Here’s a great article with four helpful tips on making your email marketing messages more engaging from Blue Sky Factory: http://blog.blueskyfactory.com/creativeanddesign/4-email-marketing-creatives-that-made-me-convert/

I’d like to focus on the “create reminders”. Not all software can do this, but those of you sending out B2B webcast invitations and reminders via email MUST have an option for someone to save the event to calendar. There is neat software like Trumba which can also enable reminders, you just need to find the right package for you. Let your customers personalize how they want to be engaged and the likelihood that they’ll participate in whatever you’re marketing will increase dramatically.

And by all means, personalize messages (when appropriate) beyond inserting a first name. For instance, if you are in retail, suggest complimentary products based upon previous purchases; suggest geographically popular items; or even get creative with seasonally specific products (cold-friendly items in areas where it is cold)… and so on…