As with almost anything, best defense is a good offense. It is best not to post your email address in public forums, where spammers can harvest it. If you have a website consider typing out email address: 'name at domain.com', without using "@" symbol, as this will prevent address from being abused by email harvesting bots. Another alternative is to provide a contact form rather than an email address.

Resources: Email Clients - http://www.messaging-software.net/e-mail-client-software.htm Spam Filters - http://www.email-software.org/spam-filter-software.htm

About the Author - Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net

For instance, an auto accessories web site might ask, "Having trouble finding that special part?" (and how, man living in rural Arkansas might say).

Or, pique their curiosity: "We have parts you won't find elsewhere ..." (really, which ones?).

For SUV enthusiasts, who tend to view their vehicle as a macho display, you might want to highlight their need to be bigger and better: "Make it better, make it bigger, make it perform ..." would draw in a nice segment of male population who want auto parts that do all of those things.

Get into your audience's mind set, and try different avenues; brainstorm and write everything you come up with.

Pretend you're a 22-two-year old who wants speakers that will blast and can be heard from ten blocks away, and see what you can come up with that would appeal to them.

Then place this at top of your email, in nice, bold print.

Chances are, you'll hook them in, and they'll want to read more.

*Step Five: Personalize Your Email*

We all like being addressed by name, and it's no different with emails.

If you can address your recipients by name, please do (your web developer can create a script that puts names in automatically).

If not, or you can't afford programming fees, then try addressing your audience in as personal a manner as possible.

Instead of "Dear sir or ma'am" try "Dear fellow auto enthusiast ..." for your car accessories.

*Step Six: Create Lead Paragraphs That Pull People In*

Okay, you've got a nice headline.

Now, take information you gathered in steps one, two, and three, and write a paragraph that highlights main reason people will buy from you, or use your service.

Use their language, too. If you are selling highly technical software to computer nerds who administrate servers, you will use a different tone and language than if addressing young adults who buy body piercings.

Know your audience, and write to why they want to come to you.

Use a warm, friendly tone, as if you are talking directly to them. "Are you tired of not finding car part that you want, at an affordable price?

We understand, because at Auto Accessories Unlimited, we're car enthusiasts ourselves.

We know what it's like to look for that special part for a classic Chevy, because you want your car to look great ..."

Use word "you" more than "we" or "I".

People don't really care that much about how great you are; they care about how well you will meet their needs.

By addressing them in second person, you are unconsciously letting them know that they are important ones, and in selling, that's vital psychology.

Which firm would you rather so business with?

The one that says, "Our firm has highly credentialed marketing staff, with associate's degrees in marketing, finance, and commerce.

We have completed courses in administration, and have a huge facility in Podunk, Nebraska," or one that says, "From moment you walk into our store, we concentrate on you.

We will spend individual, quality time to discover your needs, and to help you create a marketing plan that will help your firm grow-and make you more money."

Use this same approach in your emails, and you'll see increased response rates.

*Step Seven: Say It Early*

People going online are often busy and impatient, and will often scan just first few sentences of emails.

You may only have one paragraph to communicate meat of your message, so do so; you can round out with more detail later in main part of your email.

Try to create your first paragraph as a "mini-telegraph" or your message, with a link to your web site, and you'll get quick and restless readers to act as well.

*Step Eight Give Them Reasons To Buy*

Your main body should round out appeal to emotions that you used in your headline.

Now, you're using facts to convince them.

This is part where you discuss high-tech software, beautiful colors, great price.

You've already gotten them interested in your product; here, you get to give them your "sales pitch."

Not sure what to say?

Ask your sales force, if you operate offline.

If you're a one-man operation, imagine a scene in which a customer is sitting across desk from you.

What questions would they ask about your product or service?

How would you answer them?

Use this in your main copy, to let them know how great your business really is, and why it's better than others.

Step Nine: Create A Strong Call To Action*

If a customer walked into a store to shop, a good sales person would ask, "Would you like to look at today's special?" or "Would you like to pay with check or credit card?"

We can learn from this behavior, and should use it in our email marketing.

These questions are "calls to action", letting customer know that you expect them to take a decided action.

People don't know they are supposed to come visit your web page, or learn more about your great products, unless you tell them to.

A call to action can be as simple as a link that opens up your email address to find out more information, or as elaborate as a link to a .pdf brochure that explains your products and services in more detail.

And don't let them put off taking action.

Remind them that this is a time-limited price, or value, and that they should "order today" to get this special.

Otherwise, they will think, "I'll do it tomorrow" and forget, since "out of sight" is often literally "out of mind" for most of us.

*Step Ten: Offer An Incentive*

We all love to get something for free, and this could be factor that pushes an undecided customer into actually ordering from you.

Whether you provide a discount, a free ebook, or free software, you should give them a reason to order.

One excellent incentive is a money-back guarantee, since most of us are naturally suspicious when we go online: we wonder if product will really work, and if company really stands behind their products.

Because after headline, "P.S." is second most frequently read part of an email, many companies like to place their incentives there.

It's more likely that it will get read, and encourage customer to act.

*Step Eleven: Keep Them Short*

Reading emails is hard on eyes, and for this reason, most people only scan them.

Do your customers a favor, a keep your email messages short and sweet.

They will appreciate it, and there's a greater chance that they will be read.