We get too many emails (except for the ones you get from me; they are just right 🙂 ).  Few people have time to open and read through every single email that shows up in their inbox.  Not all of them are worth reading.  Good spam filters and setting up “rules” to handle email keep things manageable to some degree. But, everyone wants THEIR email to be the one that is read – especially bloggers and online business owners. 

What about when it’s YOUR email that is getting blocked or ignored? 

How do you get the “welcome mat”  put out for your email?  You know what I mean, right? Think of the emails you get that you look forward to. Think of the authors that you are anxious to hear from. What is it about their emails that keep you WANTING them? What is it about certain emails that you wait for in anticipation,  immediately notice, almost always read, and usually genuinely appreciate?


You have to create value for the reader.  You need to benefit the reader. You have to write emails that readers want to read – something that they open without hesitation when they see it buried in a pile of other messages.  You need to stoke interest.  When someone reads your email, they need to think “I’m glad I took my valuable time to read that message.”  

People are rightfully selfish when it comes to their time. They want your emails to benefit THEM primarily. They are trading, literally, their “life” (time) to read what you send them – so it better be worth the investment.

Here are some ideas to get you started in creating truly valuable and “wanted” emails:

  1. Have a clear and concise subject line.  Some people like witty or sarcastic titles but the majority of your readers want to know what they will encounter if they choose to open the message.
  2. Don’t give your readers too many directions.  If you fill your email with images, requests, sales pitches, and links, your reader won’t have a clear choice in what to do.  Most people will just delete and move on.
  3. Be aware of your audience.  Once you have a grasp on the type of people making up your target email group, write an email that will directly benefit that particular group. 
  4. Be personable.  Try to send emails from an email address that contains your real name (rather than a company name or anonymous “info” address).  Greet your audience and end with a sincere closing line and your name.  Personal doesn’t mean being too forward, or getting overly impersonal with “hey, sweetie” or “what up bro?” as your greeting. People like “personal,” but they are turned off by “presumptuous” or “immature.”
  5. Ask for feedback.  Always encourage your audience to reach out to you at the end of your emails.  Let them know you value their time.  Do not, however, send out more than an occasional email that JUST asks for feedback and for your readers to solve a problem for you.  People will tire of your requests and quickly stop looking for correspondence that might actually provide value to them. Sometimes in the attempt to “engage” (one of the popular hot words today), bloggers constantly write posts and send emails that state in essence “do something for me… spend your time to benefit me” presumably to make them feel like they are part of what you do. People are more interested in what THEY do, not what you do.
  6. Use your list-management program to track responses.  By looking at the amounts of emails that are opened or clicked through, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your emails.  What day or time of day do you get the best response?  You might write something very valuable but hold it until the time you have found the most people will open and respond. 
  7. Analyze your own in-box.  Most importantly, think about the messages from other online business owners which you always open.  What does that sender do that makes you interested in what they have to say?  Try to mimic the techniques of those senders (the techniques, not the wording) so that you can get your emails welcomed. 

These seven ideas can help you make a better impact with your email to your subscribers or customers. 

What are your tips or techniques for creating valuable emails?  Leave a comment and let’s talk about it. Or send me an email. 🙂

