Are you so over trying to figure out how to get more people to read your emails?

The excitement of AOL’s iconic “You’ve Got Mail” notification is long past us, my friends. Most of what hits your clients’ inboxes on a daily basis is classified as first-glance garbage that doesn’t even get opened. If you want to get more people to read your emails, you have to be intentional. The hips don’t lie on this one… only 20% of product based/retail emails {like the ones that come from you & I} get opened. And? A staggering 3.2% of people actually click through.

Let’s do the math.  This means that if you have 50 subscribers on your list, that basically means one person is going to click through and one person is going to click when they are half-asleep and never actually read your sales page.

Now before, you throw in the towel on email marketing, there are a few things you can do to get more people to read your emails. Know this first and foremost: just because people don’t read your emails 100% of the time or even 25% of the time, you don’t suck. Repeat after me, you. do not. suck. Let’s all breathe deep and go over what’s good.

Five easy ways to get more people to read your emails:

1. Use a Sexy Subject Line

Here’s where you want to add the flare, friends! If you want to get more people to read your emails, start with the subject line. Your viewers get, on average, 50-100 emails every single freaking day.  Getting them to actually read yours starts by standing out from the crowd!

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Your subject line should be provocative {not dirty} but enough that your reader goes, “Oh, wait, what’s that?” You should consider using the merge tag feature in your email program to personalize the subject line and grab attention.

Pro tip: some of the MOST opened emails contain an “oopsie” subject line. It’s true. Try sending an email with a subject line that says: “I messed up.” or “My bad.” or “I was wrong.”  This is just one long semester of Psych 101 at work, my dears.

2. Use Graphics {with caution}

I know this is going to hurt your creative heart a little, but emails that are loaded down with graphics are basically spam filter magnets. Now you’re probably thinking: “But Cyrissa, you use them!” I do, but I do so with caution. I’m a very visual person at heart. It’s part of who I am and deeply ingrained in my brand. It wouldn’t be me, without sparkles, pink, Starbucks, and unicorns. Right?

So, my advice to you here… be very intentional with your graphics; use them wisely; make them count; and don’t overdo it. Just because you can, does NOT mean you should!  Wanna see if I’m full of crap or just can’t stay away from the graphics {oh, how I get you, sweet sparkle}?  You can always split test your emails and see if going without {or just a few} graphics makes a difference in your open-rate.

3. Look like the professional you are, with a custom domain

If you’re currently using freebie email {ex: yourphotobusinessname@gmail.com} the spam filters will cut you! Real-life spammers rarely to go the trouble of using domain-based email. As a result, free accounts are sucked into spam filtered more often than those from domain-based email. Setting up your custom domain is so simple and will cost about $5/mo using G Suite for business. You may also opt to use Email365 through GoDaddy or another provider – also simple set-ups! It’s worth this small investment and PS. it will make you look more professional across the internet.

4. Just say no to spammy words

You’ve taken the time to create a glorious opt-in that your clients are excited about, you write some fabulous emails, and then…. nothing.  Your clients never receive, let alone open, your emails!  Your email server is telling you the email was sent… so what gives?!

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These spam filters are so smart you guys! Take extreme caution when using words like – lonely, enlarge, increase, free, etc. If a word or phrase can be taken out of context to make you feel icky…it probably makes the spam filters feel icky, too. Here’s an extensive list of trigger words that may cause the filters to suck down your email faster than Unicorn Frap from Starbucks. Don’t overthink this one, but do be educated and cautious as you write.

5. Use long and clean links

No fun-size links for your readers! We all love bit.ly links and other shortened links, however, so do spam filters and sleazy crooks of the universe. Often times, the real true bad guys of the internet cloak fifth with shortened links to get you in the door. Spam filters are programmed to detect this and will send you straight to spam.

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

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So, the moral of the story is, use the whole link. And, while we’re talking about links… never ever in eleventy-billion years do you hide the link to unsubscribe. Seriously, bad jujus. Not only is it a jerk move, but it’s also illegal.  So there’s that.  Just don’t do it.

And, one final thought…

At the end of the day, remember to make your email personal; make it fun, and for goodness sakes make it count! If you’re going to spend the time, make it worth your time. Speaking of emails, isn’t it annoying when people send you a one-liner asking “what are your prices?” Feel free to steal my response to the question that never stops.

Also, you may have heard that your email list is everything when it comes to your photography business {and it is}. I want to show you why, how, and save you time as you rock your business with an email list that means business. Join us for my Sparkle Mail workshop and I’ll show you how to use email marketing to work less and book more clients at the same time.  True story.  Curious?  Come check it out!