Knotice Overview and Capabilities Prepared for Insight Communications March 7 th , 2008 Email Marketing Best Practices Prepared for XXXXXX XXXXXX

Focus on the user experience How do they receive it? What first impression does it make? What is their time commitment required? Design for the medium; don’t just repurpose creative. What works in print doesn’t necessarily work for email. Goals are to get opens and clicks Opens determined by subject, from address and preview pane Clicks determined by creative elements and the offer/call-to-action Best Practices

Focus on the user experience

How do they receive it?

What first impression does it make?

What is their time commitment required?

Design for the medium; don’t just repurpose creative. What works in print doesn’t necessarily work for email.

Goals are to get opens and clicks

Opens determined by subject, from address and preview pane

Clicks determined by creative elements and the offer/call-to-action

DO: Make your messaging short and succinct DO: Write copy that is scannable Bullets Bolded points Text links – these consistently outperform other clickable items DO: Have clear calls-to-action DO: Put your primary message in text (not an image) in the first few hundred pixels DO: Use dynamic content when appropriate Copy – Do:

DO: Make your messaging short and succinct

DO: Write copy that is scannable

Bullets

Bolded points

Text links – these consistently outperform other clickable items

DO: Have clear calls-to-action

DO: Put your primary message in text (not an image) in the first few hundred pixels

DO: Use dynamic content when appropriate

DON’T: Use text as images except when necessary to preserve branding (logo, tagline, etc.) If you’re not providing HTML, this means using web safe fonts: DON’T: Use generic calls-to-action like “click here” when more descriptive, “action” words are available ( Learn more or upgrade now .) A good call to action compels the user to click by establishing their expectations of what will happen. Copy – Don’t: Arial Verdana Courier New Trebuchet MS Times New Roman Lucida Sans

DON’T: Use text as images except when necessary to preserve branding (logo, tagline, etc.) If you’re not providing HTML, this means using web safe fonts:

DON’T: Use generic calls-to-action like “click here” when more descriptive, “action” words are available ( Learn more or upgrade now .) A good call to action compels the user to click by establishing their expectations of what will happen.

Arial

Verdana

Courier New

Trebuchet MS

Times New Roman

Lucida Sans

DO: Use ALT tags for all images DO: Use images judiciously in preview pane area DO: Use “buttons” or other physical metaphors for calls-to-action that are image based (second best performing) DO: Test/preview with images disabled Images – Do: Images enabled Images disabled

DO: Use ALT tags for all images

DO: Use images judiciously in preview pane area

DO: Use “buttons” or other physical metaphors for calls-to-action that are image based (second best performing)

DO: Test/preview with images disabled

DON’T: Rely solely on images – try to keep a reasonable ratio of text and images DON’T: Resize images with code DON’T: Use image maps Images – Don’t: Image-only email before images load

DON’T: Rely solely on images – try to keep a reasonable ratio of text and images

DON’T: Resize images with code

DON’T: Use image maps

DO: Restrain width to 650 pixels maximum DO: Treat the first 300 pixels (width and height) as your “golden” zone DO: Use colors for background treatments (solely or in addition to images) DO: Review creative as a 1/3 rd screen, both horizontally and vertically, to accommodate preview panes. Layout – Do:

DO: Restrain width to 650 pixels maximum

DO: Treat the first 300 pixels (width and height) as your “golden” zone

DO: Use colors for background treatments (solely or in addition to images)

DO: Review creative as a 1/3 rd screen, both horizontally and vertically, to accommodate preview panes.

DON’T: Use complicated HTML or CSS DON’T: Use DIV tags or “float” styles – “old school” table layout works best. DON’T: Use any Flash, JavaScript, frames, ActiveX, Dynamic HTML or animation DON’T: Rely on the email to tell the whole story. Landing pages are just as important. They should complement, but not duplicate your messaging. Layout – Don’t:

DON’T: Use complicated HTML or CSS

DON’T: Use DIV tags or “float” styles – “old school” table layout works best.

DON’T: Use any Flash, JavaScript, frames, ActiveX, Dynamic HTML or animation

DON’T: Rely on the email to tell the whole story. Landing pages are just as important. They should complement, but not duplicate your messaging.

DO: Get you point across in the first 40 characters - depending on the email client this may be all that is seen DO: Retain common elements for recurring emails ( October Newsletter: for example) DO: Highlight a feature, call-to-action, or offer that benefits the recipient. Subject Lines – Do:

DO: Get you point across in the first 40 characters - depending on the email client this may be all that is seen

DO: Retain common elements for recurring emails ( October Newsletter: for example)

DO: Highlight a feature, call-to-action, or offer that benefits the recipient.

DON’T: Use anything misleading in your subject line DON’T: Bury the lead – cleverness is seldom as effective as a clear message. DON’T: Try to accomplish too much. Your goal is to get the reader to open the email. DON’T: Rely on special characters like™ © ® or € as these often break in some email clients Subject Lines – Don’t:

DON’T: Use anything misleading in your subject line

DON’T: Bury the lead – cleverness is seldom as effective as a clear message.

DON’T: Try to accomplish too much. Your goal is to get the reader to open the email.

DON’T: Rely on special characters like™ © ® or € as these often break in some email clients