Today's open rate is due to last week's email

If you're tracking open rates, you know there are many factors that might cause the dip or peak observed in your last campaign.

One factor you might not consider is the campaign you sent out before the last one.

Eh?

We tend to assume the success of an individual email is due to something associated with that email: the subject line, the day it was sent, the offer, the creative etc.

But people's willingness to "engage" with your email is in part determined by their previous experiences with your emails. Or put simply...if your last email was a real humdinger, they're more likely to look out for your next one. And if your last email was rubbish, they're less likely to bother with the next one.

What does this mean in practice?

1. It's obviously good reason to keep pushing for quality in all that you do. One bad email reduces the audience for the next email, which makes it harder for that new email to reverse the trend.

2. It reinforces the need to think of emails as a continuous series of interactions and impressions. You are both the sum of all your emails and also only as good as the last one. (Very Zen.)

3. Try and build anticipation to overcome any dip in interest caused by a blip in content. For example, informational newsletters can use articles one-by-one from a series, or give sneak previews of highlights from the next issue. Retailers might consider pre-announcements of forthcoming sales or their own themed series.

Seen any good examples of emails that build anticipation for future messages?

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