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How to Create an Email That Stands Out

Being an essential and still dominant channel for digital marketing, email is highly utilized by many B2C and B2B organizations. That essentially means that the inboxes of people we are trying to reach are overcrowded every day of the year and especially around Holidays.

In order to stand out in already oversaturated inboxes, make sure to go through the checklist below before creating and sending out your next email.

  ⚡💡Make Your Subject Line ACTUALLY Engaging!

The subject line is what will leave the first impressions on your readers and what will make or break the “deal”. Whether you’re marketing to customers or businesses, try incorporating these into your subject line:

The subject line is what will leave the first impressions on your readers and what will make or break the “deal”. Whether you’re marketing to customers or businesses, try incorporating these into your subject line:

  • Words such as True, Truth, Actual, Real, 101, Tips,  Discount, Coupon, even Free
    • If you talk to your subscribers like a human being, they will respond to it.
  • Eye-catching signs such as [Bracket], !Exclamation Point, Num3rs and Emojis
    • Yes, even for B2B emails.
  • Actionable words such as Watch, Do, Learn
    • Avoid words such as Meeting, Chat, Quick, Remember, Might, Featured, On-Demand.
  • CAPITALIZED words
    • These will LITERALLY make your subject line stand out.
  • Finally, clear and simple language that all your readers can digest in a matter of seconds

Also, use the preview text to give the reader more context about the email, so they know what to expect when they actually open it. Keep both the subject line and the preview text short and sweet (around 150 characters combined).

Get Your Point Across & Keep Your Readers Engaged

Congratulations! Your email has been opened. What now? 

After leaving first impressions on your readers with the subject line and preview text, utilize the email copy to keep them reading and scrolling through. Here are some tips for engaging and successful email copy:

  • Keep it concise, structured, and to the point
    • The average attention span for an email is 10 seconds and the 10 seconds are usually spent scanning through key messages and highlights, so make sure your copy is digestible and skimmable.
    • Keep paragraphs under 5 lines.
    • Utilize bullets.
    • Have clear headers, subheaders, and call-to-actions.
  • ATF (Above The Fold) and BTF (Below The Fold)
    • Your readers should be able to understand what the email is about and what the call to action is before they start scrolling, so make sure to get your entire point across within the ATF.
  • Personalize your copy
    • Make sure to write a copy that will make sense to your readers – as simple as that! Greet your readers by their first names and understand their needs before trying to sell your offering.
    • Talk to your readers using actionable, powerful, and positive language that is empathetic but still encourages action.

Add A Much-Needed Visual Element To The Email Copy

Did you know that the human brain processes visual content 60,000 times faster than text? That means that a picture is actually worth 60,000 words! Even more, 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual. 

That being said, a visual component of our emails might be crucial for the click rate and the overall time spent reading the email. Here are some ideas that will help you get your email design to the next level.

  • ATF and BTF, again
    • Make sure to fit a header, subheader, and call-to-action above the fold so that readers that do not continue scrolling can also take an action.
  • A picture is worth 60,000 words, remember?
  • Include high-quality images in your email that tell a story and also, try turning parts of the copy into pictures, so the email is more dynamic and easier to skim.
  • Dynamic elements
    • Email is moving away from static content. The use of animated gifs, videos, and dynamic images among other types of content is on the rise, so try incorporating them into your emails.
    • Avoid uploading large size, long video files to your emails, because not all email clients will render them properly and this might also negatively affect deliverability. Place a screenshot of a frame of the video in your email with a play icon overlaid instead and link it to the actual video, hosted on another platform.
  • Less is more
    • Make sure to have enough white space between paragraphs and media files, as this will make it easy for readers to get the entire picture in less time.
  • Call-Your-Readers-To-An-Action
    • Place your first CTA button above the fold and make sure to have another CTA at the bottom of the email for readers that scroll to the bottom to encourage action again, before they leave.
  • Try incorporating current design trends (while still following your brand guidelines)
    • Some of the current trends include duotone design, multi-shade gradients, arches and waves, font distortions, mixed media (e.g. combining photography, shapes, and illustration), etc.
  • Think about mobile users
    • Optimizing for mobile is a must, whether your email is meant for customers or businesses as 81% of all users prefer to view their emails on their phones.

Your email is now ready for deployment! Click send or schedule and don’t forget to monitor the results and listen to your readers so you can make your next email even more successful.

Sources:
Trends in Email: Design and Marketing, Litmus, LINK
The Top 5 Design Secrets, EmailUp, LINK
The Definitive Guide to Creating Kick-Ass Emails, Knak, LINK

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