When I was starting out in my business, I was OBSESSED with growing my e-mail list.
Each new subscriber that joined my list made me do a little ** happy dance **.
But here's the thing: the MORE subscribers that joined my list per day, the LOWER my e-mail open rate got.
Ugh. Definitely not ideal.
I could blame it on a number of things. On my welcome sequence, on the content that I was creating, on the day of the week or the time that I was sending out the e-mails, but that's when a thought hit me: this decline may not be about me, it may be all about them.
So here's what I did.
I logged into my ConvertKit account, created a new broadcast, and directed it to all of my cold subscribers.
ConvertKit defines a cold subscriber as someone who hasn’t opened or clicked any of your e-mails in the last 90 days. Yikes.
(For subscribers who've been active for fewer than 90 days, they define cold subscribers as anyone who's been active for at least 30 days and hasn't opened or clicked an e-mail in that time.)
In that broadcast to my cold subscribers, I mentioned that we hadn't talked in a while, sent them one of my most downloaded freebies just because (if you're wondering which one that is, it's this one), and said that if I didn't see any activity from their account in the next few days (in other words, if they didn't open or click that e-mail), they would be removed from my list.
Harsh, but true.
Why did I do that?
Because it's annoying to get e-mails that you don't read, or have the intention of reading. And the last thing that I want to do is to contribute to that plight!
I'd rather have a SMALL list, with people who look forward to opening, reading, and clicking on the content that's inside the e-mail broadcast, than a HUGE list full of people who are completely tuned out.
A week and a half after I sent that e-mail, I sent a follow-up e-mail to those who hadn't opened it the first time round (to do that in ConvertKit, all you have to do is click on 'view report' on a particular broadcast you sent, and click on 'resend to unopens' on the bottom right), and 3 days after that, I unsubscribed from my list all the people who I didn't hear an answer from.
It hurt a little (ok, to be completely honest, more than a little) seeing a big drop in the number of subscribers I had - 634 to be exact - but it also was refreshing! And it boosted my e-mail open rate by 10%!
By the way, comment below and let me know if you'd like me to put together a FREE PDF with the exact script I used for the two e-mails I sent out to my (former) cold subscribers.
I plan on doing this purge every 3-4 months to maintain my e-mail list targeted and with the right kind of people in it (like you!).
Another cool tip to increase your e-mail open rate is to use CoSchedule's FREE E-mail Subject Line Tester.
With it, you're able to create click-worthy subject lines that drive more opens, more clicks, and more conversions.
And it's super simple to use. All you have to do is type your subject line in the box, and click score my subject line.
The tool scores your subject line immediately, right then and there: it's that fast and easy.
You should shoot for a score of 70+ to get a higher than average open rate.
Here are some pointers to create subject lines that get more opens:
Use at least 2 words proven to increase opens (the E-mail Subject Line Tester includes a word bank).
Write in title case.
Add a number.
Include about 20 characters.
Shoot for 3-5 words.
Rock at least one emoji.
Want even more tips? Check out the no-fail guide to write the best e-mail subject lines [with examples].
If you're looking for tips on how to write killer e-mail subject lines that'll boost your e-mail open and click through rates, make sure to fill out the form below to download the FREE E-mail Subject Line Guide.
Fill out the form below now to download the FREE E-mail Subject Line Guide instanstly:
I hope these 2 simple tricks help you boost your e-mail open rate as well. If you do try them out, make sure to comment below with your results - I'd love to hear how it goes!
* there are affiliate links in this post, which means that I may make a small commission if you choose to use ConvertKit too (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting my biz!
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