Did you know the average open rate for email blasts is 20.81%? Out of every 100 people who receive an email blast, 20.81 people open it. (Our condolences to the 0.81 person.)

Open rates, of course, vary by industry. For instance, according to MailChimp, the beauty and personal care industry has a 17% open rate, while the hobbies industry exceeds 27%. But regardless of your field, you can heed some best practices to outshine the competition!

Try these to start:

1. Segment your list. People are more likely to open your emails if they know your emails speak to their needs. Segmenting your subscribers into different categories lets you choose who receives what. For instance, you might want to segment your list into existing customers vs. prospects vs. referral partners.

2. Send your email from a personal name. Subscribers are more likely to open an email coming from Susie Jones than from ABC Company. If your name is not Susie Jones, then use whatever name your parents gave you.

3. Use 6-10 words in your subject line. Remember our article about tight writing? It applies to subject headings, too! You need enough words to hook your audience, but not so many to lose them. Also, remember that many people check email on their phones, which can cut the end of subject lines.

Happy email marketing!