A Few Reasons I Delete Emails Without Opening Them
Thursday, April 8th, 2010Every day, I get emails from companies I’ve done business with in the past or businesses whose email lists I signed up on for one reason or another. And every day, I end up deleting a number of these emails without ever opening them and reading a word of what’s inside.
Today, I asked myself “Why do I delete so many emails without opening them?” As I sat back and thought of the answer, a few reasons came to mind. I thought I’d share them with you as these are things you should be aware of when emailing your customers. By understanding these reasons and avoiding common mistakes, you can increase your email open rates and get a higher ROI on your email marketing campaign.
- The company emails too often—There are some companies that send me emails literally every single day. Every day, there’s a new sale. This sale is bigger than the last, and I have to act now if I want to get a good deal. Needless to say, after a few days of being on this email list, I stopped opening any of the messages. They were all the same, and no sale seemed any better or different from all the other ones. Don’t be a pest by emailing your subscribers too often. You’ll annoy them, and they’ll stop reading your messages.
- The subject line doesn’t offer a reason to open it—My inbox is constantly working. I get a lot of emails, so if you want me to pay attention to your marketing, you’d better have a strong subject line that grabs my attention and reels me in. Check out these 5 tips for improving your email subject lines.
- I’m too busy to read it—It seems like a lot of companies send me emails during the middle of the work day when I’m at my very busiest. If I’m in the middle of working and answering work-related emails, the chances of me stopping to read an email about a sale on shoes is pretty slim. And it looks like I’m not alone. According to these statistics, emails sent on the weekends and at 8:00AM during the week have the highest open rates. You have to get to your subscribers before they get caught up in their busy days.
- It’s from a company I don’t recognize—Gmail does a pretty good job of separating spam, but occasionally, I’ll still get emails from companies I know I didn’t sign up for. Never spam people. It’s a surefire way to kill your email marketing campaign. Instead, follow these email marketing best practice rules.
What are some of the reasons you don’t open emails? Share your experiences. It could help others create more effective email marketing campaigns.
