5. Use Subject and Sender Wisely

Since these are the main elements that motivate someone to open email, give them your best shot.

• The Sender is the easier part. People don't take sweets from strangers, and they don't read mail from <mailer@mail.copycorp.com>. So don't use a mere email address; include a real name. You can even send your emails from a (hypothetical) real person's account.
• Writing killer subject lines is more difficult. You have only about 40 characters to motivate your members to click and read on.
  • That's why subject lines must be all about benefits. The best (if not the only) reason to open a message is to find a benefit within. The recipient's concern is literally, "What's in it for me?"
  • Don't think you can trick recipients into opening your message. The benefit you promise in your subject line needs to be one that you can actually fulfill. This rules out all cheap teasers automatically. That's why a subject line such as "Attend Widget World Convention at a Discount" works better than "We've Got the ABSOLUTELY Best Widgets! Don't Miss Out on Our Big Discounts!"
  • Questions also work, and they tend to work even better if they are surrounded by quotation marks. For example, you could try something as simple as "Want to Attend Widget World Convention at 20% off?" or "What Can Widget World Convention Do for You?"
  • But avoid anything commonly found in the subject lines of spam, including exclamation marks, dollar signs, uppercase text, and the words "free"and "you."Take a look at your daily dose of spam and learn from it about what not to do. Many email users have set up filters -- either in their email program or in their minds -- that move anything containing "$$$"into the trash immediately.