Checklist for Getting Your Emails Opened and Read

So, with that in mind, let’s look at this checklist for getting your emails opened and read.

Are you using a reliable, reputable email service provider/autoresponder?

First step is to be sure you’re using an email service provider (ESP) that makes deliverability a top priority, and they have features such as responsive templates, testing and tracking, and segmentation.

Examples include Aweber, GetResponse, ConvertKit and similar.

Do you have a recognizable “from” field?

If your audience doesn’t recognize your email, they won’t open it. Be sure your “from” field uses your name or your branded company name, whatever your audience is most likely to recognize.

Did you create an enticing subject line?

A relevant, benefit-driven subject line will help you boost your open rate.

Examples:

• Last chance: 50% off your favourite product!
• Are you making these costly email mistakes?
• Who else wants a better golf score?

Is the subject line short?

Many email clients truncate your subject line, and some do it at around 60-65 characters. As such, make sure your subject line is short (or at least the most compelling and important information is in those first 60 characters).

Did you create a compelling email preview?

Many email clients let recipients preview the first line or two of an email without opening the email. As such, be sure your first line or two grab attention. For example, you can elaborate on the benefits from your subject line, ask an intriguing question, start telling a story and similar.

E.G., “I never thought my business would make $53,362 in a single day…”

(See how that works? That sort of preview is bound to get attention.)

Do you stay in touch with your list regularly?

To build a good relationship with readers (which in turn gets them opening and reading your emails), you need to contact them regularly. Commit to sending an email once per week. You can do this using your autoresponder if you don’t want to be tied to your computer sending emails out each week.

Is your autoresponder content evergreen?

Creating evergreen content means that the content is just as relevant and useful today as it will be one year from now. It also means that your content doesn’t include any references that will date the content.

Here are example phrases that can date the content:

• Christmas is just around the corner…
• Now that the Olympics are over…
• I’m so glad winter is almost done…
• Here’s a brand-new product…
• Time to get your beach-body ready…
• Tomorrow…
• Last year when [some event happened]…

Be sure to also promote evergreen products in your autoresponder messages (not fad products).

NOTE: None of this applies to emails that you’re live broadcasting. However, if you take a live broadcast and upload it to your autoresponder, be sure to tweak it first to make it evergreen.

Do you consistently provide high-quality content?

Don’t rush out an email with subpar content just because you owe your list an email. Instead, be sure everything you publish is well-written, engaging, useful to your audience and something they really want.

NOTE: do your market research to find out what your audience wants, and then do tracking and testing to see what sort of content they respond to the best.

Be sure to also include FRESH content, such as unique tips, tools, case studies, strategies, or other information that your audience hasn’t seen before. If you consistently provide something fresh in each email – even if it’s just one tip – you can bet your audience is going to keep opening all your emails.

Do you recommend high-quality offers?

To maintain your audience’s trust, don’t ever recommend a product that you wouldn’t recommend to your best friend. Point is, put your audience’s needs first, and your needs (such as commissions and profits) second. Over the long term, developing a great reputation is more profitable than any short-term gains you get from promoting a subpar offer.

Did you segment your list?

When you segment your list, you can send out highly targeted ads and offers, which in turn boosts conversions.

For example, you can segment your buyer’s list according to the product or products the subscriber purchased. Then when you send out an offer for a specific product, you can exclude people who’ve already purchased it.

Do you send out serial emails?

If you’re promoting something, an email series will get you a better conversion than a single email. Plan on sending three to five emails per product you promote.

Do you test and track your email campaigns?

A good way to boost conversions is to figure out what sort of email subject lines, offers, calls to action and so on your list responds to the best. Many major ESPs have built-in testing tools to make testing and tracking easy.

Do you send follow up emails (based on opens)?

Some ESPs let you track whether someone opened an email or clicked on the link inside, and then you can have some specific action performed depending on what the person did. For example, you can send a follow-up email with a coupon code to everyone who opened a promo but didn’t click the link/purchase the offer.

Do you interact with your audience?

While your mailing list is typically a one-way conversation, you can help build relationships by interacting with this audience.
For example, you might encourage subscribers to join a conversation on your blog or social media pages.

I hope you found value in this Checklist for Getting Your Emails Opened and Read. Now you have a proven checklist to help you get your marketing emails opened and read.

If you’d like some additional help with your email marketing, then be sure to take a look at: Email Marketing Action Plan.

To Your Success!