Why Readers Open Your Emails

Last week I stumbled across a statistic. Twice. I posed it as a question in the AuthorCompany Facebook Group. (Join us if you haven’t yet!)

Here’s the question:

What is the #1 reason people open your email?
Answer: Because it’s from YOU.

According to research conducted by SuperOffice, “45% of subscribers say they are likely to read your email because of who it’s from, and 33% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line.”
“Sender” was the most important factor in whether or not people opened emails.

When I read this statistic, it jolted me. It wasn’t the usual answer we’ve all heard before. We’ve been given reasons for email opens. Good reasons. True reasons.

• People do open email because you offer some benefit to them.
• People do open email because you crafted a stellar subject line.
• People do open email because you test and measure what works or doesn’t.
• People do open email because you – because you.

It’s smart to adhere to best practices when it comes to email, but it’s easy to get lost in the formula or the form. When it comes down to it, people are opening your email because it’s from you.

What does this mean for you?

Especially as an author, your name is your brand. And your brand is what you are known for, known as. It is what people come to expect from you. Your brand – your name – should conjure thoughts, feelings, and expectations. When people see your name in their inbox, what are they thinking? Feeling? Expecting?

Branding sets out to answer that question in advance. Ahead of your readers. Ahead of your market audience. (Because if you don’t solidly know who you are as a writer, how will they?)

So, who are you? What should readers expect when they pick up a (insert your name here) book?

If you haven’t asked (or answered) that question lately, maybe it’s time to consider it again. What’s the promise your name on the cover makes?

You work hard to deliver on that promise with every book you write – with every chapter, every line, every word.

But as we’re talking email newsletters today, let’s point that question somewhere else.

What does your name mean when people see it in their inbox?

If your readers open your emails because they are from you, how are you delivering on your name’s promise when you sit to put your newsletter together each month?

Is your newsletter consistent with that promise – with your name, your brand? If not, how can you better bring your brand – who you are as a writer – into your newsletter?

We’ll be exploring this in future posts with some practical steps to help you define your author brand and infuse your newsletter with the unique elements that your readers expect and enjoy.

Recap Questions

• What should readers expect when they pick up a (insert your name here) book?
• What’s the promise your name on the cover makes?
• What does your name mean when people see it in their inbox?
• Your author brand is a promise to your readers. It tells them what they can expect. Is your newsletter consistent with that promise – with your name, your brand?
• If not, how can you better bring your brand – who you are as a writer – into your newsletter? (Stay tuned…we’re digging into this next week.)

If you have any comments or questions, I’d love to hear them! Drop a comment here or the Facebook group and let’s have a conversation with friends.