How Do I Get Brides to Open My Email?

 Before you start blasting out emails to brides…how are you going to get them opened?

You can send as many emails as you want, but if she doesn’t open them, if she deletes them, or if they end up in her spam folder they are simply a waste of time.

To figure out what might get a bride to open your email, log in to your email inbox for a moment.  How do you decide what to open and what to delete?

Chances are you look one of these three things:

1. The Email Subject
2. The From Address
3. The Content Preview

The Email Subject

If the email subject line is “Buy my stuff!” “New Viagra works even better,” or “Sir: You have inherited money from Nigeria,” DELETE.On the other hand, if that subject line is interesting to you, you’ll open it.  Or at least save it for later.  And the more interesting it is the more likely you are to open it.

The most interesting email subjects have one or more of these things in common:

• Attracts Attention – You notice them right away because it stands out in your inbox.
• Self-interest – It’s a topic you’re interested in or that promises a solution or benefit you want.  Or it’s literally about you or your business.
• Curiosity – It’s mysterious or intriguing in some way.
• Benefit Driven – The email subject promises a result you want.

The best email subjects are like headlines of an ad or magazine.  If you want some great ideas, check out the article titles on the cover of Cosmo or Reader’s Digest.

Bride Booking Email Subjects

So what’s interesting to brides?  A little imagination and you can start coming up with ideas.  But here are two proven things you can put into your email subject line that are guaranteed to get her attention.

1. Her Name.  They say our name is our favorite word.  If you put her name in your subject line, she’ll almost always open it.
2. Her Wedding Date.  Just about the only phrase a bride loves right now more than her name…even more than her fiance’s name…is her wedding date.  She won’t be able to resist clicking your email open if your subject line includes her special date.

Our friend Neal Howard from Atlanta’s Best DJ likes to use this gem of a subject line that includes both her name and wedding date: “Jennifer, What will October 18th, 2011 be like?”

Here’s the subject of an email I got a few weeks ago that made me laugh, aroused my curiosity and made me open the email.  “Steph, I think we were separated at birth!”

WARNING:  Be cautious if you use discount offers or coupons in your subject line.  They often work well, but you may be attracting low budget clients and setting up an expectation of low value.  Proceed with caution.

The From Address

When you scan your email inbox, you probably check out the name or email address of the person who sent each email to you.  If you recognize them, you’ll probably open it.

But what’s if the email is from ACME, Inc?  DELETE.

Email addresses that use a real person’s name instead of a business are much more likely to be opened.

Send an email from jane@yourweddingbusiness.com rather than info@yourweddingbusiness.com.  It’s much more personal and inviting, and much more likely to get opened.

Whatever email client you use to send your emails, whether it’s Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo, configure your email so that it uses your first name.  Most of these email clients let you choose whatever you like, so make sure the email from name they see is your personal name rather than just your business.

The Email Preview

Many email clients allow you to read the first sentence of an email before you open it.  Gmail shows much of the first sentence, so make sure your opening is as enticing as your email subject.

To do this, use the bride’s name again and write to her like you are a friend.  DON’T congratulate her on the wedding and mention that you met her at a bridal show.  It only makes her anticipate a sales pitch…especially a week after she attended a show when her inbox is crammed with identical emails.

You might write something so that her email preview looks like this:

“Sarah, When I planned my wedding, my mother gave me one piece of advice I’ll never forget…”

Get her attention and arouse her curiosity with that first sentence so that she wants to read further.

These are some great strategies for getting those emails opened.  Use your imagination and test out different ideas to see what gets the best response.  You’ll come up with some of your best strategies this way.

How do you get a bride to open your email?

Does any of this ring a bell?  Are you interested in learning more about how to grow your business to be booked and busy?  Connect with me here for a free consultation, and let’s look at your business together and layout a road map!  https://pages.bookmorebrides.com/consultation

Photo Credit