Email is still one of the cheapest and yet most effective marketing tools that you can use to communicate directly with your prospective, existing and past clients.  You can respond immediately to their request for information, you can contact old clients, communicate with your existing clients, distribute press releases, and send invitations to prospects to visit your website, and alert prospects and clients alike about new products or services, sales, discounts, seminars, special events, etc.

The low cost-high returns and convenience mean that many other businesses are using it for the same reason. 

So how do you stand out, get yours opened, read and acted upon?

How to Improve your Open Rate

1.  Customise your 'from' field for maximum recognition

• Keep the 'from' field the same over time - to benefit from brand awareness
• Know what's happening in the spam world - avoid using a 'from' description that you know is likely to get deleted
• Customise the 'from' address, not just the name.

2.   Personalise your Emails

• personalisation techniques achieve 57% higher average order values than generic
• personalisation improves retention rates by about 5%

3.  Personalise The Email Subject Line

• Use the name of the recipient - this doubles the likelihood of your email being opened (source Marketing Sherpa)
• Can grab attention
• Consider using location as well

e.g. 'David, do you want to get some fabulous discounts for venues in the Bradford area this Bank Holiday weekend?

4.  Experiment with your subject Line

• Try different subject lines and see what works best.  Try including numbers.
• Consider putting a common element in all your subject lines - the right 'familiar' word may avoid your email being inadvertantly deleted.

5.  Avoid 'promotional' words

• 'Special Offer' 'Free' 'Limited Time' 'Buy Now' - will be trapped by the spam filter or deleted by the reader

6.  Keep your subject line short and snappy

• Make your point in as few words as possible
• Less than 35 characters had Higher opening chick-through rates
• Give enough info to make people want to open the email to read more
• Put your benefit, offer, or the most important part at the beginning

7.  Know your readers and tune your subject line to them

• Men prefer news or compelling info - women prefer discount offers (as a general rule)

8.  Send your email to yourself

• Check how it looks in your inbox.  Would you open it?

9.  Make it easy to 'white list' your emails

• Consider including a common word in square brackets so readers can filter based on that word

10. Be aware of timing

• If first thing it may appear in your recipients' in-box at the same time as the majority of others.  Think about the best time for them.

 Click HERE for further info from source.