"Building Community and Increasing Email Open Rates: Key Skills Learned in 2021"

"Building Community and Increasing Email Open Rates: Key Skills Learned in 2021"

Building community and increasing email open rates are two important skills that I have learned in 2021. These skills may seem unrelated at first, but upon closer examination, there are common points that connect them naturally.

One of the key aspects of building a community is understanding your customer segment. This applies not only to online communities like Reddit, but also to email subscribers. When I joined Reddit, I quickly realized that the moderators were our most important customer segment. I decided to build Talk, our community platform, through community-led product development with our most trusted moderators. We had daily dialogues about the product, shared designs, and responded to feedback openly. By making time to build a customer community, they became an extension of our product team.

Similarly, when it comes to email open rates, understanding your subscribers is crucial. People want to know that the email is written for them and that it offers something valuable. Focusing on personal gain for the reader, rather than just promoting your product, can significantly increase open rates. Research has shown that framing the message to show what's in it for the recipient leads to higher engagement. In a study on solar adoption, it was found that people were twice as likely to adopt solar power when the message focused on personal gain rather than social responsibility.

Curiosity is another common thread in both building a community and increasing email open rates. People are naturally curious and want to satisfy their knowledge gaps. When building a community, kindling small fires of curiosity can help engage and empower members. Similarly, in email subject lines, catering to the different dimensions of curiosity can grab the reader's attention. Whether it's creating a knowledge gap, sparking fascination, or offering an adventure, curiosity can be a powerful tool.

In both community building and email marketing, personalization plays a crucial role. In community building, finding core contributors who care about the mission can make a significant impact. By showing gratitude, amplifying their contributions, and making them co-owners, you can foster a sense of ownership and dedication. In email marketing, personalization goes beyond adding a first name tag to the subject line. Specificity and clear outcomes can increase open rates. For example, subject lines with the word "now" have been found to perform well in terms of open rates.

Finally, both building a community and increasing email open rates require a commitment to continuous improvement. Onboarding new members and subscribers properly can make a big difference. Providing clear channels for newbies and guiding them through the community or email content can increase engagement. Additionally, focusing on activating core contributors or engaged subscribers, rather than just the number of members, can drive meaningful results. It's about finding competent individuals who care about the mission and supporting them in every way possible.

In conclusion, building community and increasing email open rates are key skills that I have learned in 2021. By finding common points between these two areas, such as understanding customer segments, fostering curiosity, personalization, and commitment to improvement, we can achieve better results. Here are three actionable advice based on these learnings:

1. Have a clear mission: Define your purpose and align your community or email content with it. People are more likely to engage when they feel connected to a meaningful mission.

2. Focus on activating core contributors or engaged subscribers: It's not about the quantity, but the quality. Find individuals who care about your mission and support them in their contributions. Show gratitude, amplify their efforts, and give them a sense of ownership.

3. Make onboarding a priority: Whether it's new community members or email subscribers, provide clear channels and guidance. Help them navigate through the content and make them feel welcomed and valued.

By incorporating these actionable advice, we can build thriving communities and increase email open rates, ultimately creating something great with our internet friends.