Email Marketing Template Best Practices: Dos and Don'ts
By Duncan Whitmore
Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach their audience directly and effectively. However, creating an email marketing template that truly resonates with subscribers can be difficult.
To help you accomplish this email marketing task, I have outlined the top dos and don'ts for creating email marketing templates.
Dos
1. Optimize for Mobile Devices: With 61.6% of emails being opened on mobile devices[1], it is imperative that your email template is mobile-responsive. Ensure that your template is easy to read and navigate on smaller screens to provide a seamless user experience.
2. Use Buttons over Text Hyperlinks: Buttons are more visually appealing and easier to click on than text hyperlinks. Use buttons to make your calls-to-action stand out and increase the likelihood of conversion.
3. Include Clear Call-to-Action: Your email template should have a clear and compelling call-to-action that tells the recipient what to do next. Whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or downloading an eBook, make sure the call-to-action is prominent and easy to understand.
4. Personalize the Message: Personalization is essential for engaging your audience. Address recipients by their name and tailor the content to their interests to make them feel valued and connected to your brand.
5. Test and Track Results: A successful email marketing campaign relies on testing and tracking the performance of your email templates. Experiment with different designs, messaging, and calls-to-action to see which resonate best with your subscribers, using the data to make informed decisions for future campaigns.
Don'ts
1. Overcrowd the Design: Avoid cluttering your email template with too much information or design elements. Keep the layout clean, simple, and visually appealing to ensure that the message is easy to digest.
2. Use Generic Messaging: Generic, one-size-fits-all messaging is a sure way to disengage your audience. Tailor your content to the recipient's interests and preferences to make the email more relevant and personalized.
3. Neglect Mobile Optimization: Failing to optimize your email template for mobile can result in a poor user experience, leading to lower open and click-through rates. Make sure your template is responsive and displays correctly on all devices.
4. Neglect Testing: Testing is essential for improving the performance of your email marketing templates. Don't skip A/B testing different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, calls-to-action, or design, to optimize for better results.
5. Forget to Include Unsubscribe Option: These days, most autoresponders will handle this aspect for you. However, we might as well mention it anyway: you must give recipients the option to unsubscribe from your emails if they no longer wish to receive them. Including an easy-to-find unsubscribe link shows respect for the recipient's preferences, helping to maintain a positive reputation for your brand.
Conclusion
Creating effective email marketing templates requires attention to detail and a focus on engaging your subscribers. By following these dos and don'ts, you can create email templates that drive results and resonate with your list.
Remember to test, track, and iterate on your templates to continually improve and optimize your email marketing efforts.
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Notes
[1] Zippia. 75 Incredible Email Statistics [2023]: How Many Emails Are Sent Per Day? Zippia.com. Mar. 30, 2023.