My email open rates have tanked
I run an email newsletter for my small business and my open rates dropped from 25% to like 8% over the past month. I haven't changed my subject lines or sending schedule. What happened?
1 Answer(s)
An open rate drop that sudden is almost always a deliverability issue, not a content issue. Here's what to check: 1) Did you accidentally get flagged as spam? Check your sender reputation on tools like Mail-Tester or GlockApps. 2) Did you switch email providers or change any DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)? Even small config changes can tank deliverability. 3) Are you sending to a bought or rented list? If so, those emails are probably going to spam now. 4) Check if Google or Yahoo changed their policies — they do this regularly and it affects everyone. 5) Look at your subject lines — even small changes like using too many spam words ("free," "act now," "limited time") can trigger filters. Clean your list — remove anyone who hasn't opened in 90 days. A smaller, engaged list with 30% open rates is way better than a big list with 8%. Fix deliverability first, then optimize content.