5 EMAIL MYTHS YOU CAN STOP BELIEVE NOW PA2

2. MYTH: Emails get faster responses in the morning.

TRUTH: Well...sort of.

Emails sent between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. were found to have quick responses. However, so were emails sent in the evening, around 8 p.m. About 40% of emails sent around those times received a response. Again, knowing your audience can greatly impact what time you decide to send that email.

3. MYTH: Subject lines should be short.

TRUTH: It actually doesn't seem to matter.

The subject line is kind of like a headline — it reels the reader in. However, Yesware data shows that length of the subject line didn't have an actual impact on open or reply rate. That doesn't mean your subject line should be a novel — short and sweet is a saying for a reason. For example, one of the most successful email subjects of all time? Just the word "Hey," sent by Barack Obama's re-election campaign last year. Its simplicity was a victorious coup for the campaign's fundraising efforts.

If you're looking for strategic keywords, Yesware found that "steps," "campaign" and "next" had the highest open and reply rates (which should make politicians — aside from Obama — very happy). On the opposite end, the worst words to put in a subject line are "calendar" and "online." Stop emailing everyone your online calendar, they're apparently not interested.

4. MYTH: Adding multiple recipients gets faster responses.

IMAGE: FLICKR, MATTHEW FIELD

TRUTH: That's not going to work. Instead, use that "CC" option.

Resist the urge to bog down the recipient field. Just because you send your email to morepeople, doesn't mean you'll get more responses. Instead, Yesware's data shows that putting one person in the "To" recipient field, and "CC"-ing other recipients gets a 10% higher reply rate. When you do that, the one person is more obligated to respond, because they're the top recipient. Give a bunch of people that responsibility, and they'll shrug it off on the next person.

It's like a less urgent version of the bystander effect. When faced with a situation around other people, you just stand by, expecting someone else to do something.

5. MYTH: Send emails today, get responses tomorrow.

IMAGE: GIPHY

TRUTH: Nope — you should be getting a response within 24 hours.

Yesware found that 90% of emails that ever get replies get one on the same day. After, a response is increasingly less likely. But don't despair — following up to an email yields a 21% chance of getting a reply.

So what do you say in a follow-up? It depends on who is on the receiving end. If you're following up to a cold email, make sure you're always following up within the thread. Sending a new email gives the other person too much work. Then, keep it brief. Blog Life-Long Learner shared a few simple, sample follow-up examples and tips, like keeping it short and giving context.

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