180. Email Marketing › how it works › getting startedtrust with the reader. The “from” address should also include the organisation’sname. A meaningless “from” address which the reader cannot identify onlyserves to confuse the origin of the newsletter.Subject LineThe subject line could be the most important part of an email! Subject linesaid the reader in identifying the email, and also entice the reader to open it.The subject line is also scrutinised by spam filters, and so you should avoidusing characters, i.e. #2$%&^^%### or !!!!!. Consistent subject lines, usingthe name of the company and the newsletter edition, can build familiarity andhelp readers to sort their inbox. As with everything online, testing differentsubject lines will lead marketers to the formula that works for them.Personalised GreetingWith a database that has the capability to store readers’ names, it is possibleto personalise the greeting of the email. “Hi Kim Morgan” can elicit far betterresponses than “Dear Valued Customer”, but it is possible to create a greetingwith personality without personalising it. Occasionally, the subject line can bepersonalised as well to boost responses.BodyThis is where the content of the email goes. Don’t be tempted to use too manyimages: it can increase the size of the email, and it can obscure text whenimages do not load. Be sure that text is not on the image, but rather can be readwithout an image being loaded.FooterA standard footer for emails helps to build consistency, and is the customaryplace to keep the contact details of the company sending the email. At the veryleast, this should include the name and contact email of the company. It canalso include the privacy policy of the sender. One way to grow the email list isadd a “forward to a friend” link in the footer. The most important part of thefooter is a clear unsubscribe link. Some ESPs offer you the ability to also placesocial media sharing buttons and links in the footer, allowing subscribers toalso share your email on their social media networks.Unsubscribe LinkIt is mandatory to have an unsubscribe link on all commercial emails. Interactiveemails are best constructed with lightweight HTML capability allowing theemail to open quickly. This helps to capture the user’s attention before he/shemoves on. The structure must allow readers to scan and navigate the emaileasily. The length of paragraphs, emphasis through bolding and colours aswell as sectioning information with bullets and borders all contribute to a well-structured email. 177