How to Increase Email Open Rates: 5 Proven Tips
How to increase email open rates is a common question from UK SMEs running B2B campaigns. You’ve got your data list, written your message, and pressed send—then… nothing. No opens, no replies, and no clue why.
The reality is, if people don’t open your emails, nothing else matters. It won’t lead to clicks, conversations, or sales. The good news? Open rates are one of the easiest things to improve.
In this post, we’ll walk through five simple tips to help more people open your emails—without using tricks or fancy tools. These tips are designed for business owners, marketers, and sales leaders using B2B data to grow.
Let’s help your emails get seen—and start working harder for your business.
Table of contents:
Why Email Open Rates Matter
Before you can fix your open rates, it helps to know why they’re so important—especially in B2B marketing where each email counts.
Opens Are the First Step to Results
If someone doesn’t open your email, they’ll never see your offer. It doesn’t matter how good the message is inside. That first click—open—is what starts the whole process.
What’s a Good Open Rate?
Here are some simple benchmarks for UK B2B campaigns:
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Cold emails: 15–25%
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Follow-ups or warmer contacts: 25–40%
If your open rates are lower than this, the tips below will help.
Small Wins, Big Results
Even a small boost in open rate can lead to more replies, more leads, and more sales. A better subject line or better send time could mean real results.
Tip 1 – Write Better Subject Lines
The subject line is the first thing people see. If it doesn’t grab their attention, they won’t open it.
What to Avoid
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Generic phrases like “Quick update” or “Just checking in”
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Anything that sounds too much like a sales pitch
What Works
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Keep it under 50 characters
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Ask a question: “Looking to reach more decision-makers?”
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Use numbers: “3 ways to improve your next campaign”
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Mention the reader’s industry or job: “For Marketing Directors in Retail”
Keep It Natural
Avoid words like “FREE,” “GUARANTEED,” or anything in all caps. These hurt your trust and can trigger spam filters.
Tip 2 – Use a Name They Recognise
The “From” name is just as important as the subject line.
Make It Personal
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Use your first name + company (e.g. Iain at Results Driven)
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Or just your name if there’s already a relationship
People open emails from people—not generic company names or “noreply” senders.
Stay Consistent
Don’t change the sender name between emails. It causes confusion and lowers trust.
Use a Professional Email Address
Make sure your email comes from a clean, trustworthy domain—one that your prospect will recognise.
Tip 3 – Send at the Right Time
You might write the perfect email—but if you send it at the wrong time, it could get lost in a full inbox.
Best Times to Send B2B Emails
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Tuesday to Thursday
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Between 8:30–10:30am or 2:00–4:00pm
These are times when most people check their inbox.
Avoid These Times
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Monday mornings: People are catching up
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Friday afternoons: Focus is fading
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Weekends or evenings: Emails can get buried by Monday
Test and Learn
Try sending at different times across industries or job types. Some audiences might respond better at different hours.
Tip 4 – Segment and Personalise
Not all prospects are the same—so don’t treat them like they are.
Group Your List
Split your B2B list by:
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Industry
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Job title
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Company size
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Location
This helps you send emails that feel more relevant to each group.
Personal Touches That Work
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Subject line: Mention the industry or job title
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First line: Talk about a problem that group is likely facing
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Offer/CTA: Make it match their goals or needs
Keep It Simple
Avoid overusing personalisation tags like [FirstName]—especially if your list might have missing or messy data. Bad personalisation can hurt more than help.
Tip 5 – Protect Your Email Reputation
Even if your email is great, it won’t get opened if it lands in spam.
Keep Your List Clean
Remove old, unresponsive contacts and any addresses that bounce. This helps protect your domain reputation and ensures better inbox placement.
Avoid Spam Triggers
Don’t use:
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Too many capital letters or exclamation marks
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Overused phrases like “Click now!” or “You won’t believe this”
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Heavy image files or messy formatting
B2B prospects want clarity, not hype.
Be Consistent
Don’t send thousands of emails out of the blue. Build up slowly and send at a regular pace.
Follow GDPR Rules
Make sure your email practices are GDPR compliant—this includes giving people a clear way to unsubscribe and being clear about who you are. It’s good for trust and good for deliverability.
Why Choose Results Driven Marketing
At Results Driven Marketing, we don’t just tell you how to increase email open rates—we help you do it.
Accurate B2B Data That Performs
We provide high-quality email lists built around your ideal customers. Whether you’re targeting owners, directors, or marketing teams, we can match your needs.
Fast Turnaround
Need to launch your campaign quickly? We deliver clean, campaign-ready data within 24 hours.
Speak to Real People
We’re a small team that understands B2B. You’ll always get honest advice and personal support.
Better Data = Better Opens
When your message reaches the right inbox with the right context—it gets opened. And that’s where we help you shine.
Want to improve your next campaign? Contact us to get started.
Final Thoughts: Small Fixes, Big Wins
If you’re asking how to increase email open rates, remember this: the small things make a big difference.
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Write a better subject line
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Use a friendly, recognisable sender name
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Send at the right time
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Make your emails relevant
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Keep your sender reputation clean
These tips are easy to apply—and they work. When your emails get opened, everything else improves: replies, leads, and sales.
At Results Driven Marketing, we help SMEs get more from their B2B outreach by starting with what matters: quality data and a strong foundation.
Results Driven Marketing
Accurate B2B data tailored for email, phone, and direct mail
📍 Newcastle, UK | 📞 0191 406 6399
rdmarketing.co.uk
