Sending emails to parents can feel like you're hitting a brick wall; believe us when we say we've been there. You spend hours constructing the perfect newsletter to send to parents, only to be cast with an overwhelming fear that no one will read it. Unfortunately we're not here to comfort you, statistically the chances that they'll read your email is low.
In a recent report, Mailchimp revealed that on average only 23.4% of sent emails are opened. Of that meagre percentage that opened the email, how many took the time to properly read through it?
Don't worry though, here are three things you can do now to send your open rates through the roof.
Perfect your timing
As the saying goes, timing is everything. Take this into consideration when you send your email and you will find your open rates begin to increase immediately.
The perfect timing for your audience won't be apparent straight away and can take some tweaking to get right, however with some tests this data can be easily obtained. Mailchimp states that they perform best if they are sent on a weekday between 10:00am and 11:00am.
If it helps, imagine a day in the life of a parent. When would you pick up emails, in the morning, afternoon or evening? When do you have the most free time?
Answering these questions will help you decide on a more targeted time.
Segment your audience
When a parent looks through their emails, it is important to consider whether it will provide them with information worth reading.
To start segmenting your audience, start by building a basic profile on each parent. What year is their child in? How often to they engage with your content? Would you send a blanket email to all parents about a trip for KS2 students that may not apply to their child?
Once you have a basic profile, you can begin to take a more catered approach to creating content that is relevant to the recipient. Bulletins for example are a great way to outline the main news and updates and are perfect for parents who are less engaged with your content, or have less time to read a newsletter.
Craft a unique, clear cut subject line
Having a subject line that packs a punch will be sure to push open rates on any email. With the onslaught delivered to a parents inbox on a daily basis, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd and can quickly get lost in their inbox, never to surface again.
To help give your email a chance of surviving the mailbox, focus on telling them exactly what to expect. If it looks credible and they know what to expect, they will be more likely to open it.
No two parents are the same, so taking a personal approach to the subject line can be key to catching their attention.
Instead of 'Mufti Day Friday', why not try 'John, it's Mufti Day this Friday!'
With just a few small tweaks, you could increase your open rates with parents to keep your entire school community up to date.
