Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective tools in digital marketing — but only if your emails are getting opened. With inboxes overflowing and attention spans shrinking, marketers must work smarter to improve open rates and stand out in the crowd.
In this guide, we’ll walk through simple, actionable email marketing tricks that can help increase your open rates, build stronger engagement, and make your campaigns more effective overall.
1. Craft Irresistible Subject Lines
Your subject line is the first thing your recipient sees — and often the only thing they use to decide whether to open your email. If you want to improve open rates, your subject lines need to be punchy, relevant, and emotionally compelling.
Tips for subject lines that work:
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Keep them under 50 characters
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Use urgency (e.g., “Only a few hours left”)
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Spark curiosity (e.g., “We need to talk…”)
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Add value (e.g., “5 ways to grow your revenue fast”)
Example:
Instead of “Weekly Newsletter,” try “🔥 This Week’s Growth Hack You Need to See”
2. Personalize Beyond the First Name
Yes, including the subscriber’s name helps, but personalization goes far beyond that. Use data like location, behavior, purchase history, or past email interactions to tailor your content.
Examples of advanced personalization:
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“Still interested in [product name]?”
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“We found new events near [city name]”
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“Get 10% off your favorite item”
Personalized subject lines and email previews can improve open rates by showing the reader that the content is relevant just to them.
3. Send Emails at the Right Time
Timing matters. Even the most compelling email can go unopened if sent when your audience isn’t checking their inbox.
Best practices for send times:
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Mid-week (Tuesday–Thursday) tends to perform best
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Try morning slots (8–10 a.m.) or early afternoon (1–3 p.m.)
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B2B audiences might open more during business hours
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B2C audiences could respond better to evening or weekend sends
Use A/B testing and analytics to determine your ideal sending time based on your specific audience behavior.
4. Segment Your Email List
Sending the same email to your entire list is one of the fastest ways to reduce engagement. Segmentation allows you to target specific groups with tailored messaging.
Ways to segment your list:
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By demographics (age, location, gender)
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By engagement level (active vs inactive)
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By behavior (past purchases, link clicks)
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By stage in the customer journey
Emails sent to segmented lists consistently improve open rates and click-throughs because they feel more relevant.
5. Use a Recognizable and Trusted Sender Name
Who the email is from can be just as important as the subject line. If recipients don’t recognize or trust the sender, they’re far less likely to open the email.
Best practices for sender names:
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Use a human name and/or brand (e.g., “Sarah from ThriveCo”)
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Stay consistent across campaigns
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Avoid generic or spammy-looking addresses (e.g., “no-reply@domain.com”)
Recognition builds trust — and trust leads to more opens.
6. Write Attention-Grabbing Preview Text
Preview text appears just beneath the subject line in most email clients and can make or break your open rate. Think of it as a second subject line — an opportunity to expand on your hook.
Tips for writing strong preview text:
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Use it to tease what’s inside
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Complement your subject line, don’t repeat it
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Keep it under 90 characters
Example:
Subject: “Your custom plan is ready”
Preview: “See how you can lose 5 pounds in 30 days — starting now!”
7. Optimize for Mobile Devices
With over 60% of emails opened on mobile, a clunky mobile experience will drive your engagement down.
Mobile optimization tips:
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Use responsive templates
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Keep subject lines and preview text short
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Use large buttons and simple layouts
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Test emails on multiple devices
If users can’t read your email on their phone, they won’t bother opening it.
8. Use A/B Testing Frequently
Don’t guess — test. A/B testing helps you refine your approach based on real data.
What you can test to improve open rates:
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Subject line wording
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Emojis vs. no emojis
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Sender names
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Timing and frequency
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Preview text
Always test one variable at a time for accurate results. Over time, you’ll gain insights into what your audience truly responds to.
9. Avoid Spam Triggers
Certain words and tactics can trigger spam filters or cause recipients to avoid opening your emails. Avoid overusing exclamation marks, all caps, and words like “FREE,” “Act now,” or “Guaranteed.”
Other tips to avoid spam folders:
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Don’t use deceptive subject lines
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Include a clear unsubscribe link
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Authenticate your email domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Staying compliant and ethical will help your emails reach the inbox — and get opened.
10. Clean Your List Regularly
Over time, inactive subscribers can hurt your email deliverability and engagement. Regularly remove or re-engage cold leads.
How to handle inactive subscribers:
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Send re-engagement campaigns (e.g., “Still want to hear from us?”)
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Automatically remove users after a period of inactivity
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Monitor bounce rates and spam complaints
A clean list may be smaller — but it’s more engaged, which helps improve open rates over time.
Final Thoughts
Improving open rates isn’t about tricks or hacks — it’s about understanding your audience, delivering real value, and crafting emails that people genuinely want to open. By following these proven strategies, you’ll be well on your way to higher open rates, stronger engagement, and better results from your email marketing.
Let’s recap the essentials:
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Write short, compelling subject lines
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Personalize based on data
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Send at the right time
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Segment your list
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Use recognizable sender names
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Optimize for mobile
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A/B test consistently
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Keep your list clean and engaged
Start using these email tricks in your next campaign and watch your open rates grow. Remember, even a small improvement in open rates can lead to a big boost in conversions.
Ready to get better email results?
Apply these tricks today and make your next email campaign your most successful one yet.
Also, you can learn more about High-Converting Email Subject… here.