Why Do Teacherprenuer Email Rates Drop in Summer?

You’ve been consistent. You’ve emailed. You’ve even got replies. Things were going really well. So why did your open rates drop off in June?

It’s like 10% of your open rate got up and walked off the email report.

Are your latest emails not resonating? Was there an algorithm change? Is email dying like you keep hearing?

It’s much more simple than that.

Teachers Aren’t Teaching

Something big happens in June every year. What? School gets out. Teachers flee the school. (As if it was a fire breathing dragon searching them out and holding them hostage.)

And what do teachers do as soon as they are set free out? Check their emails 3 times a day? NNnnnoooooooo. They pretend their school email address doesn’t even exist, right?

For teachers who have more self control than me, they don’t check their emails while they are on break. (Ahhhhh. What it must be like to have a supportive admin who understands that summer break is why we chose this job?)

So if teachers aren’t teaching, they aren’t needing your just in time emails that help them teach better through hacks, products, and monkey student taming tips.

So what then? Are you supposed to not email in the summer? Just accept that loss on open rates? Keep sending what you are sending?

No.

You can overcome this. In fact, you can turn summertime into your email showcase where you send your best emails.

Teachers aren’t teaching, but they still need support, friendship, and great ideas.

But first, what should be different about summer emails?

Structure Summer Emails Differently

During school, your emails should be structured around teaching strategies and sales. For example, show teachers a new way to teach a lesson. (That conveniently links to your product that makes teaching that lesson easy.)

But that won’t work in the summer.

Emails to your TPT list should be structured around building a relationship with the reader.

Help your teachers go back to the basics if your audience has been teaching for a while. Or if they were shoved placed into a teaching role they weren’t 100% ready for or interested in. They will email you back with lots of thanks.

Help your teachers actually relax this summer. And not just Netflix binge away the summer. Help them craft, chill, and experience summer like they daydreamed it would be. As stressed as they are during the year, they need your guidance in relaxing and rejuvenating. They will reply thrilled that you took them on that journey.

Help your teachers brush up on technology they never have time to learn. It will make running their classroom like a dream. They will email you back saying they love how much faster and easier teaching will be this upcoming year.

That’s how you take back the 10% of your email open rate that seems to have disappeared. Or more. But if you really want to go all out…

Theme Your Summer Emails

What do you mean, “theme your emails”? Create (or buy through any of the links here) your emails based on teacher needs or wants during the summer.

What do your teachers want during the summer?

Do they want to relax? Then help them rejuvenate and relax through a series of thought provoking emails. Do they want to get excited for the back to school season for the first time since 2019 in a while? Then show them how to do that.

Do they want to become amazing lab teachers? Then help them through a professional development series that would make Bill Nye jealous.

Are they struggling with something in particular? Then walk them through overcoming and succeeding with the issue that will make them a better teacher.

The bottom line:

You can’t send the same emails you do during the school year to your teacher email list. They have different needs in the summer.

Change Your Emails to Increase Your Summer Open Rates

So there isn’t something you are doing wrong.

It’s something no one has told you. There is no algorithm change. No email flops. Just a change of pace and types of emails you should send during the summer.

Don’t accept the 10% drop in open rate. Think about where your teacher audience is and what they want this summer or next school year. Then deliver that.

If you aren’t sure, look over my summer bonus packs and find one that will resonate with your teachers. (Or email me and tell me about your audience and we can come up with something special to help them.)