1. Email Marketing Today
Prepared For

2. TEN MESSAGE DESIGN TIPS

3. Tip #1

4. From Address
•Friendly, Familiar
•Consistent
•Branded

5. Subject Lines
•40 Char – Front load important
content
•Can be longer
•Branding
•Offer
•Urgency
•Personalization
5

6. Tip #2

7. Above the Fold
• 400 height x 500 width Outside
• Most important content 500
pixels
• Scanable
• Should encompass
• Offer
• Call To Action
• Urgency Indication
• Brand
Above Fold Copy
• Words: most 6 characters or less
• Sentences: 1.5 – 2 lines Outside
• Paragraphs: most no more than 4 lines 400 x 600 pixels
• Use bullets to reduce copy
• Keep overall design succinct
 Keep as much of the text as possible “above
the fold” to avoid the need scroll
7

8. Above the Fold – Pre-Header
Pre-Header can be
displayed as “snippet
text” in the Inbox
8

9. Tip #3

10. Images
•30% Text/Image Ratio
•Hosted not Embedded
•Sight lines should guide readers
eyes
10

11. Image Blocking
11

12. Design to Survive Blocked Images
Use text not text
images
Use Alt-Tags as copy
replacement for
images
Structure survives
blocked images

13. Tip #4

14. Structure
•Provide Visual Structure With
•Color
•Borders
•White Space
•Color should agree with web
site
•Color variations can
dramatically affect response -
TEST

15. Defend Against Context-Sensitive Ads

16. Tip #5

17. Focus on Goals
Primary Goal: Update
preferences
Secondary Goal:
Promote product
Images & copy focused
only on goals

18. Tip #6

19. Design for Touch
Functional design, well
within 500 pixel width
Large links are easier to
finger-click
Provide adequate
spacing for
fingertips between
links

20. Tip #7

21. Offer/Call to Action
Inline text links in
beginning copy
Inline text link with
active call to action
wording
Button with active call to
action wording and
action encouraging
21arrow

22. Tip #8

23. Link to Active Content
Present static images
that link to video, flash,
forms, or other active
content

24. Tip #9

25. Social Networks Expand Virally

26. Tip #10

27. Sample Footer
Bottom nav-bar
supports secondary
goals
Social Media
integration
CAN-SPAM address
requirement fulfilled
Text-based Preference
update and
unsubscribe links Subscribe offer –
good for forwards