Crafting a great subject line: shorter is better, front-load important words or key phrases, avoid salty language, keep it straightforward, personalize when appropriate, Mix it up. Tips when choosing your fro the name and email address:
- Use a company address, not a free webmail account
- Don’t send emails from no-reply
- Use an address that indicates the purpose of the send
- Customer lifecycle should dictate who the emails come from
Writing effective email copy: write for scannability, use the right tone, personalize when appropriate, make it readable on any screen, proofread, proofread, and mix it up. Create a 1 to 1 Conversation by using: Name, Location, Interests, Behaviors, Content Downloaded.
Preventing errors in your email: send yourself a test. Check it on your computer and your phone. Try to read your email without images, click on all of the links, make sure your unsubscribe link is working, check to see if there’s a plain-text version, test your email in popular apps and programs. The function of a call-to-action is to take the reader out of the inbox. Ask yourself: what do I want the reader to do?, Why should they do it?, How will they know how to do it?. Make each component of your email a call-to-action: Link images to your offer’s landing page, hyperlink the appropriate copy in emails, edit alt-text of images and CTA’s, and modify preview text. CTA’s should be no less than 44px by 44px. Most image-based emails preferred. Images in B2B vs. B2C emails as a general rule of thumb:
- B2C – People want to see features, colors, textures and more. Images let people see the product
- B2B – Use 1 or 0 images so as not to distract people from converting.
Email design best practices include pick a primary goal, write and design the copy, and create a consistent experience. Deliveries, clicks, and opens are metrics, not goals. Analysis paralysis is the state of overthinking that stops people from making a decision. Writing effective email copy includes writing for scannability, using the right tone, personalizing when appropriate, and proofread, proofread, proofread. Grab attention, build anticipation, and have a call to action. Use the inverted pyramid by Vero. Communicating with design use headers and subheaders, use font, bolding, italics, numbers or colored text, but not underline, be deliberate about the top 25% of your email, and if you are going to use multiple calls-to-action, stack your content. Reduce information density. White space – negative space, refers to the part of your emails that are left unmarked. An email client is a computer program that allows you to access and manage your email. Email design and website design are different. Email layout design guidelines provide a link to an online version, 600 pixels is the ideal width, lean away from HTML/CSS-based positioning, and stick to table-structured positioning. Email images and styling tips:
- Add alt text to your images
- Avoid creating your email as a single image
- Avoid using background images
- Don’t use externally-referenced CSS
- Define the width and height of your images
Facts about Mobile and email: 54% of emails are opened on mobile, 81% of smartphone users say email is the most popular activity they use their phone for. When asked, 41% of readers say they wanted emails that can clearly be read on smartphones. Simplify emails. Less is more. Designing for mobile devices:
- Use mobile-friendly templates
- Move your call-to-action above the fold
- Put the navigation in the footer
- Fond should be minimum 14pt font
- Avoid the “wall-of-text” by using line breaks
- Your call-to-action should be at least 44 x 44 pixels
