How to Use Intrigue to Increase Your Email Open Rates

You want your prospects to take some time to look at what you have to offer in your email. But then, even just a few minutes is difficult to get from them because there are many things that occupy your client’s attention.

Getting noticed can be challenging, especially if you’re competing with hundreds of other emails in your subscriber’s inbox. In fact, the average email open rate is a mere 21.8%. This means that less than a fourth of subscribers read the contents of the emails you send them.

How to Use Intrigue to Increase Your Email Open Rates

So, how can you increase your chance of being noticed? You can use the makeup of the human brain to your advantage by using intrigue to leverage your email campaign.

Intrigue works because human beings are curious by nature. Curiosity is a strong emotion. So if you intrigue someone, that person will feel the need to respond to their curiosity to satisfy the deeply-seated feeling.

Here are some ways you can incorporate intrigue in your emails and increase your email open rates:

1. Create personalized emails

Composing a personal email does not end in putting the name of the receiver on the subject line. Run the extra mile by making your subscriber feel that you are sincerely interested in him or her.

For example, you can commend your subscribers with the reward they or their company received recently. You can also provide a statistic about their company or even provide them a special sale for their birthday.

Here are some specific examples you can use to personalize your emails:

  • Congratulations on making it to Reader’s Digest most trusted brand!
  • Impressed to learn that 90% of your teachers have a master’s degree.
  • You get a free e-book because it’s your birthday!

2. Leave a cliff-hanger

Novels are so addicting because there are plenty of parts with suspense. You do not want to put the book down because your mind is looking for resolutions. People have an innate desire for closure which you can use to improve your emails’ open rates.

Give them just enough information to catch their attention but don’t give it all at once. You can promise them the continuation to be delivered on the next day. If you got them intrigued, they will most likely open your next e-mail.

Cliff-hangers can be a tricky strategy, so make sure that you don’t keep them in suspense for too long. Deliver your promise. If you indicate in your email that the answers will be revealed in your next message, then make sure to provide the information in a timely manner.

3. Mention a struggle they are currently dealing with

People will start to listen to you when you show them you are listening first. Your subscribers will open your email if you show them that you know the pains and challenges they’re facing.

People don’t just want to purchase products; they want a solution to their problems. You can catch their attention by presenting ways on how to solve their troubles. Use social media to gather information about your subscribers’ difficulties. You can present them a product, an article, or a video that will resolve their problem.

4. Get creative with your subject lines

The subject line is already half the battle, 47% of subscribers open an email because of the intrigue that the subject line presents. Be sure you are ready to fight against hundreds of other emails by arming yourself with a tough weapon – a compelling subject line.

There are several techniques you can use to make your subject line creative. The key is to consider the natural tendencies of human beings when composing your subject line. By nature, people love discounts, they are curious, and they fear missing out on important events and occasions.

Here are some specific examples of creative and intriguing subject lines:

  • Urgent, you have 24 hours left to watch this.
  • You must not open this email.
  • Huge sale alert!

Bottom-line

Your emails have to really stand out to be able to capture the attention of your new subscribers and maintain the loyalty of your old subscribers. One way to do this is to add intrigue to your emails. Boost your email open rates by doing the following on your next email:

  • Personalize.
  • Add suspense.
  • Provide a solution.
  • Make a creative subject line.

Read more:

Must Know Techniques for Personalizing Emails (Beyond Referring to Recipients by Name)

Email Mistakes Happen: How to Remedy an Accidental Email Send