Marketer Jay Schwedelson argues that non-openers are distracted, not disinterested. He advises resending the same email within 48 hours but with a new, aggressive subject line that creates urgency (e.g., 'Yikes, you scrolled past this'). This gives the message a second chance to cut through the inbox noise.
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Using subject lines like "Verify your active status" can lift open rates by 27-31% for contacts who haven't engaged in over a year. While effective for reactivation, this slightly gimmicky approach will also annoy some users, leading to a higher-than-usual unsubscribe rate and negative replies, which requires 'thick skin'.
From Nov 20th to Dec 20th, sending a personal letter-style email from a founder or executive to unengaged contacts can increase open rates by 40%. The key is changing the "from name" to a person, not the brand, and using a subject line that acknowledges their absence. This strategy works for both B2B and B2C brands.
Be cautious with the "resend to unopens" feature. Tests show it often fails to meaningfully increase overall open rates. Worse, it can annoy subscribers and lead to spam complaints, especially since open-tracking pixels are not foolproof and may misidentify readers as non-openers.
Explicitly telling users what action to take in marketing copy taps into their subconscious willingness to follow instructions. Simple commands like 'open this,' 'save this post,' or 'screenshot this' prompt users to act, leading to measurable lifts in metrics like email opens and post saves on platforms like LinkedIn.
When a prospect doesn't respond, don't default to thinking they're ignoring you. Instead, assume they are extremely busy and your message was lost in the noise. This mindset encourages persistent, multi-channel follow-up rather than premature disqualification.
For subscribers who don't open an email, a simple and effective tactic is to resend the exact same content. The only change is tweaking the subject line and pre-header to capture their attention. Since they never saw the original content, it's still new to them and requires minimal effort to redeploy.
Switching from clear but safe subject lines (e.g., '3 ways to...') to provocative, curiosity-piquing ones dramatically improved open rates. The speaker notes that if a subject line feels slightly uncomfortable to send, it's probably a good sign.
During BFCM, consumer inboxes are flooded. To break through, brands should send multiple emails per day, including resends (e.g., 3 scheduled emails plus a resend for each). The incremental revenue gained from this high frequency justifies the potential increase in spam complaints.
Over 80% of marketers send emails on the hour, flooding inboxes in the first 10 minutes. By scheduling campaigns for a non-standard time, like 8:07 AM instead of 8:00 AM, you avoid this clutter and can increase open rates by around 15%.
Explicitly telling recipients to 'Open this' or 'Open this email' in the subject line can lead to a significant lift in open rates. This direct command, while seemingly simple, taps into our subconscious tendency to follow instructions and stands out in a crowded inbox.
