tasteful. Make sure you don't offend your audience - or worse, confuse them.
Will a shorter subject line work better? In some cases, yes. Since many people open their emails on mobile devices, they see less of the subject line on their screens.
2. You're probably not segmenting your email list well enough
Email segmentation is crucial. I can't emphasize this enough.
Make sure you're sending emails to the right people at the right time. For example, you don't want to send employment database an email at the end of a journey to someone who's just encountered your brand for the first time.
You have too many inactive email subscribers
People become inactive for many reasons. Maybe they've already made a one-time purchase so they don't need to hear from you anymore. Maybe they've closed their email addresses or decided they're not interested in your products.
There's nothing wrong with either scenario. Regularly cleaning your email lists will remove inactive subscribers to ensure you're getting accurate metrics.