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Your email marketing newsletter design is hands-down the most important element of your campaign. Without an effective and compelling design, your recipients won’t engage and maybe will even unsubscribe or *horror* mark you as spam.
I want to help you make the most out of all your hard work and show you just how important each design step is.
Previously, I had discussed the importance of maintaining a clean and segmented email marketing list. You don’t want to waste all that work, do you?
After reading this article, or while you’re scanning away, take a moment to leave a comment with your thoughts. Your input matters, and I’m sure I’ve missed some valuable points.
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Recommended for YouWebcast: 4 Steps to Creating a Marketing Content Plan
Are you happy with your subject line? Are you sure it’s going to be effective?
Your subject line is one of the most important elements of your email, if not the most important of all. It is the leading factor for whether your email gets opened or not.
When people look at your email in their inbox, what do they see that’ll compel them to click and read more? Does your subject line hook them, interest them, or build upon their curiosity?
Your subject line needs to draw their attention without giving away the gist of your email. You want them to open it and ultimately take action in one way or another.
Take the time to develop your subject line properly. Give it a lot of thought. When you do, you just might see a big difference.
While with a local nonprofit, I tried to experiment with different subject line methods that I had learned about while studying marketing. It was a challenge to create something that hooked the recipient while also maintaining the strict professionalism of my employer. Once I finally had a line we could all agree upon, I sent out a series of emails without making almost any changes to it. The open rate and attendee participation suffered as a result.
While your follow-up email subject lines should be similar to your first one, it could be of benefit to try mixing it up a bit. You can add “Reminder” or something of the sort to connect the two emails, but I recommend using different wording for each email subject line.
When you send an email out with the subject line “Come visit us at XYZ conference in XYZ” (for example), be creative when sending out the next email. Catch the recipients’ attention over again with a reminder subject line that is just as compelling as the first email.
Crazy Egg has an article titled: 12 Tips to Boost Email Click-Through Rates plus 23 Strategic Subject Lines. In addition to providing proven strategies for getting people to open your email and act on your content, Crazy Egg gives you examples of some of the most effective subject lines out there.
Impact Branding & Design published an article on subject lines titled: 6 Easy Subject Line Hacks to Boost Your Email Open Rates Right Now. It is filled with great advice to help increase your open rates and decrease your chances of getting marked as spam.
This part of an email marketing newsletter design is largely overlooked. It’s the subtext that appears at the very top of your email. It’s also the short snippet of text that appears next to your email’s subject line.
Take advantage of this valuable real estate by making your preheader intriguing or informative. It’ll help improve your open rates where your subject line may have failed to do so.
While I’ve been writing this article, I’ve gone through my own inbox to see what shows up in the preheader for some of the subscription emails I have there. I use Gmail, and here are some good and not-so-good examples of some preheaders I’ve found (subject line – preheader):
Subject line – subject line repeated
Subject line – read in browser link
Subject line – social media CTAs
Subject line – “Here are a few articles we thought you’d enjoy”
Subject line – “Your weekly roundup of the latest posts…”
And so on…
I definitely prefer preheaders that say something that’ll further compel me to click on the email. I don’t feel compelled to click when I see the first 3 preheader examples from above, especially #3.
In those cases, what’s in it for me? How is a repeat subject line making good use of this valuable space? How are your social media ads going to encourage me to open your email? If anything, it could end up hurting you in the end.
If I see preheaders used for self-promotion, you’d better have an incredibly convincing subject line.
In an article I found from the Salesforce blog, the writer explained what a preheader is and why it’s so important. Although it’s a brief article, it is very informative if you’re questioning the value of preheader text.
Your preheader text is an essential part of your newsletter design, and this article tells you why.
ClickZ has a blog article titled: Eight Tips for Effective E-mail Preheaders, which goes into detail about the ways you can create preheaders that work.
One of the key points in this article is that your preheader should not be a repeat of your subject line. Unfortunately, I see 9/10 of my subscription emails taking that approach.
Take a look at this article to find 8 of the most helpful tips for effectively using the preheader space.
Your newsletter should not be black and white, but it also should not be overwhelmed with color and imagery.
You need to find a balance between text and imagery in order to draw your recipient in and keep their attention.
When I first started receiving email newsletters from my favorite blogs, I noticed the wide variety of techniques each blog chose for their email’s appearance.
Some of the most influential bloggers out there send me emails with snippets of their new article(s) in text only. I never read it. I simply skip all the text and go to the article link.
If I get an email with colorful imagery, I pay more attention to the purpose of the email. I read far more when the text is grouped with images because I, along with many other people, prefer to see imagery that explains the content than just text alone.
If you’re going to stick with black & white, text-only emails, don’t waste your time. Speaking from experience, email recipients don’t have time to read the heavy, visually unappealing content you send. In the end, you’re much better off taking the little extra time to add imagery, or at least color, to your email.
Constant Contact provides an article titled: Avoid These 6 Common Mistakes When Adding Images to Your Email Marketing, which lists the mistakes you can make as well as advice on how to prevent them in future campaigns.
Number 6 in this article is my personal favorite because it’s a mistake I see a lot, and it’s a mistake I’ve made in the past myself.
Another great resource is the article by AWeber: Don’t Use Another Image In Your Emails Without Reading This First. The article includes a very good point that I haven’t talked about yet:
Your emails need imagery, yes, but even with it, you can’t neglect your text content. Imagery shouldn’t replace or overwhelm your main content. They need to work together for best results.
Although I’ve been saying each design component is important, I pretty much have to say it every time. Each part of your design has a purpose that can’t be ignored, and links are a must-use.
You need to add links to your emails so that recipients click-through to your target location. Most importantly, you need these links to be convincing.
If you simply say “click here” or use other generic text, you’re neglecting a great opportunity for an increased click-through rate (CTR). Even worse, if you simply add the URL as your link spelled out, your email looks amateur at best.
Don’t use too many links because it’ll confuse both you and the reader as to what your real goal is. Have a focused call-to-action (CTA) in your email that stands out much more than any other links. This will increase your CTR and give you an easier time measuring the success of your campaign.
On another note, here are a few other tips for using links in your emails:
When I was working with a nonprofit, I was often in charge of their email marketing, and as a result, I had the experiences and opportunities to learn what works and what doesn’t with link placement, design and use.
One of the mistakes I made was not having a focused CTA. I added several links, all of which were the same size, color… And they were all grouped together in one space.
It was a mess, and I quickly learned my lesson. My next email campaign worked much better as I had added a CTA that stood out from the rest of the content and links. The space I had created for links in the past – I gave each link more space and limited the number of links I added.
I found an article by Marketo titled: 10 Best Practices for Using Links in Emails. It goes more in depth than I have on this subject, so I recommend taking a look at what it has to offer you.
One of the points in the article really stands out to me. Your links should always be relevant to the content of your email. You don’t want to confuse or distract your recipients, so stay focused on the theme or purpose of your email.
The last part of your design that I discuss is the way in which you add and finalize your copy.
When you select the text you want to use, you need to be especially concise and choosy in what you include.
People aren’t going to read huge blocks of text, so make sure you cut it up into separate sections when you can.
Stay relevant to what you want people to know and do at the end. It needs to relate to your final call-to-action.
Also, have an editor (or 2 or 3) go over your copy to check for spelling, grammar, simplicity, and accuracy. Have them give you a critique of whether they understand and can follow what you’re trying to say.
When I receive newsletters in my email, I consistently choose to open almost all of them because I know I signed up to receive them for a reason. However, when I look at the opened email, I sometimes get disappointed in what I see.
I’ve seen emails that were clearly not proofread or thought-through. I’ve even seen emails that simply don’t make sense, and I have no idea what the sender wanted me to do.
The worst I’ve seen was an email that had text that didn’t even relate whatsoever to the subject line. It was clear that the sender did not check what topic s/he wanted to share.
The writers at Writtent provided an article titled: The 11 Key Elements of Amazing Copywriting, which gives you a detailed description of what you need to have and do for successful copywriting.
Although the article is not directly focused on email marketing, it can all be used for that purpose.
Another resource to check out is from GetResponse: The “4Ps” of Persuasive Email Copywriting. It gives you a different appreciation for proper email copy by describing 4 “Ps” for effectiveness.
The article focuses on your copy from beginning to end, using persuasion as its main point.
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There are other elements to your email marketing newsletter design, but I’ve gone into detail about the points I find most important:
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Belize Internet Marketing & Website Design Launches New Placencia Real Estate Website for Vision Properties
PR.com
2015-09-29
Belmopan City, Belize, September 29, 2015 –(PR.com)– Today, Belize Internet Marketing & Website Design is excited to unveil the new Vision Properties Belize website. Vision Properties offers prime real estate and high-quality construction delivered on schedule in Placencia, Belize. The new website highlights all the services – such as home construction, fractional ownership and vacation rentals – that Vision Properties offers and does it in a visually attractive way that encourages visitors to do business with them.
The new design helps make the website more effective by improving the visual experience, making the site easier to navigate, and enhancing the SEO of the site to make it easier to find in search. Also, because more people are using mobile devices, the site has a fully responsive design, which means whether you’re browsing on a tablet, laptop or mobile device you can easily navigate the site.
About Vision Properties:
Vision Properties Belize located in Placencia, Belize. Offering services, such as home construction, fractional ownership and vacation rentals. If you’re looking to invest, vacation, or retire in Southern Belize, Vision Properties vision is to provide the highest quality residences with a low maintenance, flexible ownership model to fit an owner’s desired lifestyle.
About Belize Website Design:
Belize Website Design has created websites for many organizations in Belize and specializes in providing affordable Internet solutions and technologies that deliver maximum return on investment for businesses in the tourism and travel industry.
Contact Information:
Belize Website Design
Richard Beane
011-501-822-0006
www.BelizeIM.com
Read the full story here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/637993
Press Release Distributed by PR.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Rand Internet Marketing has been named within the top ten for this year’s list of Top Website Design and Development Companies in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal (SFBJ).
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150304/179687
Rand Internet Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has made the Top 25 Web Design and Development Firm list for four consecutive years.
The Top 25 Website Design and Development List published by South Florida Business Journal acknowledges companies that have a large amount of South Florida web designers and web developers, along with support staff, building websites for their clients.
“We are incredibly honored to be named within the Top 10 of SFBJ’s Top Website Design and Development Firm list,” said Seth Rand, Founder and CEO of Rand Internet Marketing. “We attribute the success of our website design and web development departments to the hard work of our staff, along with the loyalty of our valued clients.”
The South Florida Business Journal is the premier media solutions platform for companies strategically targeting business decision makers. They provide comprehensive coverage of business news from a local, regional and national perspective. They have more people, publications and websites covering our nation’s business than any other business media organization. The Business Journals are a division American City Business Journals.
About Rand Internet Marketing
Rand Internet Marketing, a division of Rand Business Services, offers professional design and marketing services including logo design, graphic design, website design, web development, search engine marketing, online banner advertising, social media marketing, and online content marketing. Rand specializes in professional responsive website design and development including WordPress websites and Magento e-commerce websites, mobile site design and development, search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) marketing. Rand also offers video production, printing, reputation management, photography, merchant services and a variety of other professional business services.
If you are in the market for a new website, or looking to generate more leads and sales through internet marketing, let the Rand Internet Marketing team help you design an integrated strategy that will help your business succeed.
For more information, call 888-707-RAND FREE or request a consultation online at http://randmarketing.com/request-consultation/.
SOURCE Rand Internet Marketing
RELATED LINKS
http://randmarketing.com
Vistaprint, a leading online provider of professional marketing products and services to micro business owners, today announced the launch of “Social Postcards,” an online tool that makes it easy for small businesses to turn their print materials into Facebook(R) ads, target the right audience, and analyze campaign results. This omnichannel marketing tool enables small businesses to streamline and boost their print and online marketing efforts. Vistaprint and its digital services business, Webs, worked with Facebook to create this small business-focused tool for its customers.
The “2014 Webs Small Business Digital Trends Survey” shows 63 percent of small business owners use digital products as part or all of their marketing strategy, most combining digital and print. As a leading web-to-print destination for micro businesses, Vistaprint answered the demand for an omnichannel platform that integrates print and digital marketing in order to grow the business, increase sales, and build brand awareness across multiple channels.
The survey also shows 65 percent of small businesses are currently using or are willing to pay for Facebook ads. However, most don’t have the tools or resources to design highly impactful and professional-looking social media ads. Facebook research further shows that ads on the platform can drive more in-store revenue, with one-third more people purchasing the products or services, and two-thirds of people increasing their order value. In addition, Facebook is more than twice as accurate as other ad networks in reaching a business’ target audience – enabling marketers to get their ads in front of the right people.
This new tool from Webs simplifies the task of creating and managing Facebook ads. Users who design a postcard on Vistaprint have the option to turn it into a Facebook ad, choose the target audience, publish it, and view the ad campaign’s results – all in one easy-to-use dashboard.
“As a real estate agent, I’m responsible for doing all of my own marketing and have to leave a lasting impression in someone’s mind when they turn to social media for their home-buying needs,” said Emilee Sinclair, broker/agent at Coldwell Banker Sea Cost Advantage. “Having the option to turn the materials I’m already creating on Vistaprint.com into a Facebook ad made it really easy and affordable to reach a large number of potential customers I typically would not be able to reach by myself.”
The new Social Postcards tool features:
“Small businesses spend more on social media than any other media category to promote their businesses, and Facebook clearly dominates the market,” said Rick Ducey, managing director of BIA/Kelsey. “There is a significant opportunity in the marketplace for tools that help small businesses automate digital marketing, especially to local audiences. Social media is transforming how small businesses are promoting and growing their businesses and digital ads will be key in achieving results.”
“Vistaprint, along with Webs, is committed to helping business owners succeed, and with this new Social Postcards offering, we are empowering small businesses to combine traditional marketing methods with progressive social media advertising tactics in an affordable and easy-to-use way,” said Scott Bowen, VP and general manager of digital services, Vistaprint. “Online marketing is an untapped resource for many small businesses, and this tool makes it possible for small business owners to level the field against larger competitors, engage their customers in more modern ways, and ultimately grow their business. We are excited to offer this tool and will continue to deliver value to our customers across print and digital.”
For more information or to use Social Postcards, visit: www.vistaprint.com/lpt/social-postcards.aspx.
Survey Methodology:
Webs Small Business Digital Usage Survey is based on a nationally representative sample of 2,292 small business owners of companies with fewer than 10 employees. The anonymous survey was conducted online by Insight By Design between March 10-15, 2014 as part of Vistaprint’s 2014 Digital Usage Study. The poll has a margin of error of approximately +/- 2-7 percent depending on the question.
About Vistaprint
Vistaprint is a global e-commerce brand empowering more than 16 million micro business owners to professionally promote their business with quality printed and digital marketing products at an affordable price. Our world-class online design studio allows customers to easily customize their products including business cards, marketing materials, signage, promotional products, apparel, websites, digital marketing, cards and stationery at www.vistaprint.com. Our patented printing technique allows us to maximize efficiency and consistently deliver quality and value to customers. This innovative process is supported by 25 localized websites serving various global markets; world-class manufacturing facilities around the globe, including North America, Western Europe, Australia and India; and thousands of employees in offices worldwide. Vistaprint is a Cimpress (Nasdaq:CMPR) brand.
Vistaprint and the Vistaprint logo are trademarks of Cimpress N.V. or its subsidiaries. All other brand and product names appearing on this announcement may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
About Webs
Founded in 2001, Webs is the digital services business of Vistaprint. Webs provides an easy-to-use, reliable and cost-effective marketing platform specifically designed for the small business. The Webs platform powers the online marketing of millions of small businesses around the globe with its complete suite of website, social media, email, and other digital identity and marketing products. Webs enables small businesses to launch online, get noticed, engage customers and grow. For more information, please visit www.webs.com.
Facebook(R) is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.
