This document discusses keys to email creative success. It recommends starting every email by answering what the point is, why the recipient should care, and how they can take action. It also promotes using "The Triangle Offense" design strategy, which optimizes each email section for quick comprehension of these three questions. Additionally, it advises making emails mobile friendly by prioritizing content, increasing font sizes, and using scalable widths. Finally, it suggests humanizing content by incorporating social elements like tweets, comments, and reviews.

1. CRACKING THE CODE:
Keys To Email Creative Success
Alex Williams | Sr. Digital Strategist | Trendline Interactive | @alexcwilliams + @trendlinei
9.15.2011 | Page 1 #spoptour

2. Introductions…
9.15.2011 | Page 2 #spoptour

3. 8.15.2011 | Page # Internal Only

4. Agenda
Email creative is more than just design.
It’s also branding, sales, content, layout, UX, and technical execution. You don’t
have to be a graphic designer to add value to the creative process.
Today we’ll discuss:
• How to approach, develop, and evaluate email creative
• Updating your layouts for the new mobile paradigm
• How to connect with your subscribers in the social age
9.15.2011 | Page 4 #spoptour

5. Start every email with 3 questions
What?
Why?
How?
9.15.2011 | Page 5 #spoptour

6. What?
What is the point
of this email?
9.15.2011 | Page 6 #spoptour

7. Why?
Why should they
care?
9.15.2011 | Page 7 #spoptour

8. How?
How do they take
action?
9.15.2011 | Page 8 #spoptour

9. The answer to these questions
will help you concept, build, and
evaluate your email creative
using “The Triangle Offense”.
9.15.2011 | Page 9 #spoptour

10. “The Triangle Offense”
This design strategy embraces
the fact that most people don’t
read emails, they scan.
9.15.2011 | Page 10 #spoptour

11. How it Works
Optimize each modular
section of an email for
fast comprehension of
What, Why, How.
Users might jump
straight from What to
How, with the general
content and imagery of
the inner triangle acting
as the Why.
Make sure your email
passes the triangle scan
test.
9.15.2011 | Page 12 Internal Only

12. The Triangle in action: B2C
9.15.2011 | Page 12 Internal Only

13. The Triangle in action: B2B
Single Game Suites on Sale Now
9.15.2011 | Page 13 #spoptour

14. Which one scans better?
9.15.2011 | Page 14 #spoptour

15. The Keys to the Triangle
Communicate efficiently. Make sense.
• Tie your headlines and calls-to-action together
• Remove extraneous copy and visuals that don’t support
the goal of the email or module
• Expect your subscribers NOT to read the entire text
• Find the emotional need of your “What”
9.15.2011 | Page 15 #spoptour

16. Does this make sense?
9.15.2011 | Page 16 #spoptour

17. Does this make sense?
9.15.2011 | Page 17 #spoptour

18. MOBILE
9.15.2011 | Page 18 #spoptour

19. Smartphones & Tablets (also
known as “mobile”) have
changed email design forever.
9.15.2011 | Page 19 #spoptour

20. Source: Litmus Email Analytics Sept. 2011
9.15.2011 | Page 20 #spoptour

21. Each audience is unique
Client A Client B
How mobile are your customers?
9.15.2011 | Page 21 Internal Only

22. “Mobile Friendly” Email Creative
TOUCH
Thumbs and
fingers are the
new mouse.
9.15.2011 | Page 22 Internal Only

23. How to make your email “Mobile Friendly”
• The “mobile version” is a dated concept. Mobile
users expect a scalable, readable email.
• Prioritize content, remove “filler” content
• Increase all font sizes, especially headlines
• Keep email weight (kbs) low, mobile bandwidth
can be an issue. Use images wisely, slice them to
reduce load times
• Scalable widths will provide readability (640px
max). Explore fluid width tables.
9.15.2011 | Page 23 Internal Only

24. Desktop version of mobile friendly width
9.15.2011 | Page 24 #spoptour

25. Mobile version of mobile friendly width
9.15.2011 | Page 25 #spoptour

26. Advanced: @media queries
CSS style sheets that modify the email design
when device’s capabilities match specific criteria.
Allows you to:
• Hide content from displaying in the email
• Show higher resolution images on iOS
• Add alt text to background images
• Progressive disclosure to show additional
content on click
• Change text sizes based on screen size
9.15.2011 | Page 26 Internal Only

27. SOCIAL
9.15.2011 | Page 27 #spoptour

28. Social = People Power
• Humanize your content
• Use public user generated
content
• Tweets
• Facebook Comments
• Reviews
• Speak using a real voice and not
in marketing/campaign speak
9.15.2011 | Page 28 #spoptour

29. “Everybody’s doing it”
9.15.2011 | Page 29 #spoptour

30. Social Comments are 3rd Party Validation
9.15.2011 | Page 30 #spoptour

31. Take “you’re” word for it
9.15.2011 | Page 31 #spoptour

32. Let your customers speak for you
9.15.2011 | Page 32 #spoptour

33. Thank you!
Alex Williams
Sr. Digital Strategist
Trendline Interactive – Strategic Email Marketing
alex@trendlineInteractive.com
Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/alexcwilliams
LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/emailmarketingstrategy
9.15.2011 | Page 33 #spoptour