How many of the people on your email list actually open and read your emails? Most people get so many emails that, even though they have asked to receive your email newsletter, they may filter it off to a folder to be read “later” or–even worse–just delete it unread.

No matter how good your email message is, if no one opens your emails they won’t do you or your customers any good.

So how can you get them to open your email newsletters? Some email marketers resort to tacky gimmicks. They use subject lines such as “You have earned a commission,” or something else that is false just to get you to open the email. Well, that may work to get you to open it, but you are likely to read only far enough to discover that they have lied to you. And then you will look for the “unsubscribe” link to keep that unscrupulous huckster out of your email inbox.

People are becoming wise to stupid email tricks. Instead of trying to trick people into opening your emails, you will get much better results when you use ethical and effective methods of email marketing.

Here are a few tips to make your email marketing more successful::

1. Craft a good subject line. In fact, you may spend more time on your subject line (at least per word!) than you do on the rest of the email. This is your headline, and like any headline if must grab the reader’s attention. Be creative but not deceitful. Promise a benefit (on which you will deliver), provoke your reader’s curiosity, ask a question or make a bold statement.
2. Be consistent. This could mean always mailing on the same day, having the same format and style for all of your emails, or having starting each subject line with an identifier, such as your name or the name of your website or newsletter. For example, when I send out my IdeaLady Insider email newsletter, my name is in the “from” field and the subject is “IdeaLady Insider -“ followed by the title of that issue. Make sure that you are doing what you promised to do when subscribers joined your list.
3. Always provide great content. When people know that you always send emails that are interesting and useful, they will make it a point to open and read them.
4. Let your subscribers get to know you. Build a relationship by sharing yourself with them. That can mean sharing personal information (but watch out for over-sharing!) or it can mean having personal contact. You might make yourself available to them by answering questions via email or holding teleseminars where they can talk to you. When they feel that they know you they will want to read your messages.

As you see your email open rates increase, you will also see increased sales from your email newsletters. Use email wisely to build relationships with prospects and they will become your customers.