How to Increase Email Open Rates with H2H Subject Lines | Literal Humans

How to Increase Email Open Rates with H2H Subject Lines | Literal Humans

The average email open rate across industries is 19.66% in 2022. This may be because subscribers either don't want to hear from you or you're not framing your subject lines to show what's in it for them. It's important to remember that people don't care about you or your product, so focusing on yourself will only lose their interest.

In a study on solar adoption, researchers found that people were twice as likely to adopt solar power when the message focused on personal gain for the adopter rather than social responsibility. This highlights the importance of addressing what's in it for the reader.

Research shows that the brain releases dopamine, a feel-good chemical, as a reward for satisfying our curiosity. This means that using headlines that cater to at least one of the five dimensions of curiosity can increase email open rates. These dimensions include deprivation sensitivity, joyous exploration, social curiosity, stress tolerance, and thrill-seeking.

Triggered emails have been found to perform almost twice as well as newsletters in terms of open rates. This suggests that sending emails based on specific triggers or actions taken by the reader can grab their attention and increase the likelihood of them opening the email.

Personalization is often touted as a way to increase email open rates, but it's important to go beyond simply adding a first name tag to the subject line. In fact, a study by GetResponse found that open rates were actually lower when subject lines included this form of personalization. Instead, specificity in subject lines that sets an expectation and allows readers to picture a clear outcome can lead to higher open rates.

Considering that most people open emails on their mobile phones, it's crucial to keep subject lines short. While the average subject line is 44 characters long, mobile phones can only accommodate around 33 characters in the field of view. Keeping subject lines concise and to the point can make them more visually appealing and encourage opens.

Now, let's shift our focus to the concept of gaming and how it can make a better world. Games have the power to instill four important qualities in individuals: urgent optimism, social fabric, blissful productivity, and epic meaning.

Urgent optimism refers to the sense of immediate drive and motivation that gamers experience. In games, they constantly receive feedback and rewards, which is not something easily attainable in real life. By incorporating this sense of urgency and motivation into real-world problem-solving, we can tackle issues like hunger, poverty, climate change, and global conflict more effectively.

The social fabric is strengthened through gaming. When playing games together, gamers build bonds, trust, and cooperation. This leads to stronger social relationships and collaboration. Games provide a platform for people to connect and work together towards a common goal.

Blissful productivity is another quality that games cultivate. Gamers find joy and fulfillment in working hard within the game, often more so than in relaxation or leisure activities. This highlights the fact that humans are optimized for hard and meaningful work, and games tap into this aspect of our nature.

Lastly, gaming provides epic meaning. Gamers experience extraordinary outcomes that they never thought possible. This sense of achievement and realization of one's capabilities can be transformative. By harnessing this epic meaning in real life, individuals can be empowered to make a positive impact and strive for greatness.

To apply these insights to our everyday lives, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Focus on the reader: When crafting email subject lines, make sure to communicate what's in it for the reader. Address their needs, desires, or problems to pique their curiosity and make them want to open the email.

2. Use triggered emails: Instead of relying solely on newsletters, leverage triggered emails based on specific actions taken by the reader. This personalized approach can increase open rates and engagement.

3. Keep subject lines concise: With the majority of email opens happening on mobile devices, it's important to keep subject lines short and visually appealing. Stick to around 33 characters to ensure maximum impact.

In conclusion, increasing email open rates requires a human-to-human (H2H) approach. By focusing on the reader, utilizing triggered emails, and keeping subject lines concise, you can make your emails more enticing and boost open rates. Furthermore, incorporating elements from the gaming world, such as urgent optimism, social fabric, blissful productivity, and epic meaning, can inspire individuals to make a positive impact and strive for greatness in their everyday lives.