Creative content is the foundation of successful email marketing, since it is responsible for increasing open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. In this essay, we’ll go through the most important creative components of campaigns that generate great results.
What You Should Know
The first step is to develop a powerful email template. The fundamentals are as follows:
Layout. Simple single-column layouts are the quickest and most straightforward to optimize for mobile devices.
Text and photos. According to observations, the most effective emails contain approximately 60 percent graphics and 40 percent text.
Dimensions. A width of 400 to 600 pixels renders well on all platforms, regardless of their resolution. The length of an email might vary depending on the message, however lengthier emails take longer to load.
Fonts. Use common typefaces such as Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman, and Verdana instead than more unusual ones. Fonts that are less commonly used will not perform properly across all email systems.
Size: Maintain a file size of less than 100 KB. The smaller the file size, the faster the email will load and the greater the possibility that readers will actually read the content of the message.
Code. Emails must be readable on all devices, including desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones. Smartphones are now responsible for as much as 75% of all opens in some cases. Avoid using excessive HTML or tags, which can cause spam filters to kick in. When copying and pasting text, use a plain-text editor rather than Microsoft Word or a comparable program, which may introduce hidden formatting issues. Never include JavaScript or Flash in your email because these technologies are not supported by email clients. Also, avoid using embedded forms.
Regulations must be followed. Include an unsubscribe link in the footer of your email, as well as your company’s actual mailing address, as required by the United States’ CAN-SPAM Act.
Design in general Marketing communications should be straightforward, uncluttered, and simple to read.
Headings, subheadings, and white space all aid in the organization of the text. Make the call-to-action stand out by isolating it.
Fonts should be no smaller than 12 to 14 pixels in height on desktop computers and 16 pixels in height on smartphones.
Colors. There should be no more than three, the fewer the better.
The design should always incorporate the four Ws: work, work, work, and work.
Who is the sender of the email?
What makes it meaningful to the receiver is explained.
It is necessary for the recipient to act at a certain point.
What should I do next?
The more the clarity with which you explain these four factors, the greater the likelihood of conversion.
Images /Width. Images that are broader than the template (for higher resolution) can be scaled down using the image attributes or CSS after being placed in the template.
When a picture cannot be loaded or is banned by the user, the alt text will be displayed. As a result, alt text should be properly written to describe the image and assist readers in understanding its purpose.
People should be included. Ones with humans appear to perform better than images without people, in my opinion.
Relevancy. Make certain that the image serves the intended goal of the email.
Screenshot of a Shopilicious email that contains four photos and very little text.
There is a good balance between graphics and content in this template example from Shopilicious. Additionally, the call-to-action (“Shop Now”) is located near the top of the page, presenting the recipient with a clear direction.
Video and animated GIFs
Videos and animated GIFs can be used to entice viewers to click. However, not all email clients are capable of supporting video streaming within the template. Outlook and Gmail are examples of such services. Including an image with a play button superimposed on it that leads to a web-hosted video is the most effective work-around. (On the other hand, almost half of email service providers support embedded HTML5 video.)
Animated GIFs are supported by all email clients. However, keep the file size to no more than 1 MB.
An animated GIF email from Starbucks with all four panes visible is shown in this screenshot.
Animated GIFs, such as the one shown above from Starbucks, are supported by all email clients.
Optimization for Mobile Devices
The template for a responsive email will automatically adjust to the device on which the recipient is viewing it. Other mobile best practices to consider are as follows:
The call-to-action button should be large enough to be clicked with a finger (at least 44 × 44 pixels with a 16-pixel minimum text size) and placed as close to the top of the screen as is practical (at least one-third of the screen height).
Only a single column will be formatted.
To ensure that there is sufficient white space, line spacing should be at least 1.5 times larger than font size.
The logo should be placed in the upper center or top left of the screen.