If you’re like me, I hate spam mail and I immediately delete every unsolicited email. Maybe I was once enamored with the company, but I fell out of love and just never got around to unsubscribing, so I delete, delete, delete and trash, trash, trash like crazy. Yet…there are some company emails I read faithfully.

What makes the difference?

• A great tagline helps.

• Don’t write too often. I hate companies who try to email me six times a day! Once a week or every other week is more than adequate.

• Bullet points for content helps me determine if I want to read the article. Start with the points and then elaborate once they’re hooked.

• Make it pop with color and stunning visuals.

• Offer value.

Every email needs to offer value. What constitutes value? It can be information or guides. It can be free patterns. It can be a contest toward free product. It can be an upcoming sale. It an be a tutorial or source of information about new products…but it needs to be enticing.

True Story: I once read a book I hated. It was not assigned reading. And I won’t defame the book by telling you its title. The point is that once I saw it, picked it up, and started the first chapter I forced myself to read all 398 pages because I found it valuable. I hated it. I couldn’t put it down. That’s the value of a well written email.

Make your email engaging. If writing isn’t your gig, ask someone like me to write an email for you. It needs to include something funny, something inspirational, something practical. You know the old adage of weddings: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Emails need the same sort of content. Not every one may be a home run, but aim for the fence and at least hit line drives.

Build a relationship. Tell personal stories, and while that may seem difficult when you hire it out, it’s not. Good stories share universal themes we may all relate to, so whether the story is your own or mine or someone else’s, it’s all good. Be vulnerable. Be personable. Terminus reports that 64% of email readers open and read a missive because of who it’s from. In other words, your friendship matters more than your company name, more than what you sell, more than what you’re offering.

Your subject line needs to be 6 to 10 words long. It helps to add an emoji or unusual keystroke. Make it personal. Make it engaging. Think about all the emails you automatically delete…what would make you open it up? Put aside the hype of selling or sensationalism. I have new product. See the picture! Six words that will change the way you cook meals. See what I mean? Readers see they aren’t being snagged into long letters. A quick pic. Six words. We all have time for that! If it’s from you and it sounds easy, yes, it’s going to be opened.

Email is another important component of your marketing platform. Don’t assume it’s past its prime. If you read email, so do your shoppers!