I received an email today that required too much effort on my part in several ways. This is not an isolated incident. The truth is that many, if not most email marketing messages that arrive to my inbox require me to take unnecessary steps to access the content.
First, I had to enable images to see what the message had to say:
Next, I had to scroll down to see the content below the branding (this was true when I was viewing the message full screen also – which requires a double click to open the message – something I try to avoid).
Email is a powerful and effective communication platform, but many marketers make us work unnecessarily hard to see their message. Why not consider using a simpler HTML format that circumvents image suppression and communicates your key points immediately in the preview pane of your recipients inbox? As an example, I took the content from this same AdAge message and re-formatted it using simple HTML. The example below lacks any design elements (color, borders, font formatting, etc.) because it is intended to illustrate effective copy placement more than design.
Whichever link your recipient clicks should take them to a page that contains the relevant content and links to the other content related to your campaign. As such, email acts as a bridge to your website. Once a recipient lands on your website, they should be able to easily access other content that you included in your message. Rather than trying to fit your website into your email message, consider email as a bridge to your website.
There are exceptions, of course. Sometimes, it can be effective to include a full article in a message. This is most effectively done with shorter articles. Even with full-article email, it is still important to take the preview pane into consideration – ensuring that the lead paragraph is visible to your recipients without scrolling or clicking.
Think of the email preview pane as the window to your campaign. What do your recipients see when they look in that window? Would you cover your retail shop window with curtains? Would you make your potential customers climb a ladder to see what you have inside?
Think about it.
Comments
3 Responses to “Email: A Window of Opportunity”
[...] Use the preview pane space effectively. Most email recipients see your message in their preview pane. Make sure that your value and their benefits are visible in this space. Keep in mind that many email clients disable images by default today, so if your preview pane space includes images, there is a good chance that your recipients won’t be able to see them unless they decide to enable images. Consider using text as well as images in the preview pane. [...]
I think emails should be simple text but still attracting… I also hate emails with full of images which really takes to open..
Design is divine, but when your design causes email recipients to work harder to get to your content, it can get in the way of your message. I’ve seen good examples of email design. Good design accentuates the content rather than hiding it.