Surefire Ways To Get Your Emails Read

Surefire Ways To Get Your Emails Read

Generic subjects, vague content, and poor formatting are just some of the reasons why emails don’t get through. We’re here to share our tips on how it’s done right.

What use is an email if no one bothers to read it? 

So what can you do to make your emails automatically get a high priority tag? Let’s take a look at 6 solid strategies that will get your emails opened and read.


Craft a compelling subject line

First impressions can make or break the deal, so you need a powerful subject line for your email. It’s this short piece of content that needs to grasp their attention and make them click for more. In this way, you can encourage your audience to learn more about your products and services. 

If your subject line is dry or spammy, there is a good chance that people will stay away from your email.

Here’s what you can do to write better subject lines:

  • Don’t write lines that are too vague or generic.
  • Make them more personal.
  • Don’t make it sound like bad news. 
  • Avoid spam triggers and caps.

At the end of the day, short and straightforward lines are what actually work. If you’re sending a sales email about your business proposal, you need to avoid fluff at all costs and get to the point immediately.


Write an engaging first sentence

Your opening line needs to be catchy and interesting enough to make the reader want to continue reading. At the same time, it must summarize what the rest of the email is about. 

Don’t try to introduce new topics. Just expand what you already conveyed in the subject line. 

Here’s what always works:

  • Start with a question – Asking a question is a good way to start a conversation and get the reader interested in what you want to say. 
  • Share an observation or statistic that is relevant to the reader to catch their attention.
  • Use a personal story that touches the topic.

Your opening sentence should be unique and stand out from the others they receive every day. 

 

Get your spelling and grammar inline

Emails are most likely used in professional settings and one of the ways to improve your open rate is to write emails that are well-written and typo-free. Grammar errors and inconsistent spelling can make you look unprofessional and untrustworthy. 

I mean, how can you do business with someone who is sloppy about their email?

We all make mistakes, and if you don’t trust your self-editing skills, best get someone else to proofread your mail before sending it. 

You can also enlist the help of editing tools like Grammarly to check your spelling, word choice, and style. Check the corrected version once again just to make sure. 


Use personal pronouns and positive language

Keeping the recipients going through your email is not easy. Even with the best intentions, you risk being bland and monotonous. 

Use personal pronouns (you, yours, we, us) to make a point. This puts your audience first and points out what they get from the interaction.

Unless you’re sharing your personal experiences, keep the use of “I” to a minimum. 


Staying positive is not only about cracking jokes and being polite. If you need to criticize, make sure to give praise first. If you need to disagree, use a recommendation. If you need to break bad news, do it with reassurance.

Positive words set a more pleasant tone of communication. They take an edge out of emergency or negative implications that may put the readers on alert. 


Make the point ASAP

People don’t have time and patience to read long emails that continue paragraph after paragraph. 

If you don’t get to the point quickly, your email is likely to be ignored or filed under “the least of my problems”.

So stop beating around the bush and say what you want. 

Stick to simple sentences, ideally 1 idea = 1 sentence. Keep an eye on useless adjectives, and adverbs. Don’t use two words where one would do. 

If you have a lot of information to share, break it down into small bite-sized chunks so the reader finds them easier to digest. 


Provide value to recipients

Dispense with filler words and phrases like “just”, “actually”, and “very”. They appear weak and cheap and add little value to your message. 

You should also keep away from acronyms and industry jargon unless you know the readers are familiar with them. This makes your emails more accessible and more likely to be shared with people who don’t have specialized knowledge about the topic.

There’s no need to be mysterious. If there’s key information about an event or topic that someone needs to know before making the next move, make sure to include it in your email. 

When the readers go through your email, they need to have a complete picture of what the issue is or what you want them to do. 


Wrapping up

If your emails go unread, you risk getting a severe blow to your productivity. Praying and wishful thinking won’t get your emails read. 

There are several reasons people ignore your emails. Some of these are beyond your control

However, there are strategies that can help you raise the open and click-through rates, and ultimately, respond to your emails. 

Apply these tips today, and by the end of the day, you may even have more time to read all the emails in your inbox.

Back to blog