Have you looked at your e-newsletter open and click rates of late? If you’re anything like me, I can be a little obsessive compulsive about checking my stats – and those of my clients! You likely want to see your open and click rates increase, yes? For those who are wondering what industry averages look like in the health and fitness field, the average open rate, according to MailChimp, is 16%. The average click rate for this industry is 2%. How do your numbers compare?

Here are three considerations for blasting your e-blast numbers out of the park.

Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines  

Think about the last time you read a title, a headline or a header that made your head turn. For me, it was just this morning. I received an email from the Seattle Rep Theater, which contained the header, “Extension Alert! Tiny Beautiful Things Added Performances!”

Instant FOMO induced!

This is the first that I was hearing of this play, but the fact that this show had added performances “due to popular demand,” made me pay attention and click through to learn more about the show.  

A recent blog post by the CB Insights team, “The Money and Math Behind Our Newsletter Headlines,” suggests headline testing by attaching different e-blast subject headlines on the same newsletter to a small percentage of your recipients. After an hour, the one with the most opens wins, and you use that one for the rest of the recipients. That could be something you may wish to experiment with.  

Or, more simply, the writer suggests that doing the following results in more opens: 1) name-dropping brands if relevant, 2) add and element of surprise or controversy, 3) including a hint of negativity (I know, this one surprised me, too – tread carefully), and 4) keeping the title short and sweet. Questions posed in headlines do not fare as well.

Fewer Words, More Visuals

Fewer words and more visuals, my friends! Engaging lifestyle photos and lovely product shots speak for themselves. Consider this: 92% of consumers say that visuals are the top influential factor affecting a purchase decision. 92%! Present your product or service with its best face forward – display multiple product images, shoot your product both indoors and outdoors, show your product in use if relevant.

Use beautiful, arresting images from free photo sites; create your own designs using Canva. And be sure to include several images or graphics in your e-newsletters. The more, merrier! In fact, Salsify found that 73% of people wish to see three or more images when pondering a purchase.

Make Your Call to Action One They Can’t Refuse

While providing resources and educational content for your readers is thoughtful, it can also detract from space that can be better served by promoting your product or service. Think for a moment about the purpose of each and every e-newsletter that you send. What are you promoting?

Case in point, I craft newsletters for one particular client of mine, and many of our early e-newsletters were content and resource-heavy. As soon as we strategically switched to a promotional and sales mindset, open and click rates nearly doubled.  

Spend some time looking through your own inbox at the newsletters that you subscribe to. Which ones are your favorites and why? What are those particular companies doing well? Is their copy engaging and captivating? Do their lifestyle images make you want to join that tribe? And most importantly, which ones make you want to pull out your credit card and…buy?

What tactics are you employing to improve your newsletter open and click rates?