Love it, hate it, it doesn’t matter. Emails are a daily part of most people’s lives. Getting someone to actually read a marketing email, understand it and respond to is not as easy as it looks. When composing this type of email, many get sloppy with simple errors like forgotten attachments or poor subject titles.

When it comes to emails, there are some solid rules one should adhere to for generating potential business, say marketing experts.

Avoid trying to use shortcuts

A big shortcut some people attempt to use is simply purchasing an email list instead of building up their own. There are several reasons you shouldn’t do this method, particularly because it’s a violation of the General Data Protection Regulation. Also, the best email addresses aren’t for sale, and buying these addresses can destroy one’s email deliverability and IP reputation. If you want to be successful, you need to cultivate your own email list.

Lose irrelevant details

Many marketing professionals advise business owners to refrain from stuffing their messages with unnecessary language. Bullet points filter out the clutter and highlight the concise points one is trying to make.

Preview text can be the hook

The ideal preview text should amount to 50 characters or less, short and sweet. Engaging the audience right at the top of the email offers an advantage that the email recipient cannot miss. This preview text will draw the consumer in and encourage them to read the rest of your email.

Alt text can lead to clicks

It’s common for a lot of email clients to block images, but that should not stop a creative email marketer. It’s recommended that well-written alt text is used so that a potential client will know what to click and where it will take them. Using proper alt text also prevents text showing that doesn’t have anything to do with the email and confusing potential consumers.

Sharing on social media

Social sharing buttons are a wise addition to one’s email for boosting the clickthrough rate. Also adding an option to tweet information makes it super simple for the client to share something from the email on Twitter.

Stop over-summarizing

Instead of summarizing every point in a marketing email, it’s easier to refer the recipient to a relevant document or website that already has that information recorded.

Say no to small talk

You might think asking how a consumer’s day has been helps draw them into the email, but most people gloss over this section. Unless the email is a personal one, avoid too much text that isn’t necessary.