Used well, email can outperform other marketing channels. In fact, the majority of marketers (73 percent) rate it as the number one digital channel for ROI. In 2017, it was estimated that marketers received over £32 back for every pound spent on email.

But how do these results compare to your own? If the answer is not favourably, your email creative could be to blame. In the rush to harness the power of email, marketers sometimes forget to consider how email creative can impact conversions.

Last year an estimated 269 billion emails were sent each day. With so much noise, it’s important that every email you send stands out from the crowd. Making strategic changes to your email creative can have a massive impact on its success.

In this blog post, we explore fifteen ways to ensure your email creative has a positive impact on your results.

1. Sender name

A branded sender name will help people instantly recognise your email as being from your brand. Try adding the name of an expert from your company for a human touch that could increase engagement.

You don’t have to rely on guess work when it comes to picking the best sender name. Optimise your way to success by A/B testing different options and using the ones that get the most opens.

2. Subject line

The average person in business receives an average of 121 emails a day. A good subject line can mean the difference between your email being opened or ignored.

Clear, concise, descriptive subject lines often work best. Tell your recipient, simply, why they should care what’s inside your email. Convey the value of the email to them as a consumer.

Further reading: Our Top 10 Email Subject Lines of 2018 So Far

Try asking a question or using behavioural data to personalise your message and increase engagement. For example, you could include a product you know they’ve recently viewed.

Be sure to avoid overusing special characters. And definitely don’t use all caps — there’s no need to shout!

3. Preheader text

Your preheader text acts as an extension to your subject line. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand upon your email’s offering. You can hide the preheader text when the email is opened, so it is only seen in the inbox.

4. Personalisation

Our own research revealed that nearly half of consumers would be more likely to use retailers that send offers that are relevant and interesting to them.

Consider how you can use personalisation in your emails to increase engagement. For example, recommending products based on what your recipient has recently viewed.

5. Above the fold content

Have you ensured that your most important email content is above the fold? This is prime email real estate, so your most important content needs to go here. Make sure clear branding, the intention of your email, and your call to action all sit above the fold.

 

Above the fold

 

6. Imagery

The imagery you use in your email is a powerful way to increase engagement. Ensure the images you use look professional, are super relevant, and add value to your recipient’s experience.

To build trust and improve deliverability, aim for a text-to-image ratio of 60:40 text Be sure to include ALT text on your images too. This will mean they still have content even if they are blocked by an email client.

7. Email width

To make sure your email resizes on any device, ensure that it is mobile responsive. This makes it much easier to read.

Aiming for an email width of 500px to 700px also improves readability by minimising the chance that your recipient will need to scroll horizontally. It is also a good idea to centre your email to make the best use of screen space.

8. Fonts

The fonts you use in your email are important. If your font is too small, people will struggle to read it. Aim for a font size of 15px to make reading easy. And ensure you provide a list of alternative fonts if using a custom font. Custom fonts are not supported in every email client.

9. Links

Don’t let broken links reduce your conversion rates. Be sure to check every link in every email before it is sent. And to increase engagement, make your images clickable. You can link them to a relevant article or product page. Your logo is the perfect opportunity to get in a homepage link.

10. Email length

The average adult’s attention span is just 8 seconds. For this reason, brevity is key. You need to get your message across quickly and concisely. Short emails are best. What’s more, long emails can cause rendering issues or mean that an email client truncates your email so only half is viewed.

11. Email client compatibility

Make sure you test to see how your email appears in each of the major email clients. Prioritize the email clients you know are most popular with your audience. You could be missing out on important conversions if your email is hard to read in the email client your recipient uses.

12. Contact details

Don’t forget to optimise your footer. First things first, include your company name and registered company number. It is a legal requirement to include contact details in all emails.

13. Social icons

Consider adding social icons to your email footer. This is a great way to grow your social following and give recipients more ways to engage with you.

14. Unsubscribe link

Another crucial element of your footer is your unsubscribe link. This is crucial post-GDPR. You must include an easy-to-find unsubscribe link in all non-transactional emails.

To help reduce unsubscribe rates, you may want to consider using an email preference centre. This gives people the option to change their preferences rather than unsubscribing completely.

15. A/B testing

Our fifteenth and final thing to consider is the role of A/B testing in your strategy. Even if you have carefully considered every other element on our list, there is always room for improvement.

A/B testing means that you don’t have to rely on guess work. You can find out which variations work best and improve results accordingly.

Try testing your subject line length, topic, personalisation, and messaging. You may find exactly the same offer gains more engagement through a simple change in wording.

Takeaway

In this blog post, we’ve taken a whistle-stop tour of fifteen elements of your email creative that you can tweak to improve results. Following the principles explored will help you increase engagement, drive conversions, and improve email marketing ROI.

For more detailed advice on each of the points we’ve covered, watch our recent webinar Rethinking Email Creative to Maximise Engagement.

Interested in seeing our email marketing platform in action? Book your free demo.

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