An article in ClickZ, "Email Testing: Here Come the Bridesmaids," by Heidi Anderson, got me thinking about the factors that determine whether an email gets opened. In Anderson's article, she recounted a case study in which two email Subject lines yielded very different results in a test. The two lines in question were:

A: "Live in Manhattan? Buy your bridesmaid dresses online!"

B: "Manhattan Residents: Buy your bridesmaid dresses online!"

Which one would you expect to pull better? If you're a direct marketer, you would probably choose Subject line A -- and you'd be right. Subject line A generated twice the email "open" rate as Subject line B.

Anderson isn't sure why A pulled better, but I think it's just old-fashioned direct marketing common sense: "Manhattan Residents," in the plural, is written as if to multiple recipients. It sounds like an ad. "Live in Manhattan?" asks a question -- a good way to generate interest in itself. But more crucial, it's written as if to a single recipient. It has that all-important one-to-one, conversational sound.

Direct marketing is a person-to-person medium. To write the most effective direct response copy, write as if you were speaking face-to-face with the recipient. Always address the recipient as an individual, never in the plural. In email marketing, this includes the Subject header.

That's just one aspect to think about in creating an email message that gets opened. I thought of a few more ....

"Subject" Header

The bridesmaid dresses promotion mentioned above illustrates just one factor that can help you get your email opened. Besides structuring your Subject line so that it's addressed in an engaging way to the individual recipient, you also need to consider such issues as:

1. Capitalization format: All-caps make your message look like spam and will get your message automatically deleted by many people's spam filters. Using title case (that is, capitalizing the first letter of each word, as with an article title) makes your subject header look more like an ad and thus less appealing. In the bridesmaid promotion, the less successful Subject line used title case, like so: "Manhattan Residents:". Doesn't that give the header a distant, overly formal, almost pompous look?

2. Punctuation: Avoid exclamation points. I wouldn't even use one, not to mention multiple exclamation points. In nearly every case, it will mark your message as spam and destine it for the recycle bin. A question mark can add interest, but even when asking a question you need to think strategically: When combined with my From header, will this question be engaging enough for my target recipient so that person will want to open this email? Or will it just look like spam? Another punctuation issue: Double-check for incorrect punctuation, even in your Subject line. "Your invited to a Net Seminar" makes you look like an idiot.

3. The "spammy" look and feel: It's tricky to avoid having your message look like spam. These days, people receive so much spam that it's easy to become the victim of mistaken identity, even if your list is opt-in. It's hard to set any rules. As in #2 above, ask yourself how your target audience will view this particular Subject line in conjunction with the From header, especially if it's received in company with 10 spam messages.

4. Newsletter topics: Why waste your newsletter's Subject field telling people stuff they already know, such as today's date? Why not draw their interest by referring to one of today's articles instead? For the longest time, I published my email newsletters with just the publication's title and date in the Subject header. I don't know why it took me so long to catch on, but smarter email publishers convinced me that I would get much better response by teasing the newsletter's content. And they were right.

"From" Header

Your From header is at least as important as your Subject line, especially if you are sending to people who receive a lot of email. Users are more likely to open up a commercial email that comes from a recognized source. For that reason, it's important to use a list hosting solution that allows you to have your own company or personal name in the From header.

Similarly for opt-in list rentals. If you're hiring a supplier to send your promotion to an opt-in list, find out what kind of relationship the list owner has with its list members. Are these people accustomed to receiving regular mailings from this provider? Are these mailings viewed as valuable communications? What kinds of open and response rates has this provider been getting? An engaging Subject line combined with a recognized sender is more likely to stand out and get a response.

When It Goes Out

Conventional wisdom holds that the best days to mail are Monday through Wednesday. Mailings on Thursday through Sunday tend to suffer from the "weekend effect" -- recipients are more likely to be away from their computers, and their minds are distracted by personal matters that are more interesting than your email message. Likewise, holiday times result in dropping response rates for many publications and promotions. Then there are the "August doldrums," when many people are on vacation.

But conventional wisdom might not apply to your situation. Some kinds of emailings might do well on the weekend -- for example, entertainment-related messages. A last-minute retail special might do well during a holiday period, especially if it helps the recipient solve a gift-buying problem. And August mailings to parents with school-age children might benefit from the back-to-school parental mindset.

It's certainly worth testing the timing of your mailings to find out what gets the best response.

Another issue related to the timing of your emails: What's going on in the world at the time? Can you up your response rate by tying your mailings in with high-interest events, such as elections, sports, or popular movies? On the other hand, if your audience's attention is gripped by compelling world events, how much attention will they pay to your emailing? How many of us in the U.S. felt like sending or responding to commercial email in the days following September 11?

What's Inside

In building your own commercial email list or newsletter, keep your eye on providing value for your audience and developing a trusting relationship with them. Whether your list is responsive ultimately depends on whether you have become known for providing useful content and valuable offers for your recipients over the long haul. It's a branding issue.

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Al Bredenberg is editor of Email Marketing Results and publisher of EmailResults.com. EmailResults.com provides resources for opt-in email marketers and publishers, including the EmailResults.com Marketers' Market, the online marketplace for email lists and marketing services.