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<p>If we learned anything last season, it was that open rates are no longer the magic email metric.</p>
<p>Changes to <a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/apple-email-privacy-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple’s privacy settings</a> dethroned an already shaky measurement tool, albeit one many marketers loved to tout.</p>
<p>While staying laser-focused on one metric is a surefire way to derail your email strategy (and fill your subscribers’ inboxes with spam-friendly subject lines), is there a new golden standard for senders? Now that open rates are a thing of the past, how can we shift our focus?</p>
<p>In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the importance of focusing on subscribers and encouraging engagement, breaking down the benefits of subscriber engagement, and sharing some creative ways to encourage likes, shares, and replies. It’s time to stop viewing subscribers like spreadsheets and start building a real relationship with the people behind your metrics.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-38629 lazy" data-src="https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="increase engagement" width="1500" height="1848" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=600&amp;w=487 487w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1024&amp;w=831 831w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=946&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1536&amp;w=1247 1247w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=727&amp;w=590 590w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=240&amp;w=195 195w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=2048&amp;w=1662 1662w, https://media.kit.com/post/djhrqQwg-increase-engagement.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></p>
<h2>Quotes</h2>
<p>[29:13] &#8211; <em>“In this day in age, we’re all so focused on clicks and likes and that’s what this whole podcast episode is about. But in order to get those things from your subscribers, you have to build a relationship with them.”</em> ~ <a href="https://x.com/mel_lambert_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@mel_lambert_</a></p>
<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
<ul>
<li>[11:26] &#8211; Add “reactions” to your email message. This is a great feature that not only encourages engagement but helps you as a sender understand how your subscribers are responding to your emails.</li>
<li>[14:50] &#8211; Create a fun segment in your email newsletter that encourages responses. Polls and surveys are great for engagement and another way to solicit feedback.</li>
<li>[21:48] &#8211; With tools like ReplyVid, you can even ask subscribers to reply to your email with a video message. It’s a fun relationship-building technique and a feature unique from any form of social media.</li>
<li>[24:18] &#8211; Add something to your emails that subscribers can interact with – like a pet to “feed” or a flower to “water”.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Links</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.litmus.com/conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Litmus Live</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/apple-email-privacy-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined 0218: Apple’s New Privacy Changes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sparkloop.app/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SparkLoop</a></li>
<li><a href="https://replyvid.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ReplyVid</a></li>
<li><a href="https://empressofdirt.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Empress of Dirt</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christaylorvasquez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Vasquez</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kit.com/features/deliverability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Send us your great email signup form!</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Connect with our hosts</h2>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://x.com/alyssa_dulin" target="_blank">Alyssa Dulin</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://x.com/mel_lambert_" target="_blank">Melissa Lambert</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Stay in touch</h2>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deliverability-defined/id1515377286" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1ElZx2zrhvllOkbPzSfGxX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://x.com/kit" target="_blank">X/Twitter</a></li>
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<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://kit.com/features/deliverability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined Website</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Try Kit&#8217;s deliverability in action</h2>
<p>It&#8217;s now free to use Kit with an audience of 10,000 subscribers or less! Start building your audience and reaching their inboxes: <a href="https://kit.com/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kit.com/pricing</a>.</p>
<p>To receive email notifications when new episodes of Deliverability Defined are available, or to submit topic suggestions,<a href="https://deliverabilitydefined.kit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> sign up to our email list</a>.</p>


Creative strategies to increase subscriber engagement

Own the relationship with your audience

Melissa Lambert

Kit’s October 2021 Deliverability Report

Growing your email list with a referral program