Beat the "Delete" Key - How to Get Your Email Read

By Wendy Roth

Oops.

You were sorting through your email, and you thought the message you were deleting was spam, one of many unsolicited email messages you get a day. But then you reconsidered... was that really spam I got rid of? Or was that something I wanted to read, but I just didn't recognize it before my itchy delete finger killed it first?

How were you deciding whether or not that email was spam? You quickly scanned the subject, the subject — nothing you immediately recognized. So off to the trash bin.

As you sort through your email inbox, remember that the recipients of your email are doing the same thing. Is it your message that they've inadvertently deleted?

Presumably, they're interested in what you have to say, or they wouldn't have signed up to begin with. So what made them hit delete instead of opening your message right away, or at least saving it to be read later?

The "Envelope," Please

In a split second, people decide what to do with an email message based on the part of the message's header that's visible in their email inbox.

Think of your email's header as being like the envelope for traditional snail mail; it gives recipients some limited information about the contents of the message. This information determines whether they open it, stick it in a folder or throw it away immediately.

Like a regular letter, the complete email header contains information about where the message is from, and who it's being delivered to. But it also has information about the steps the message took as it went from your mail server to their inbox.

It also contains information about how the message should be interpreted so HTML looks right, attachments can be opened, and the message is displayed using the right character set for the language used.

If you know how to read it, the information in the complete email header can tip you off quickly whether an email message is legitimate, or if it's a virus or spam.

But when you scan your inbox, you won't see all of this detailed header information. What you'll likely see is the date, the sender's name or email address, and the subject line of the message.

"Who Is It?"

So look at the emails you're sending out. Are you making it easy for your recipients to scan your email "envelope" and recognize the mail is from you?

If you're changing the message's "From" address every time you send a mailing, your readers won't learn to recognize your email, and may be more likely to toss your mail before they know what it is.

Think about the name you want to use. Some programs such as Outlook only show the name of the sender if one is provided. Do you want to be known as "Customer Service"? Your name is an important part of your message's inbox identity.

And think about what happens if someone replies to your message. Even if you tell recipients not to, you'll always have some who automatically hit "reply". Make sure the "From" (and the Reply to, if you have one) are "live" email addresses.

Sure, you'll mostly get out of office messages. But you'll also get unsubscribe requests, change of address notifications, and — sometimes — feedback on what you sent. If you're trying to connect to your recipients by sending email, make sure they can connect back to you by writing to your "From" address.

Another benefit of using a consistent email address is that you can inform your recipients what it is when they sign up for your email, and ask them to put it in their address book. That way, they can ensure your mail isn't misclassified and placed in the bulk or trash folder, instead of the inbox.

If those weren't reasons enough to have a legitimate "From" address, the recent legislation known as CAN-SPAM makes it the law of the land (if the land you're in is the United States). Using a legitimate "From" address makes it more likely your recipients will "whitelist" your address and read your email.

"What's in it for me?"

The other part of the email "envelope" — the subject — is just as important in determining your email message's destiny. You're probably already crafting your subject lines so they don't get flagged by spam filters by using words like "free" or phrases like "Make Money Fast".

But your emails have to get past a tougher spam filter: the wary recipients who are all too ready to consider your message spam. Even if it's clear your message isn't spam, the subject line may not tell them why your message is relevant or interesting to them.

Your recipients are interested in hearing from you, but they may not be interested in everything you have to say. The six to eight words in the subject line are what lets them know if this email message is going to benefit them, or waste their time.

When crafting your subject line, think about why your recipients should want to open your email. What benefit is there for them? Will they get a special deal? Will they learn about important industry news? Will they have their curiosity satisfied? You know why you want them to open and read your email message, but what's in it for them? Make the payoff clear in the subject line, and it's more likely your message will get past your readers' internal spam filters.

But don't mislead. If your email is about septic tanks, don't pretend in the subject line that it's an invitation to a party (unless it's a party celebrating septic tanks). And if you're sending adult content, advise your recipients in the subject line. It's not just a good idea — it's the law if you're sending email in the United States.

The typical email inbox is a very crowded place nowadays, and people need to make quick work of what they keep and what they trash. Help them make the decision to keep — and read — your email by making it clear it's from you, and that they'll benefit by opening it.

Wendy Roth is Training Manager at Lyris Technologies and part of Lyris' Professional Services team.