How to Boost Your Email Open Rates in 60 Days (Without Burning Your List)

Hey, it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

If your open rates are dipping below 40%, you’ve got a deliverability problem. Inbox providers are punishing you.

Low opens = emails landing in spam or promotions = wasted money.

The good news? You can turn it around in just 60 days.

Here’s how.

Step 1: Clean Your List (Week 1)

The Problem:
You’re probably sending emails to disengaged subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in months. This tanks your sender reputation.

The Fix:

• Create engaged segments in Klaviyo:

  • 14-Day Engaged: Opened/clicked an email in the past 14 days.

  • 30-Day Engaged: Opened/clicked in the last 30 days.

  • 60-Day Engaged: Opened/clicked in the last 60 days.

Action:
For the next 2 weeks, ONLY send campaigns to your 14-day engaged list.
This will immediately boost open rates and signal to inbox providers that people like your emails.

Step 2: Send Better Emails (Weeks 1–4)

The Problem:
Your emails might not be compelling enough to open. Harsh, but true.

The Fix:

• Subject Lines That Pop:

  • Ask questions: “Still looking for the perfect [product]?”

  • Add urgency: “Last Chance – Your 10% Off Ends Tonight.”

  • Personalize: “John, Don’t Miss This Secret Sale.”

• Keep It Clean:

  • Avoid spammy words like free, act now, or too many emojis (e.g., 🔥🔥🔥).

  • Stick to a clean sender name like [Your Brand] or The Team at [Your Brand].

• Text-Based Emails:
  Use plain-text emails to mimic personal messages – they often outperform flashy designs.

Step 3: Optimize Campaign Timing (Weeks 2–6)

The Problem:
You’re sending emails when your audience isn’t active.

The Fix:

• Test send times: Start with mornings (8–10 AM) or atfernoons (1-3 PM).

• Use Klaviyo’s Smart Send Time feature to find the best time for your list.

• Segment by time zones for international audiences.

Step 4: Warm Up Your Sending Volume (Weeks 3–8)

The Problem:
If you’ve been sending to your entire list with low engagement, inbox providers have flagged you as spammy.

The Fix:

• Gradually expand your audience:

  • Weeks 1–2: Send to the 14-day engaged list.

  • Weeks 3–4: Expand to the 30-day engaged list.

  • Weeks 5–6: Include the 60-day engaged list if open rates are stable above 40%.

Why It Works:
You’re rebuilding trust with inbox providers by showing that recipients are opening and engaging with your emails.

Step 5: Stay Consistent (Weeks 4–8)

The Problem:
Inconsistent sending trains inbox providers to distrust your emails.

The Fix:

• Send 3 campaigns per week to your engaged segments.

• Focus on value-driven content:

  • Product benefits

  • Customer stories

  • Educational tips

  • Sneak peeks or exclusives

The 60-Day Outcome:
Follow this process, and you’ll:

• Rebuild your sender reputation.

• Land in inboxes instead of spam.

• Consistently hit open rates of 40-50%+.

Want a full breakdown of email deliverability hacks?

Check out my "Get Out of Spam Guide", I share the exact strategy we used to hit 50% open rates for a fresh Klaviyo account in just 6 weeks.

Let’s get those emails opened. 🚀

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
MeUndies

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BnwYuUVogmlRDVx35knNkNHnUT06pQfN/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
Love this sort of layout for a personal touch on graphic emails.

This is a nice refresh from all the crazy designs people have been sending for BFCM and the holiday season.

But at the same time adds a little bit of life to the plain text based style approach.

Template of The Day

If you want access to a bank of 134 mix and match templates like this equating to over 5,000+ possible email designs, click here » 

Helpful Links Of The Day

• My favorite content to watch about business

• Most creative campaign of all time…

• 2 words that will transform your copy

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max

PS - If you run an ecommerce brand above $50k/mo and you want to have a free email strategy consultation with me, book a call here »

PPS - I have a few different products you can buy. If you purchase any one of these products you get access to my private community of 850+ members with daily posts from me, access to me for support 24/7, and private calls.

• Ecommerce Email Mastery: A 60 lesson course breaking down everything you need to know about ecommerce email marketing in the most concise and organized manner. learn more »

• Mix and Match Email Design Templates: 134 email section templates that can make 5,000+ unique email designs with, learn more »

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PPS - If you run an ecommerce brand above $50k/mo and you want to have a free email strategy consultation with me, book a call here »