Despite problems tracking open rates, I have seen my customers increase (almost across the board) their open rates and click-throughs by implementing a few time-tested techniques that are simple and require little effort to put into practice.

1. The “From” address. Use a “From” address that is familiar to your subscribers. It is best to use your company name or the name of a specific person in your firm. Once you have chosen a “From” address, stick with it. Change is not always a good thing, because once people have added your “From” address to their address books, it is difficult to get them to change it.
2. Your “Subject” lines. Use a “Subject” line that is short and of potential interest to your readers. Not sure what type of “Subject” lines to use? Then review your reports to see the titles of the articles that are most popular. Use similar titles as the basis for the “Subject” line of your next mailing. According to MarketingSherpa’s E-mail Marketing Benchmark Guide, data suggests that a “short and direct subject line” works best, providing a higher click through rate than longer ones. But don’t take our word for it. Test long vs. short “Subject” lines and see for yourself the difference a little brevity can make.
3. Watch your body text. The MarketingSherpa Guide also talks about how certain phrases within the body of e-mails can affect the delivery of e-mails. When you write content, be sure to stay away from language that can trigger SPAM filters. For example, “order today” doesn’t affect delivery, while “money back” does. In almost all instances, because of the nature of professional service firms, you won’t run into many problems here. However, it is still a good idea to save some of the SPAM you get and analyze it so you learn to stay away from the use of terms like “FREE” or “Make Money from Home.”
4. Best delivery days. Any firm that would say, this or that day is the best day for you to send out your e-mail or e-Newsletter, most likely doesn’t know what they are talking about. Of course, there are “best practices,” but the best delivery date for your e-Newsletter should be determined by your audience. I recommend that you test time of day, instead of the day of the week. Industry research indicates that most messages are sent between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., making them “that much more invisible.” Therefore, I would recommend testing time frames of 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. If most other business-to-business marketers are sending their messages during the same timeframe on any given day, it would benefit you to send at another time.
5. HTML vs. Text. I believe HTML e-mail is still the best way to communicate. Pictures and compelling design are important factors in both open and read rates. In the coming weeks, I’ll be doing some internal research at my firm related to HTML vs. text and if my assumptions are off, I’ll let you know.

These basic techniques will help you continue to increase your open and click through rates. Finally, if you have a technique that you have found works for you, please let us know via e-mail. I are always interested in new ideas.