How to Get your Emails Opened and Read

In 2020, 306.4 billion emails were sent and received every single day. By the end of 2021, it’s predicted that there will be 4.6 billion worldwide email users. 

The email universe has a lot of traffic going through it, and the average email open rate in 2021 is just 16.97%. With the average office worker getting over 120 emails every day, it’s hardly surprising they don’t all get seen!

So, how can I make sure my emails get read?

It turns out there could be a bit of a science to fighting your way through the myriad of emails and making yours the chosen one. There have been lots of studies done on open rates and effective communication tactics. We have collated some of them to give you a higher chance of getting your message heard! Here goes…

Tuesday Mornings:

Studies have shown that after all the catch-up of Monday has settled down, mid-morning Tuesday is when a lot of people find the time to look at individual tasks and emails. 10AM shows the highest open rates across most of these studies. Thursday onwards and your luck might run out.

Subject Lines:

Personalising your subject line could give your email a 17% better chance of being read. But remember, in the mobile age we’re living in, there’s a high chance your email will be received on a mobile, so keep it short. What could be even more effective, if possible, would be to put the whole message as the subject, that way your recipient doesn’t even need to open it!

Short and Sweet:

If you can’t put your message as the subject, make sure the content of your email is short, sweet and clear. The sooner you get to the point, the quicker your needs will be addressed.

Extra Tip: Avoid the word “just” – it downplays the importance of what you’re saying.

Emojis:

Research suggests that emails are generally interpreted more negatively than they’re intended. This is down to the lack of face to face interaction. This poses the question: should we use more emojis in email?

Well, they are effective when it comes to conveying emotion, but they can sometimes have the opposite effect. Smiling in real life is interpreted as positive and competent, but it’s been shown that emoji’s could give the impression of less competency.

With emoji’s, we’d say it’s all down to who you’re emailing and your relationship with them. Tread carefully.

Culture:

Email etiquette varies in different countries and cultures. So if you’re emailing internationally – get up to speed on their communication preferences and err on the side of caution.

Keep it formal and be specific.

Email Charter:

If you want to implement some rules around your office, then the Email Charter could be a handy tool. Offering tips on how to cut down on emails and make everybody’s lives easier, it’s a good rule book to go by.

If you’d like to see it, click here.

LimeGreen Marketing can provide consultancy for your marketing communications and develop effective strategies, if you want to inject some fresh thinking into your brand, click here.

Source: BBC