How to Stand Out in an Inbox

Look, I am a data enthusiast for a good reason (also, so you don’t have to be one!). Open and click-through rates indicate how successful your marketing efforts are. They also offer valuable feedback on your audience's interests and priorities. Taken together, the data helps you know how and when to adjust your email marketing and whether you’re reaching your ideal clients or not. You can run several programs to track email opens and click-through rates, like Mailtrack for Gmail, the Streak Chrome extension, or ContactMonkey, to name a few. Depending on your company's email platform, my firm can help you with the data. The point is this: You shouldn’t go without. Marketing without data feedback, or running an email campaign without data feedback is like tying your party invitation to a pigeon’s leg and counting on an RSVP.

The nitty gritty

Okay, so now that we know how to measure the success rate of your email campaign, let’s get into what you can do to get more opens.

• Narrow the pool. With contact lists, more is just more, not better. Consider a double opt-in to make sure your emails go to people more likely to open them. This means as soon as a client or prospect signs up to receive emails from you, they get an email with a link to click and confirm their subscription.

• Don’t waste your breath. Spend your effort on your ideal clients, and don’t be afraid to make cuts to your email list. Keeping disinterested prospects on your mailing list will make it difficult to get an accurate read on your email campaign results and adjust accordingly. On top of that, some platforms automatically mark a sender as spam if more than three of their emails in a row go unopened. If a prospect is no longer a good fit for what you offer, it’s okay to part ways.

• Make it easy. If your emails aren’t optimized for mobile reading, you’re much less likely to get a swipe right. As of 2020, 81% of emails are read on a mobile device. You can create an email that’s easy on the eyes from any device by avoiding over-crowding the text and images.

• Timing is everything. 23% of emails are opened within an hour of being received, and after 24 hours, the chances of an email being opened are less than 1%. Know your audience and leverage that knowledge to put the odds in favor of an email open. Are they retirees? Consider scheduling your email for the morning.

• Be a familiar face. Consistent communication is a key factor in relationships, business growth, and getting a higher open rate. In fact, one of our clients met his company’s net-new assets goal despite a market downturn. The secret? Communicate often (hear all about it here).

• Dress to impress. Don’t slack off on your subject line, opening sentence, or getting to the point. This is a relationship, remember? Don’t show up for date night in your sweats. Do wow your contact list with savvy content that feels authentic. Check out our archives for a closer look at how to make your email memorable.

• Connect. Alright, here’s the big one. Building intentional relationships with your target audience doesn’t happen without effort. Your marketing – including email campaigns – should build those relationships through trust, expertise, and emotional connection. Personalize your emails to the recipient. Send emails about things your target audience cares about, is afraid of, or wants to learn more about. Share personal updates from your team. You’re not a robo advisor; your email communication should reflect that human, relational touch.

Ready to win yourself that final rose? While you probably won’t land at a 100% open rate, there’s a lot you can do to make sure more of your emails get opened by clients and prospects. The spring mix might be a goner, but with a few tips, tricks, and trade secrets, your email campaign can help you and your ideal clients get to happily ever after.

Over 10 years of experience in the financial planning industry, a former position as Digital Marketing Coach For The FPA, and being formerly licensed with the series 7 & 63 provides Kalli Fedusenko an insight and understanding into your practice and objectives. She specializes in brand strategy, web content strategy, video content planning, and more. This powerful combination of creativity and strategy makes Kalli the perfect guide to give your brand a voice.

Are you ready to build trust, show your expertise, and make emotional connections with your target audience? We’re offering four advisors the chance to elevate their marketing strategies with 50% off our onboarding fees. Be among the first four to sign up for one of our Full Monty services in September and October only, and see the difference we can make together.

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