Key Findings From The 2018 Best Digital Marketers in Ecommerce Report: After all the effort you put into writing, designing, testing, and optimizing your emails, there’s still no guarantee they’ll be opened. Email marketing is part art, and part science. There are a lot of aspects and variables to consider when going for the all-important “open”. Here are a few of our favourite ways to boost open rates on emails:

Include Emojis in the Subject Line

Bring some much-needed colour into the inbox, by using emojis in your subject line. Eye-catching and playful, emojis are a good way to stand out in a sea of black and white text. But don’t go overboard—one or two, depending on the context, are all you need to pique subscriber interest in your emails.

Make Effective Use of Preview Text

Sometimes called the “second subject line”, preview text is the second line of text subscribers will read—and your second chance to attract opens. People often read preview text looking for context, which means if it’s not enticing or interesting, your email will remain unopened.

If you’re looking for inspiration on how best to leverage preview text, think wit and urgency. By either making them laugh, or making them worry they might miss out, you leave subscribers wanting more—and wanting to open your email.

Test, Test, Test

There’s no better way to improve your open rates than by testing different options against each other. Not only will you be able to experiment with different subject lines and preview texts, but you’ll also be able to concretely prove what works (and what doesn’t), making planning future emails easier.

Since different audiences respond to emails differently, it’s best to test on a section of every segment. That way, you can ensure you’re sending the right version of every email to the right section of your subscriber base—for better open rates across emails and audiences.

For more effective email marketing tips, read the full Internet Retailer interview here.

For even more Internet Retailer, catch us in Chicago, June 5-8, at booths 507 & 629 at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition.

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