Nine Tips to Reach the Next Gen with Email
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Even if you’ve embraced Twitter and Facebook, email is still a potent tool to reach young professionals. Here are 9 tips to get it right.

1. Emails that are sent on Mondays have the highest open and click-through rates, followed by Tuesdays. The later on in the week you send your email, the lower the open rates.

2. Smaller email lists (under 1,000 recipients) get the best open rates. If you’ve got more than 1,000 on your email list, consider breaking it down by area of interest. For example, if you lead a Young Professionals Organization (YPO), you may consider inviting subscribers to choose the topics they’re most interested in, e.g. Social/Networking, Volunteer Opportunities, Professional Development, Sport/Rec events, etc. Then target them with info they want to receive, increasing your chances that they’ll open your email...and maybe even respond.

3. Email subject lines should be under 35 characters (not 35 words). This ensures they fit into the Subject “window” of most email programs.

4. Subject lines get the best response rate when they include a number and the most important fact of the email. Think of the bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for inspiration. (The title of this article is another example.)

5. At signup, offer a “mobile” option. Sixty-five percent (65%) of all decision makers read their email on mobile devices. Apple and Blackberry can display HTML emails, but many other carriers don’t. Most email list services, e.g. CampaignMonitor, Cooler Email, etc. offer subscribers the option to sign-up for HTML or plain text email. If possible, add the phrase “Plain text is better for most mobile email devices/smart phones” on the sign-up page.

6. Emails with 20 or more links to other content get the highest number of click throughs.

7. Email respondents value these things most: high quality writing, good design, and brevity.

8. Use Twitter and Facebook to drive email sign-ups, e.g. “We just sent this month’s newsletter: “Six free tools for leaders of next-gen tribes.” Sign up here…”

9. Test subject lines. For example, send one subject line to half of your list a second subject line to the second half. Which has higher open rates?

Thanks to Garret Olson for gathering research that contributed to this article.