Skip to content
Home / Blog /

9 Dos and Don’ts to Improve Email Click-Through and Open Rates

Categories:
Person typing on a laptop with email illustrations popping up

Click-through (CTR)and open rates make it easy to see which of your campaigns are the most successful. An open rate is the percentage of email recipients that opened an email, while the CTR is the percentage of impressions—or people who opened the email—that resulted in a click 

Whether you’re sharing tips, tricks, or even promotional messaging, your emails are only impactful if people are opening and reading them. That’s important because it ensures you’re getting your message out and building a connection with your clients.  

People can’t open an email they never see, so make sure you send emails from your existing email address, not a “no-reply” address. This will help your emails make it to your recipient’s inbox instead of getting filtered into the spam or promotions folder. 

To create compelling subject lines that resonate with your recipients, here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind:  

Dos: Email Marketing Reminders for Insurance Agencies 

1) Keep it concise: Short subject lines have been proven to perform better in terms of open rates.  For example, “Quick Update.” 

2) Be specific: Provide context whenever appropriate to let recipients know that the email is relevant to them. Use a phrase like “Important: General Liability Insurance Information.”  

3) Personalize it: Make recipients feel like the email was meant specifically for them. For example, “Let’s connect!”  

4) Use lowercase letters: By avoiding excessive capitalization commonly found in marketing emails, your subject line will appear more personal and one-to-one. Say, “Keeping an eye on the markets.” 

5) Incite interest: Give recipients a compelling reason to open your email by creating curiosity or offering valuable information. For example, “Exciting updates, recent developments, and a friendly reminder” 

Don’ts: Email Marketing Mistakes for Insurance Agencies 

6) Avoid spam trigger words: Email providers like Google have algorithms that flag emails with money-related terms or offer-related phrases as spam. Steer clear of them when crafting subject lines, such as “affordable,” “complimentary” or “exclusive deal.”  

7) Don’t rely on click-bait: Subject lines that employ click-bait tactics can frustrate recipients and lead to lower open rates. For example, “Get Free Money Now!*”  

8) Use emojis sparingly: While some people enjoy emojis, others find them annoying. It’s best to use them cautiously or omit them altogether.  

9) Use punctuation wisely: While punctuation can add emphasis, excessive use may make your subject line appear like click-bait.  

To ensure the effectiveness of your subject lines, remember to keep them short, use punctuation thoughtfully, and avoid overwhelming recipients with too much information.  

 My biggest tip is that if you wouldn’t read it, don’t send it. Put yourself in your recipient’s shoes and ask whether you would be compelled to open an email with the subject line you’ve created. If you create a link, make sure you’ve built a reason for them to click on it. By following these dos and don’ts, you’ll improve your chances of appealing to your audience and achieving higher engagement rates. 

Author
Crystal Ricevuto
Crystal Ricevuto
Vice President of Levitate