How to Start an Email: Strategies for Email Marketing Success

Starting an email right can significantly impact your digital marketing efforts. This is your chance to grab attention and encourage engagement right from the start

The average office worker gets 121 emails a day. That’s a lot. In this scenario, knowing how to start an email can make all the difference between being noticed and ignored. 

Why the Start of an Email Matters

There are lots of benefits to having a strong start to your email.

• It can do wonders for your open rates as people are far more likely to engage with content that engages right from the start.
• A good start increases the email’s overall readability. This means that there is a better chance that your message will be understood and acted upon. 
• Your email is more likely to be shared – and this expands your reach. 
• Well-written emails help build and maintain a positive brand image.
• They also drive higher conversion rates. Readers who are genuinely interested in your content will most probably take the action you call to in your email.

Email Opening Structure

Remember –  your email should signal for the reader to keep on reading right from the start. 

Here’s how to structure the opening of a marketing email:

• Subject line: This is a must for marketing emails. It’s the first thing the reader will see. It is also what will help them decide if they should open your email in the first place. Your subject line should be persuasive, clear, and relevant. It’s also a good idea to add a sense of urgency.

For example, “Unlock Exclusive Member Benefits Today Only!” or “You’re Missing Out on Big Savings!”

• Preheader: This is a short summary that comes right after the subject line. Use this space to complement your subject line – and additional details or an extra hook

• Salutation: A marketing email can be more personal than a standard email – but it should also begin respectfully. If your email list includes names, personalize the greeting with the recipient’s name, such as “Hi [name].” Personalization can significantly increase engagement rates.

• Intriguing opening: Start with a sentence or two that grab attention. Maybe a provocative question or an interesting fact? 

For example, “Did you know that 8 out of 10 people pay too much for their phone bills?”

• Brief introduction or offer: Quickly move to introduce the purpose of your email. This could be a new product, a special offer, or valuable information. The key is to make it immediately clear what the value proposition is for the reader. “We’re thrilled to introduce our new budget-friendly phone plans designed to save you money without compromising on quality.”

• Connect with the recipient’s needs or interests: Make a connection between your offer and the recipient’s needs, challenges, or interests. This helps to personalize the message and increase the relevance for the reader. “Like you, we believe that everyone deserves to have access to affordable communication services without hidden fees or complicated contracts.”

• Engaging visuals or formatting: Use engaging visuals (like images or emojis) and formatting (like bold or bullet points) to make your email more engaging and to highlight key points. This can help draw the reader’s attention to the most important parts of your message.
• Call to action: A CTA is not the start of your email. But it’s important to clearly define it in your email and build up to it from the beginning. Tell the reader exactly what you want them to do next.

How to Start a Marketing Email: Good and Bad Examples

The initial few seconds, when a recipient scans your email, decide its fate—whether it will be read or lost in an overcrowded inbox. Here’s what you should pay attention to:

Dynamic greetings

When you personalize the greeting of your email, the reader will instantly feel valued and recognized. They will probably engage further. 

Why good: Personalizes the email by using the recipient’s name and ties into a seasonal theme, making it relevant and engaging.

Why bad: Impersonal and generic, making the recipient feel like just another number in a database.

Compelling opening lines

The first sentence of your email sets the stage. An engaging opener that promises value or piques curiosity can significantly boost open rates. It tells your audience that what follows is worth their time.

Why good: Offers immediate value with an exclusive discount, encouraging the recipient to keep reading.

Why bad: Vague and fails to convey any immediate value or reason for the recipient to continue reading.

Visuals and personalization in openings

Incorporating visuals and personalized content from the get-go can captivate your audience immediately. Visuals grab attention, while personalization makes the message resonate on a personal level.

Why good: Immediately grabs attention with a relevant visual and makes the email feel tailor-made for the recipient.

Why bad: Misses the opportunity to connect with the recipient on a personal level and may come across as disconnected from the email’s message.

Email Greetings: Best Practices

Spell any names you use correctly

Attention to detail matters. For example, if you make a mistake when spelling the recipient’s name, this can seriously undermine yours and your brand’s credibility. Make it a habit to always double-check for accuracy.

Imagine sending an email to “Katheryn” instead of “Katherine.” This mistake may seem small, but it will substantially impact the perception of your brand. It suggests a lack of attention to detail and can make marketing efforts come across as insincere. 

In case you misspell a name, the best course of action is to send a brief follow-up email and apologize for the mistake. This shows that you value the individual and their engagement with your brand, potentially turning a minor error into an opportunity to reinforce a positive relationship.

How to start an email professionally

Your brand voice may be casual or even playful – but it’s always best to stay professional in your emails. When you sound professional in your emails, readers are more likely to take your email seriously. 

Why good: It’s respectful, direct, and sets a positive tone for the information to follow.

Why bad: This start is overly casual and can come across as unprofessional, lacking the seriousness some recipients might expect.

Even in a professional context, humor can be a powerful tool if used correctly. It should be subtle and not detract from the main message or appear unprofessional.

Why good: This introduction is professional, but the light humor adds personality and can make the reader more interested in what comes next.

Know your audience

Tailoring your email’s start to match your audience’s preferences and expectations can dramatically improve engagement. Use segmentation and customer insights to personalize your approach and ensure your message resonates with the interests, needs, and preferences of your recipients.

Why good: This start is tailored to thrill-seekers, likely to engage readers interested in adventure and excitement.

Why bad: This generic opening lacks personalization and fails to connect with any specific audience interest, making it less engaging.

But here’s your key takeaway: create messages that are personal, interesting, and bring value to your readers.

Stay away from generic greetings like “Dear Subscriber”. This won’t let you connect with your readers on a personal level and will most likely make your message much less impactful.

Another bad example would be staring your email with something like “We’re excited to announce…” without specifying why the reader should care. 

Instead, use data-driven insights to personalize your greeting, such as “Hello [name], ready for your next adventure?” and clearly state the value upfront, like “Unlock your exclusive 30% discount inside!” 

To Sum Up

It’s very important to start your email right. Here’s how you can make your emails stand out: personalize your greetings, write interesting opening lines, use visuals, know your audience.

Avoid common mistakes: don’t use generic messages and never miss out on an opportunity to personalize. 

A good start to your email will grab attention and bring you engagement and conversion..