The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

Why People Open Your Emails: Humanizing Your Approach for Higher Engagement

When it comes to email marketing—whether you're a small business owner, a consultant, or a brand seeking to nurture client relationships—one of the most vital metrics to understand is the email open rate. Why, out of the countless messages cluttering an inbox, do some emails get opened and read, while others languish and go unread, or worse, get deleted or marked as spam?

As the SB Web Guy, drawing on decades of email communication and marketing experience, I want to share with you the most important factor behind email engagement: authenticity. Too often, people preparing marketing emails slip into an awkward, artificial persona. Why does this happen, and what can we do to create genuine connections that move people to open, read, and interact with our emails?

Let’s break down what motivates people to open your emails, strategies you can use to boost engagement, and some actionable steps you can take to make sure your messages connect.

The Marketing Mask: Why People Write Differently in Campaigns

Think back to the way you correspond with business colleagues or friends. Chances are, your one-on-one emails are straightforward, personable, and natural. You address people by name, reference previous conversations, and write in a way that reflects how you speak in person. When you send these emails, you rarely worry your message will be ignored.

Now consider the last marketing or promotional email you received—perhaps from a business in your area or a company you recently purchased from. Was the tone impersonal, the formatting stiff, or the subject line cringe-inducing? This is a common trap for marketers: when switching from personal communication to mass email marketing, people tend to lose sight of their natural communication style. Fear of being overlooked drives them to write what they think a “marketing email” should sound like—often formal, salesy, or generic.

This shift is more than just a stylistic choice. It can have a real impact on how recipients see your messages—and whether they choose to open them. When the tone feels artificial, people feel disconnected. When the greeting is impersonal (“Hello Valued Customer”), the message feels like just another piece of mass-marketing, destined for the trash or spam folder.

Reconnecting With Authenticity

The fundamental truth is this: people respond to genuine communication. If you want higher open rates and more engagement, your emails must sound like you—a real person. Here’s how you can capture that authenticity and make your marketing emails stand out:

1. Observe Your Own Patterns

Before you write your next campaign, study your own inbox. Which emails do you actually open and read? Analyze these for subject line, tone, and format. Are these from real people or companies you know? How do they greet you? Are their messages personalized?

In your professional life, review the emails you send to business partners, clients, or collaborators. Notice the style and approach: probably casual, friendly, direct, and relevant. Now, compare these to the emails you write for marketing purposes. Is there a gap? If so, that’s your opportunity.

2. Mimic One-on-One Communication

Next, try to write marketing campaign emails that mimic that direct, conversational style. Here are some best practices:

- Start with the recipient’s name, just as you would in a personal note.

- Use contractions and everyday language. Don’t be afraid to sound human.

- Reference shared experiences or prior conversations, if possible.

- Avoid jargon, buzzwords, and overblown promises. Be honest and to the point.

- If promoting a product or event, frame it as something valuable you’d share with a friend.

This approach isn’t just about psychology—it also helps with deliverability. Spam filters increasingly flag emails that sound overly “salesy” or robotic. A conversational, natural tone can actually improve your inbox placement.

3. Encourage Early Engagement

When someone signs up for your list or requests information, structure your process so their first interaction involves opening an email and taking an action. Why is this important? Email service providers like Gmail and Outlook use engagement signals to determine whether your emails belong in the inbox or should be filtered to “Promotions” or spam.

If your new subscriber’s first interaction is to open your message to get a promised resource (such as a free guide, a coupon, or a webinar link), it signals that your emails are wanted. Encourage interaction right away: ask a question, suggest a reply, or provide a link they must click to claim their resource.

4. Drive Real Interaction to Stay Out of Spam

Taking it further, you want to get recipients engaged with your emails regularly. This not only tells the email systems your messages are legitimate, but it also builds deeper connections with your audience.

- Run simple contests or sweepstakes that require interaction. For example, ask customers to reply with a photo of them using your product for a chance to win a prize, or to share their favorite tip related to your services.

- Request feedback or a direct reply: “I’d love to hear your thoughts on our latest product. Just hit reply and let me know how you’re using it.”

- Offer to answer questions, solve problems, or provide advice. The point is to create a two-way dialogue.

The more your recipients engage—opening, clicking, replying—the stronger your sender reputation becomes. Your emails are less likely to end up in spam. Recipients begin to see your address as one to trust and pay attention to.

5. Add Value Consistently

The best way to keep your messages out of spam and in front of interested eyes is to always add value. Every email should leave the recipient feeling that they received something useful, interesting, or entertaining. This could be an insightful tip, a relevant update, a special offer, or a personal story that makes your business more relatable.

Don’t send emails simply because you “should” or because your marketing calendar says so. Every piece of communication should pass the test: “How does this help or delight my recipient?”

6. Be Yourself—The Algorithms Can Tell

Gmail and other providers are smart: they analyze not just the content, but how your emails look and feel, who you mail to, and how recipients interact. They notice if your tone flips between your authentic self and a generic persona. Mass-mailing thousands with bland or formulaic messages can tank your sender reputation fast.

It’s never been more important to “keep it real.” Treat every email as if it’s arriving at a friend’s inbox. Authenticity doesn’t just win hearts—it helps your technical deliverability, too.

7. Building Trust From the First Email

The beginning of your customer’s relationship with your emails is crucial. How you introduce yourself—via that first welcome message—sets the tone. If you promised something in exchange for their signup (a free guide, a discount, etc.), make sure the delivery method encourages an open. For example:

- “Here’s the guide you requested—plus a quick favor...” (the quick favor asks for a reply or click).

- “Your coupon code is inside!” (forces them to open the email to get the value).

- “Can I ask you something?” (engages their curiosity and invites a click).

This initial interaction helps “train” the email system that you’re not a stranger or a spammer. Once they’ve opened and clicked, future emails from you become more likely to get prime inbox placement.

8. Don’t Just Take My Word For It: The Proof is in the Results

Every business and audience is unique. What works for one list may not work for another. However, time and again, marketers who shift their email writing approach from formal broadcast to personal conversation see higher open rates, more replies, greater loyalty, and fewer spam complaints.

Run your own experiment:

- Send two emails—one in your “marketing” voice, and one in a casual, authentic style—to separate segments of your list.

- Watch the open, click, and reply rates. Most likely, the genuine, conversational email will win.

- Collect feedback from your community: ask them which communications feel more welcoming, helpful, or motivating.

9. Consistency Is Key

Once you land on a more natural, value-driven approach, stick with it. Consistency helps people recognize and trust your emails even as your business evolves. If you switch to generic tones or impersonal campaigns, you’ll lose the connection—and future engagement will suffer.

10. The Long-Term Benefits

When you embrace authentic communication, the immediate payoff is higher email engagement. But over time, you build deeper loyalty and stronger relationships. Your emails become anticipated, not dreaded; your list becomes a community, not just a database.

Moreover, your marketing costs drop—better engagement means you spend less on list cleaning and campaign re-runs. Your deliverability improves, bringing you into more inboxes, which closes the feedback loop: the better your connection, the stronger your results.

Practical Steps to Start Today

Ready to overhaul your approach? Here’s your action plan:

1. Audit Your Existing Emails: Pull up your recent marketing campaigns. Compare them to the emails you send to partners and clients. Where are you losing authenticity?

2. Rewrite in Your Real Voice: Pick a future campaign and draft it as if you’re writing to a colleague. Keep it simple, warm, and direct. Reduce buzzwords and replace generic greetings with real names.

3. Test Engagement Prompts: In new emails, add a prompt that encourages a reply or click (“What’s your biggest challenge this week? Reply and let me know,” or “Click here to claim your bonus.”).

4. Make the First Email Count: When people join your list, require email interaction to receive what they’re promised. Design this step into your funnel.

5. Track the Data, Ask for Feedback: Pay attention to your analytics. Solicit direct feedback about what your audience likes to read.

6. Refine and Repeat: Based on results, adjust your tone, content, and cadence until you see your desired levels of engagement.

Conclusion: Show Up As You Are, Win Their Attention

Digital communication is more crowded now than ever before. People crave content that speaks to them as individuals, not as faceless replacements in a mass-marketing campaign. Email marketing isn’t just about catchy subject lines or clever offers. It’s about building real relationships—one message, and one reader, at a time.

So, as you plan your next email campaign, remember the most important lesson: Write like yourself. Treat your recipients as friends and allies. Invite real interaction, add genuine value, and your emails will stand out. They’ll get opened. They’ll get read. And you’ll get the engagement every marketer dreams of.

Thank you for spending your time with me today. If you found this helpful, share it with a colleague—or even better, reply and let me know what works for you. Until next time, I’m your Santa Barbara web guy, committed to helping you succeed, one authentic connection at a time.