Want High Open Rates? Send Your First Issue
It’s a familiar syndrome in the e-mail newsletter business. The first issue pulls a great open rate. Then the second issue goes out and the opens are in the lower double digits. Does this mean you have a turkey on your hands?
No—it’s typical. But it does show that you have to build on that strong first impression. Here are some tips on sustaining good open rates from Todd Smart, the president of BeTuitive Marketing, from our recent Q&A with him.
E-Zine IQ:How do you increase open rates?
Smart: Initially, there are only two pieces of information people see: the subject line and the from-line. To increase open rates, the e-mail should be from an individual the recipient will recognize. And, the subject line should talk about a topic that you know (or that you’re hoping) the reader is interested in. We design the layout and content with the assumption that we get 4-6 seconds to engage readers, after they open the e-mail. That includes the logo, the tag line and three or four sentences. It all goes back to the strength of the relationship. If you have a strong relationship, your readers give you more time. If your relationship isn’t as strong, readers give you less time, and you have to get right to the point. Make the value clear to the reader in a concise way at the top. That includes using white space, because without white space, it’s hard for the eye to catch a headline and the first few sentences.
E-Zine IQ: What are the typical patterns you see in open rates?
Smart: The first issue of a newsletter will get a higher open rate and a higher click through than the second, third or fourth issue. We see high open rates in the first issue and then it drops off somewhat. With quality, content and execution, it gets better again. What that says to us is that it’s important to get your act together in the first issue. You must have a complete understanding of the outcome you’re trying to achieve and how you’re going to get there. The first issue must be top notch. You can’t take the attitude that it will get better with time. That first issue can make or break a long-term reader.
