We’ve discussed the importance of using your email analysis tools to find out if your marketing campaigns are hitting the mark or missing wildly. This is done by using the email analytics to not only determine if your messages are being delivered, but whether or not the intended recipients are opening your messages, and if they’re clicking on the links within or just saying “No thanks” with their actions. We’ve also talked about the importance of asking questions to start a conversation. But what kind of questions should you be asking?

Ask relevant questions. This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people who think that asking questions like “Who’s prettier? Katy Perry or Justin Bieber?” is a great icebreaker. It is if you run a website dedicated to pop singers, but not so great if you’re in the business of providing business services.

Don’t ask rhetorical questions. These are the types of questions that don’t always invite an answer. It’s sort of like saying “You didn’t see that coming, did you?” In reality, no reply is ever necessary. What you should be doing is crafting well written questions that beg to be answered.

Ask questions that challenge your readers’ knowledge. You may even already know the answer to these questions, and that’s fine if you do. But by posing questions that actually cause your subscribers to use their grey matter, you’ll increase the chances of engagement.

An email analysis tool will do a lot, but it doesn’t always do the creative thinking for you. Be sure that you’re always thinking of new and creative ways to engage your subscribers.