How can I improve my email open rates and click-through rates?

First, know that open and click-through rates vary by niche, so look for benchmarks in your industry. In general, open rates between 15 and 30 percent are considered normal, but your real goal is steady improvement over time.

Start by making sure your list is full of engaged subscribers. If your audience isn’t opening your emails, they may not be your ideal customer. It’s better to have a smaller, more active list than a big one filled with cold subscribers.

Next, look at your content. Are your emails solving problems your audience actually cares about? If your content feels irrelevant or too promotional, people won’t open or click.

Subject lines are one of the fastest ways to increase open rates. Get creative, specific, and test a variety of tones and angles. Try something fun or unexpected. Ask a question. Tease a story. Use urgency when it’s genuine. You can also check out subjectline.com for inspiration and testing tools.

To improve click-through rates, make sure you’re giving people a reason to click. Include valuable tips, free downloads, a clear next step, or even a story they can continue reading on your site or podcast. Use links more than once throughout the email, and make sure your calls to action are bold and easy to find.

If you're not already doing it, start tracking your results. Look for patterns in what gets opened and clicked. Try sending emails on different days or at different times. Test one thing at a time and give it a few rounds before making a decision.

And finally, become a student of copywriting. I wrote all my own copy for years, and that skill has served me in every part of my business. If you want to improve fast, I recommend listening to these episodes:

• Episode 229: The Power of the P.S. Strategy
• Episode 231: “I’m Terrible At Writing My Own Copy” And Other Copywriting Lies That Are Killing Your Sales with Marie Forleo
• Episode 266: The Little Known (Easier Than You Think) Copywriting Method That Boosts Conversions
• Episode 269: Small List Superhero: How to Have a Profitable Launch Without a Big List with Tarzan Kay

These will give you practical tips to apply right away.