How to Improve Your Email Open Rates

Crafting a jaw-dropping email campaign is great—but if nobody’s opening it, it’s like teaching a fish to walk. Pointless. The intent of email marketing is to get those messages in front of your audience, but how do you make sure your email doesn’t get buried under a mountain of unread messages or trashed immediately?

Here are our tips on how to improve email open rates, get more eyes reading your emails, and, ultimately, drive results that skyrocket.

The Power of a Killer Subject Line

Let’s face it: your email’s subject line is the make-or-break moment. A whopping 47% of users decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone. If you want to know how to increase your open rate in email marketing, start by getting that subject line right—one that demands attention.

Be Clear, Be Punchy, Be Real

There’s no time to dance around the subject. Short, snappy, and curiosity-driven subject lines work wonders, but only if they don’t confuse your reader. Want to stand out? Create urgency, make them laugh, or get them wondering. And remember, personalisation can make all the difference. Adding your reader’s name to the subject line or hinting at a topic they’re interested in can be an instant hook.

Curiosity. Relevance. And a reason to click. That’s how you nail it. And if you’re stuck between two subject lines? Run an A/B test to see which one gets more emails opened—let the numbers decide.

Our pro tip? Partner with an email marketing agency in Australia that walks the walk, not just talks the talk. Our elite team can help you master those subject lines, ensuring they align with your email marketing campaign objectives and reel results in.

Make It Personal, Not Corporate

Getting an email with a bot-like sender name is pretty much equivalent to getting spam calls—we don’t like them, and neither do our audience.

A human-to-human approach is all in the details. With a 50% improvement in open rates when emails come from a real name, it’s definitely time to ditch anything robotic. Chuck ‘[email protected]’ aside and opt for something more personal like ‘Nick from First Page.’

By using a real name, especially one that links to a real person, you’re building trust. Your customers will probably click on an email that feels more like a conversation than a sales pitch. You could also experiment with different names to find one your audience feels connected to. Plus, it’s also a stellar way to get the names of your core team members out there!

Keep It Fresh: Scrub Those Inactive Subscribers

When was the last time you cleaned your email list? If you’re thinking never, then it’s time. An outdated list full of inactive subscribers hurts your open rates and overall strategy.

Before cutting them off, send a final ‘We miss you’ email as part of a re-engagement campaign. Offer something irresistible, like a discount or freebie. But don’t let that stop you from thinking out of the box. Accessible resources, custom selections or even an exclusive peek into your latest collection could keep them on your list. At times, all give and no take frames your brand as one that cares for their customers, building that loyalty rapport.

However, if you have a list that isn’t clicking and with zero engagement in the past six months, it’s time to part ways. Remove any inactives and keep a lean, mean list of subscribers who actually care about your content. It’ll also help improve deliverability and reduce spam complaints, boosting your sender reputation.

Right Message, Right Audience

One-size-fits-all email marketing? That’s so 2000s. If you want to know how to increase your email open rate, the answer is in segmentation. You can do this by:

• Behaviour: Separate your audience based on their actions—did they download an eBook or buy a product? Are they first-time buyers or loyal customers? Tailor your message after finding the answers to these questions.
• Interests: Use what you know about your subscribers to send them targeted content they care about. As much as we want to draw in new customers, keep an eye on highly-engaged ones too.
• Location or Time Zone: Timing can significantly impact when someone opens an email. The more targeted and relevant your emails are, the more likely subscribers will engage.
• Stage in the Funnel: Tested, tried and true. Your sales funnel position tells you a lot about the person your brand is speaking to. A lead at the awareness stage needs different messaging than someone who’s about to purchase.

Get personal, get relevant, and watch those open rates soar. And if you need experts to ride the segmentation wave, First Page Digital has all the moves.

Avoid the Spam Trap

Even the best emails won’t do any good if they end up in the spam folder, and we don’t want that. Avoid getting flagged as spam and be invited to their inbox by following these simple rules:

1. Don’t Be an Inbox Intruder: Only email people who’ve actually opted in.
2. Send from a Trusted IP Address: Use a reliable IP that hasn’t been flagged for spam in the past. A good reputation goes a long way.
3. Keep the HTML Clean: Messy code can look like spam to filters.
4. Guide Subscribers to Whitelist You: Ask them to add you to their address book or whitelist your emails so you don’t end up in the junk pile with the 2167 unopened and unread emails.
5. Use a Clear Sender Name: A trustworthy sender name boosts open rates and keeps you out of spam folders.
6. Stay Honest with Subject Lines: If your readers get a whiff of clickbait, you’re asking for a kick straight to the spam folder.
7. Provide a Clear Opt-Out: Just as easy as it is to opt in, it should be just as simple to opt out.

By sticking to these tips, your emails have a much better chance of reaching the prime spot—in your subscriber’s inbox, ready to be opened.

Timing is Everything: Perfect Your Send Time

Another ingredient in our secret sauce for improving email open rates is timing. There might not be a universal ‘perfect time’ to send an email, but knowing your audience’s little quirks could do the trick. And don’t forget to test to see what works best.

For most, weekdays see better open rates than weekends with most email checks during mid-mornings and mid-afternoons (think coffee and lunch breaks).

Still not sure? Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and think about their daily routine.

• Are they checking emails while grabbing a morning toastie?
• Would they be doomscrolling on their commute to work?
• Would a ping at 2 pm help with their post-lunch food coma?
• Are they late-night owls with their screens as their only light source until sunrise?
• Will a schedule based on time zones work better if you have a global audience?

Match your send time with their habits and watch your engagement rates reach new levels.

Write Content They Can’t Resist

Okay, so you got them to open the email. What’s next?

Your content has to deliver.

If they love what they see inside, they’re more likely to open future emails from you. Each message should serve a clear purpose and provide value to your subscribers. Write emails people want to read, and you’re set. Here are some tips from your local expert:

• Call Out Pain Points: At the end of the day, your product or service is there to make your audience’s life easier or better. So, position what you’re offering as the solution.
• Keep It Short and Sweet: Not everyone is a fan of long prose or academic content, and that’s all good! Say goodbye to long, endless paragraphs. Instead, use bullet points, concise paragraphs, and clear CTAs.
• Provide Value: Whether it’s tips, discounts, or updates, make sure every email has something worth the click and doesn’t end with a sigh of, ‘What a waste of time.’
• Inject Personality: Write like a human. Keep the tone conversational, friendly, and authentic. Tell a story, joke around or share relatable content—personal touches make your brand memorable.

Not only is compelling content the golden ticket to increasing your email open rates, but it also boosts those CTRs and keeps your audience coming back for more.

Optimise for on-the-Go Users

How often have you seen a ‘sent from my iPhone’ signature? Probably heaps. That’s why brands can’t afford to ignore mobile users. With 55% of emails opened on mobile devices, you’re potentially losing more than half your audience when your emails aren’t built for pocket-sized screens.

To make sure your emails are mobile-ready, keep your subject line short so it fits on smaller screens. Your layouts should be simple—a single-column design works wonders for readability. Use larger buttons to make CTAs easy to tap with a thumb. Simple is best rings true here.

Step Up Your Email Marketing & Max Up Your Open Rates

Figuring out how to increase your email open rate isn’t a single magic trick but a combination of strategies. Crafting a subject line that captures, segmenting your list, and sending it at the right times are all tactics that add up. If you’re ready to see a real jump in your email metrics, it might be time to call the experts.

At First Page, we’re ready to crush your email marketing goals, from content that converts to emails that are not only opened but drive action. Get in touch with our gun team today.