Improving Email Campaigns FAQ
Below we've compiled a bunch of questions that are asked in regards to open rates and how to improve your email campaigns.
If you'd like an in depth description on understanding your statistics and how to improve from them, check out our
blog post.
Alternatively, have a squizz below at some of the frequently asked questions we get in regards to open rates and bounces which are answered in short points. Check out our blog post link above for more info:
How do I reduce opt outs
- Send focused and targeted emails.
- Make sure the patrons receiving the email are actually interested in what the email is about.
- Keep your database clean and orderly.
How to get a better open rate
- Make sure your database is clean and up to date. If it's not, run an update details campaign to clean it up
- Put some thought into the subject line of your email. This is often the deciding factor of whether or not an email gets opened
- Include the most important bits of information/call to actions at the top of the email.
- Some email recipients have a preview window that allows them to get a taste of what the email is going to be about. Putting the most important info at the top will help a recipient to determine if it's worth their while to open the email.
How to reduce the chance of the email going to spam
- Refrain from using overly spammy words, in the subject line and email body.
- Be sure to use a balanced text to image ratio. The aim should be around 50/50
- Don't spam your patrons. Send them targeted emails based on what they've indicated they are interested in.
You can view more about spam words in our
blog post.
What is an average opt out rate, what % should we aim for?
- Opt outs are completely normal and expected with each campaign.
- The average opt out sits around the 2% mark. This can vary, but if your database is clean and your sending to a focused group you should be right around this number.
- One thing to note is that the opt out rate will be higher for initial sends to new database lists
What is an average open rate, what % should we aim for?
- The average open rate for the hospitality industry is 7%. This should be used as a general guideline. We recommend aiming to reach an open rate of 10%. but anything at 7% is average.
- Also good to note that open rates will be higher for smaller databases and smaller for larger databases.
What is a good way for us to do specific marketing based on the sent items stats
- Using campaign statistics can be really effective for determining how you're doing with their marketing efforts. They should be reviewed after each send to make minor adjustments where needed.
- Using things like the time frame for open emails, is really good for you to determine how long it takes for their patrons to open an email. It can also be used for A/B testing to determine the best time to send a campaign.
- Looking at click throughs can help you determine if they've hyped the call to action enough. And also if that call to action resulted in additional sales (ie. buy tickets here, they click on the link, but don't buy the ticket)
Should we try sending emails to only the people who opened the last campaign?
Depending on the campaign this is a valid option. However we don't recommend only sending future emails to the people who opened the previous campaign. Reason being there are many reasons why a recipient may open one email and not another. Sending a campaign to only the ones who read a single email is narrowing your opportunity for the best campaign results.
Should we send specific marketing based on which links the patrons have clicked on?
This is a great idea to further market to patrons. If there is a great response rate based on a certain link, it's a great idea to send a follow up campaign promoting the call to action.
