Email Open Rates Down? It’s Not You, It’s Them: a Complete Guide to Improving Email Open Rates in 2024 Backed by a Case Study

Open Rates Down? Don't be too hard on yourself—it's not your fault. Nowadays, inboxes are overflowing with emails, making it increasingly challenging to capture people's attention. Studies reveal that the average email open rate across industries has dropped to a meager 21%. With the constant influx of emails, shorter attention spans, and numerous distractions, it's become incredibly difficult to captivate audiences.

But here's the silver lining: with the right approach, you can revive your struggling email campaigns. Email marketing remains one of the most affordable and effective ways to engage your target audience—provided you do it correctly.

In this article, we'll explore actionable tactics used by real businesses to revive underperforming email campaigns. We'll draw examples from a case study of LaunchPedia, explaining how they were able to grow their email open rates from 9% to 52% and how to improve email open rates in general.

The LaunchPedia case study: Turning a 9% open rate into 52%

Karthik Tatikonda, the founder of LaunchPedia, faced a challenge when his previously successful emails suddenly started performing poorly. The open rates dropped from a consistent 20-30% to a worrying 9% practically overnight.

The emails were being sent to less visible tabs like promotions or updates, and many recipients were not engaging with the content. This decline in open rates had a negative impact on revenue, as email was responsible for generating over 15% of sales. Karthik needed to find a solution quickly.

After trying different optimization strategies, Karthik was able to increase his open rates by over 500% to 52%.

Now let's explore the tactics used by Karthik's team to improve their email performance. If you're struggling with your emails or just want to improve your results, these best practices can help you achieve significant improvement.

Karthik Tatikonda, founder of LaunchPedia

Tactic #1: Simplify email formatting to text-only

The LaunchPedia team started by simplifying their email formatting. They removed images, graphics, and calls to action. They also eliminated links from their email templates. This shift to plain text had several benefits:

• Improved deliverability: Text emails are less likely to be marked as spam, increasing the chances of them landing in the primary inbox.
• Increased open rate potential: Text emails display more content in previews, making it easier to showcase the value and entice recipients to open them.
• Validation of optimization direction: By testing a simplified format, LaunchPedia confirmed that improving deliverability was a higher priority than optimizing graphics and content for engagement.

It's important to note that removing these elements may limit branding and conversions in the long term. However, starting with text-only formatting can help you address deliverability issues before focusing on content.

Tactic #2: Use numbers in subject lines

They focused on using subject lines with specific numbers. For example, they used subject lines like "Increase Conversion by 87% With This Strategy" or "521K Visitors in Just 6 Months: Here's How."

 Using specific numbers in subject lines had several advantages:

• Triggered curiosity and increased open rates: Specific metrics gave recipients a reason to open the emails.
• Improved testing flexibility: Using arbitrary numbers allowed LaunchPedia to iterate and improve their subject lines.
• Differentiation from promotional messaging: Specific numbers made LaunchPedia's emails stand out among the competition.

While using exaggerated number ranges can seem spammy, using real-world results can connect with readers and demonstrate value.

Tactic #3: Reduce the use of capital letters and emojis

LaunchPedia noticed that overusing capital letters and emojis led to deliverability issues. They decided to minimize their use instead of eliminating them completely. They used a single emoji sparingly or capitalized a single word for emphasis. This approach had several benefits:

• Improved deliverability and professionalism: Avoiding spammy-looking subject lines increased the chances of emails reaching the primary inbox and conveyed a more trustworthy image.
• Increased readability: Simplifying subject line formatting made them easier to read at a glance.

Use capital letters and emojis strategically to add emphasis or convey a specific tone, but avoid overusing them as it can negatively impact deliverability and professionalism.

Tactic #4: Personalize subject lines and sender names

LaunchPedia used personalization techniques in subject lines and sender names. They incorporated the recipient's name or other relevant personalized information in the subject lines to make the emails feel tailored and relevant.

They also sent emails from personal names instead of generic email addresses or company names.

Personalization had several benefits:

• Increased open rates: Personalized subject lines caught recipients' attention and made them more likely to open the emails. Sending emails from personal sender names appeared more trustworthy and increased open rates.
• Improved engagement and click-through rates: Personalized emails created a sense of relevance and exclusivity, motivating recipients to engage with the content.
• Strengthened brand perception: Personalization showed that LaunchPedia valued their subscribers as individuals, enhancing their brand perception and building stronger relationships.

Tactic #5: Optimize send times and frequencySending emails at the right time and frequency is crucial for improving open rates. LaunchPedia tested different send times, analyzed open rates and click-through rates, and found optimal time slots for their target audience. They also adjusted their email frequency to avoid overwhelming their subscribers.

Here's how optimizing send times and frequency helped:

• Increased visibility: Sending emails at the right time ensured that they appeared at the top of recipients' inboxes, increasing the chances of being opened.
• Reduced fatigue: By fine-tuning email frequency, LaunchPedia prevented subscriber fatigue and avoided being perceived as spammy.
• Improved engagement: Sending emails when recipients were most likely to be receptive increased the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

To find the optimal send times and frequency, consider your target audience's behavior, time zones, and preferences. Use A/B testing to gather data and identify the most effective strategies.

We made a full guide on how to A/B test emails to improve their performance. Please check it out here to learn more. 

Conclusion

All in all, we hope this deep dive into LaunchPedia's email performance turnaround has inspired new ideas and actionable tactics. By implementing the tactics they used, you can improve your email performance and achieve higher open rates.

Just remember - small optimizations across message delivery, strategic design, and value-focused copy compound quickly. Also, consistent testing ultimately reveals what resonates most with each unique audience.