There are over 4.3 billion internet users, most have an email account, and the proven way of connecting with existing and potential customers is by using email marketing – this marketing channel offers an affordable strategy for small businesses to build a list of clients and prospects that want to hear from you.
However, to succeed in designing a successful email marketing campaign that engages instantly with your readers and retains their interest is by not over complicating your email template, and getting to the point quickly.
By designing your email template using a clear and simple layout will help convey your message much faster to the reader, which in turn will result in a higher click-through rate and an increased return on your marketing investment.
The following tips will help you design a simple and effective email template which gets results:
1. Choose The Right Platform
The backbone of any email marketing strategy is the platform you use. There are lots of great email services such as Constant Contact email marketing platform that enable you to automate your mail campaigns. These platforms also provide drag and drop email templates, that enable anyone to create beautiful and modern email template designs for campaigns.
2. Put Your Logo First
A proven way of building your brand is by putting it in all of your marketing emails. You want your logo or business name, to be the first thing people see when they open your email. This is easily achieved by placing your logo or business name in your header. By doing so, email recipients will be able to instantly identify with your brand at a glance.
3. Use Standard Fonts To Avoid Confusion
Keep it simple and ensure that your email is easily readable by using web-safe standard fonts. A safe practice is to use no more than two fonts in your email. It’s a good idea to use one type for your headlines and subtitles and another for the body.
Fonts are also a great way of engaging with your readers and creating a sleek flow to your email. Your fonts should connect with your brand and the message you want to convey.
The fonts that are recommended for headlines sub-headlines are serif or sans serif at a 20 – 24 font size and for the body, Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana and Open Sans at a 14 -16 font size.
4. Use Images That Get Your Message Across
With the rise of social media, image-based posts are becoming ever more popular and get the most engagement. However, images are also a strong marketing tool for email campaigns, a proven way of making your email more attractive and for getting your message across.
Images are an opportunity for you to tell your story quickly, without using too much content, promote a new product or advertise a launch. Always use images that are related to your business, that support and complement your text and by staggering images, you can enhance the flow of your layout.
Some points to consider when choosing an image are their size, as the bigger the image the longer it will take to load. Quantity is also important as too many images can confuse readers, a proven ratio is a 30 – 40% image content. Poor quality images will convey a negative representation of your business, slow loading times and image overuse can discourage readers and drive them away.
5. Create Emphasis By Using Colors
Colors are a great way of helping your e-mail campaign and brand stand out. There are certain steadfast rules that you should consider to get right.
Choose a color palette that suits your brand and business and then build brand recognition by using those colors in your email campaigns, consistently. Limit the number of colors you use, choose two for your headlines and subheadings, another for your text and if needed another for dividing lines between text. Use primary colors for your headers and footers to separate them from the main body content.
6. Engage People’s Attention By Using Emojis
To immediately engage with readers in the overcrowded inboxes of today, emojis are a great way of being seen, the stats show increased open rates compared to emails not using them.
This is why more and more brands are now turning to emojis to help them stand out from the crowd and get their message across, and it’s working! By placing them in your email subject lines you can grab people’s attention. Space is at a premium too, especially on mobile devices where you only get 30-40 characters, you can consider using emojis in place of words to connect and engage people with your campaign.
So, if you want to convey a message, connect emotionally or stand out in the inbox, use an emoji. However, emojis aren’t suitable for all email marketing campaigns, before using them consider your markets demographic and the tone you want to set.
7. Use The Preview Pane To Your Advantage
A preview pane allows readers to view a small portion of your email before opening it. This is when they are going to make their decision whether to open or simply delete your email and as preview panes become more common, so does the importance of using it to your advantage.
Generally, email recipients can only see the top left-hand section of the email, so this is where you need to put your most eye-catching content, your logo, an engaging subject line, enticing info, or your call to action. You only have a few centimeters to work with, but they could make all the difference.
8. What To Include In Your Template
Always include your contact information. By providing numerous ways for readers to contact you conveys the message that you are available to them, and this helps create a feeling of confidence. Ways of contact to include are landline numbers, mailing addresses and social media addresses.
CONCLUSION
By not weaving a tangled web of concordances! (Keeping it clear and simple), you will convey your message to your audience in a manner that naturally engages their eyes and interest, resulting in the desired response.
So, remember to use plenty of white space, simple fonts, beautiful related images and leave plenty of room between headlines and body. After all, simplicity is the height of sophistication and clarity is the core of a great email template.
