Welcome to Vol.30 of Email Advice in Your Inbox!

We're so happy you're here, Friend!

It feels like just yesterday since Volume 1 dropped (and how far we've come).

Here's to the next 30 🙌


Today, we're discussing a sometimes controversial topic in the email space.

Should you resend emails to audience members who have not opened your emails yet?

Opinions are divided on this one, so we'll offer our take and a few tips on doing this well if it's part of your email strategy.


As usual, you'll also get our regular dose of email awesomeness in the form of great emails, resources and stuff we've found that we've kept just for you.

 

Here's what you'll learn this week
 

• Resending emails to non-openers
   

• This week's top email resources
   

• Email expert practical tip of the week
   

• Smart email senders we're learning from
   

• The fun stuff: When you happen to work in email
  
   

Let's get this going 🚀

We're back with another hotly debated topic in email 👀

The act of resending emails to non-openers often sparks divided opinions among email senders.

Some argue it's a practical way to boost engagement, while others caution against its potential to annoy audiences and increase unsubscribes.

It's always about considering the benefits and risks. But do you know your audience and their actions enough to decide?
 

Again, we were curious, so we put another vote out to our community on LinkedIn to find out what they thought.

Here's the general consensus:

It seems the consensus is that this isn't a great practice. We're unsure whether respondents are answering as email senders, or email receivers because that could differ too.

It's an interesting one.

What we'll be jumping into is some research on this practice and a few insights you might want to read if you're considering (or already practising) this strategy.
 

Before we look at the negatives, it's always best to look at the benefits of a strategy.

Proponents of resending emails argue that it’s a simple, effective way to capture the attention of subscribers who missed your initial send.

After all, many non-openers are not actively ignoring your emails. You know how inboxes can be, so many may have missed it due to timing or inbox clutter.

Research shows that email open rates range between 15% and 25% across most industries. This means a large portion of your audience is not engaging with your emails.

Resending has the potential to help increase open rates, driving more clicks and conversions.

But this comes with caution. Everyone acts differently in the inbox, so you could be negatively impacting your results.
 

Critics, however, caution that resending emails without any planning can lead to negative consequences. And they're right because you can do this wrong.

While resends may temporarily increase engagement, they can harm long-term subscriber loyalty. This is often due to the sheer frequency of emails they may feel like they're getting.

So, what does the data say?

A lot of research around resending emails is still emerging, but here's what we've found to help you decide if this is for you:

1. Increased Open Rates: A study by Mailchimp found that resending unopened emails with slightly modified subject lines resulted in an 8.7% average increase in open rates. The tactic driving this is to increase overall open rates.

2. Unsubscribe and Complaint Rates: While open rates may improve with resends, unsubscribes and spam complaints also tend to rise.
   
   Some reports suggest that poorly targeted resends can double spam complaints, which is why you want to be cautious here.

3. Resend Timing: A bit of research by Active Campaign states that the best time to resend is usually within 24-48 hours after the initial send, but this can vary depending on industry and audience behaviour.
   
   The key is not to wait too long or resend too quickly, both of which can decrease the effectiveness of this strategy.

Now that you've considered the pros and cons, let's look at a few ways to get this right if this is a strategy you want to pursue.
 

If you've decided that implementing resends should become part of your email strategy, you may want to consider these tips to increase the success of your efforts while mitigating risks:
 

1. Segment Your Non-Openers
   
   It's kinda obvious, but don’t treat all non-openers the same. Some may have valid reasons for not engaging with your emails.
   
   Segmenting your audience by behaviour (e.g., those who haven’t opened an email in the last 30 days versus those who missed just one) often works best. By segmenting, you'll be able to refine your message and ensure the resend feels more relevant.

2. Modify Subject Lines and Content
   
   Simply resending the same email may not be enough - And readers will see through lazy tactics.
   
   Adjust the subject line to make it more intriguing or highlight a different aspect of your offer. You might also try tweaking the preheader text or adjusting the body content slightly to appeal to those who missed it the first time around.

3. Use Resends Sparingly
   
   While it can be tempting to resend frequently, overdoing it can (and probably will) lead to email fatigue and increased unsubscribes.
   
   Limit resends to key emails, such as important promotions, important newsletters, or updates, rather than making it a standard practice for every campaign.

4. Test Timing and Frequency
   
   A/B test different resend windows to find what works best for your audience. It differs across the board and is also based on when you send your emails.
   
   Some subscribers might respond better to a resend after 24 hours, while others may prefer receiving it after a few days. Monitor open rates, clicks, and unsubscribe rates to gauge the impact of your resends, and adjust accordingly.

5. Give an Opt-Out Option for Resends
   
   If you plan to send multiple follow-ups to non-openers, providing an option for your audience to opt out of follow-ups can be a massive help.
   
   While they'll remain subscribed to your main list, you'll give them the power to dictate how they engage, which also helps reduce frustration and making bad friends.

These are basics anyone can implement, but testing takes some work, so put in the time to see the fruits of your efforts.
 

Resending emails to non-openers can be a boon in an email sender’s arsenal, but as Uncle Ben once said "With great power comes great responsibility".
 

By following good guidelines like segmenting your audience, tweaking content, and testing timing, you can actually increase engagement without annoying your audience.

You never know, this might just be a hidden gem to your strategy 💎

Convinced to try resending your next email?

Here's another quick social experiment, but we'd love to know what you think about email resends.

If you missed our email, or even if you think about your inbox, do you enjoy email resends, or do you find them annoying?

We'd love to hear your take, friend.
 

Let us know👇

Email resources of the week

Cool articles and resources to help you become a better email sender
 

Email Expert Practical Tip of the Week

Today's tip is from expert email strategist, @owenyourmark (Breanna on Threads).

Breanna shares a great insight on an often-forgotten about element you can use in email.

We use the PS strategy often, and it works. Do you use this in your email or copy?


PS: Give Breanna a follow on Threads here👈

Smart email senders we're learning from

We believe that learning from some of the greatest in the industry is one of the best ways to improve.

Here are three emails we found that followed sound email principles or used innovative strategies to nail their email goals.

Take a look at this week's best 👌
 

Some more (email) fun to make your day better

This is for all those email marketers and folks who work in email.

We've had this conversation so many times. And the words spam or junk come up every damn time. 🙄


We feel sorry for folks working in outbound call centres. It could be worse. 

We found this gem via Coached, a newsletter we've been enjoying lately by Rohan Mahtani.


(Go sign up and check it out for yourself here).

These emails are proudly made possible by

Africa's best email service agency and email marketing platform

Before we go! Remember, we help businesses and content creators, just like you, win at email. How? Here are three ways we can help:

Get the guide! We've spent 200+ hours compiling over 250 pages covering everything you need to launch and win at email. Find out more here. 

Sponsor this newsletter! Keen to share your business in front of hundreds of email experts? Get in touch to discuss sponsorships here.

Contribute your knowledge! We're looking to feature experts in future Volumes. Have an idea to share? Let us know here.

PS: If you've been sent this newsletter and want to sign up, hit this link