Why Your Newsletter Open Rate Sucks (And How to Fix It)

TL;DR: Your email subject lines are boring, your timing is off, and your audience doesn’t remember subscribing. Here’s how to fix all of that without sounding like a bot.

The Awkward Truth About Your Newsletter

Here’s a little ego check for the morning: your newsletter isn’t as important to your readers as it is to you.

You poured in effort. You used your best CTA button color. You even threw in a meme. But your open rate is stuck in the same sad single-digit zone as the number of houseplants you haven’t killed.

The good news? Email marketing still works. The bad news? You’re probably making a few classic mistakes and your subject line is screaming for help.

Let’s fix it.

What Is a Good Open Rate, Really?

Before we dive into tactics, let’s level-set.

According to Mailchimp’s 2024 Benchmarks:

So if you're hovering around 10–15%, you’re below average. If you’re under 5%, you’re not just underperforming, you may be emailing ghosts.

Why No One Is Opening Your Emails

Let’s call out the big offenders:

Boring or Vague Subject Lines

If it sounds like a corporate press release, it’s going straight to archive.

Irregular Sending Schedule

Disappearing for 3 months, then emailing 3 times in a week? Yeah, people notice.

Weak “From” Name

Are you sending from “info@” or “noreply@”? People trust people, not bots.

Mobile-Unfriendly Formatting

If your preview line looks like “Hi %FIRSTNAME%, I wanted to touch base about...” you’ve lost them before the click.

The Subject Line Rules You’re Probably Breaking

Your subject line is the gatekeeper. It decides whether your carefully-crafted newsletter even gets read.

1. It’s Too Long

Keep it under 50 characters. That’s all most mobile devices show.

“Your Website Might Be Slower Than You Think”
“Important Update About Our Services and Summer Scheduling Options”

2. It Doesn’t Spark Curiosity

“What Your Competitors Are Doing at 6AM”
“Weekly Marketing Update – July 10”

3. It’s All Caps or ALL EMOJIS

No one trusts a subject line that screams like an infomercial. 🚫

4. It’s Deceptive Clickbait

Sure, “Your Account Will Be Deleted Tomorrow” gets opens... but it also gets unsubscribes (and maybe lawsuits).

Timing Isn’t Everything, But It Matters

When you send your email is not everything, but it’s not nothing.

Best Days to Send

• Tuesday and Thursday are statistically strongest
• Avoid Mondays (inbox overwhelm) and Fridays (weekend brain)

Best Times to Send

• B2B: 10 AM or 2 PM local time
• B2C: 7–9 PM can actually outperform during downtime

Test your own audience, but be consistent.

The Power of the First Line (a.k.a. The Invisible Subject Line)

You know that little preview text next to your subject line?

That’s called the preheader, and it’s prime real estate.

Examples:

• Subject: “Can We Talk About Your Site Speed?”
  Preview: “Google just released new benchmarks. You’re going to want to see this.”

• Subject: “Everyone Opened This Except You”
  Preview: “Just kidding. But seriously, here’s what you missed…”

Don’t let the preheader default to “View this email in your browser.” That’s just lazy.

How to Write Like a Human (That People Actually Like)

You’re not writing to a list. You’re writing to one person at a time.

Use Natural Language

Read your subject line and opening sentence out loud. If it sounds weird or robotic, rewrite it.

Be Conversational

• Use contractions
• Ask questions
• Be a little funny (but not “GIF of a cat in a unicorn costume” funny unless that’s your brand)

Make It About Them

Less: “Here’s what we’ve been up to.”
More: “Here’s how to make your [job/life/morning] better.”

What the Pros Do: Real Tactics That Work

1. Personalization (That Isn’t Cringey)

Including a first name works, but contextual personalization is better.

“Your June Ad Budget Needs This Adjustment”

2. Storytelling Structure

Start with a quick anecdote, segue to the lesson, end with a CTA.

3. A/B Testing Subject Lines

Test every send. Tools like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and MailerLite make this easy.

4. Segmentation

Don’t send the same email to your whole list. Break it down by:

• Activity level
• Interests
• Location
• Customer type

It’s more work. It’s also more results.

Tools to Track, Tweak, and Improve Open Rates

Case Study: The Time We Changed a Few Words and Jumped to 19%

We had a subject line:

“5 Marketing Tips You Should Try This Month”

Open rate: 16.3%

We changed it to:

“Steal These 5 Marketing Wins Before the Month Ends”

Open rate: 19.4%

Why it worked:

• “Steal” implies exclusive or insider access
• “Wins” sounds concrete and valuable
• “Before the Month Ends” adds urgency

Moral of the story: every word matters. Test ruthlessly.

Final Thoughts: You Can’t Convert What Doesn’t Get Opened

You can write the world’s greatest email. But if no one opens it, it’s the digital equivalent of shouting into a canyon.

Focus on:

• Writing killer subject lines
• Nailing your preheaders
• Being human
• Sending regularly
• Testing often

Treat your newsletter like a conversation, not a sales pitch and your readers will start showing up.