It doesn't take a marketing expert to note that e-mail response rates have sunk dramatically in the last 12-24 months. E-mail remains a viable medium, even to rented lists, but more than ever, ensuring some measure of success means adhering to fundamental rules of direct marketing creative. With that said, here are two common mistakes we continue to see all too often:

1. The "tell me something I already know" opening.

It's a legacy of "old school" direct mail copywriting that many marketers feel the need to establish a connection, a level of understanding, with their audience when they begin their e-mail. The result is a message that begins with something like:

"As a busy professional, you know that time is precious..."

or

"As a network manager, your job depends on keeping your company's network up and running..."

In the first sentence, it's critical that you give the reader a compelling reason to proceed further. Try leading with a benefit instead:

"Now there's a revolutionary technique for eliminating countless wasted hours every day..."

or

"Discover a new technology that's guaranteed to increase network performance more than 200 percent..."

In direct marketing parlance, a "call to action" is not an "offer", and vice-versa. Yet to see the number of e-mail campaigns that run every day without an offer, it's painfully obvious that many marketers have failed to grasp the distinction. For example:

"For more information about the new WidgetPro Version 3.2, click here..."

or

"To learn more, visit out Web site at www.widgetpro.com..."

"Request our free information kit, including a fast-paced, interactive demo of WidgetPro 3.2, by clicking here..."

or

"Gain exclusive access to our online media kit, including rates, specifications, and editorial calendar, by visiting our Web site at www.widgetpro.com..."