How to Design a Quality Email Campaign

14 Oct, 2009  |  under Email Marketing

A good email marketing campaign design results from several things.The first rule is to keep it simple, but if your email has only a flashy headline and graphics at the opening, but isn’t followed up with valuable content, then your results are likely to be less that you want.Readers tend to be turned off by ‘gimmicky’ emails, so you should avoid that by using the elements of design presented below.

Start with a simple newsletter.A survey conducted by the Nielson Norman Group has shown that the typical reader of email newsletters will spend 50 seconds on average in review.Unfortunately, a regular email messgae will only hold the average readers attention for 4-5 seconds at best.   So, a newsletter is a better choice because it will likely hold your readers attention for ten times as long. This now brings us to the ideal design of the newsletter or email.

What is most important is to establish an email marketing design that will strongly attract attention, but also hold it for an extended period of time.   Most consumers only read a small fraction of the emails they get, and most of the ones that are actually opened are only scanned for content.  Different people react to different advertising stimula, so you need to be sure to design your copy in a way that targets the kind of audience you are trying to appeal to.

Because most emails are never opened, it is critical that your subject line stand out from the rest to ever have a chance.It is very good practice to use the readers name in the subject line, as well as in the salutation of the actual email message.   Your subject line must be presented in a way that clearly promises a unique and exeptional solution to a particular problem or issue.  Alternative, the subject line may challenge a commonly held belief or notion that your email marketing list target audience may hold.Spend a period of time writing down the subject lines that have convinced you to open an incoming email. Review them to gain an understanding of why they made you decide to actually open the email.

The proper use of colors and graphics can also help call your readers attention to key communication elements and messages.  At the same time, be sure that the colors do not impact the flow of the narrative in a negative by integrating them smoothly, and that any graphics employed have a clear purpose other than to simply be pretty or attractive.Graphics and colors must be used only in a way that they clearly add to or enhance the message being presented.

Additionally, recognizing that you really have only 4-5 seconds to gain the attention of the typical email scanner, you need to present your copy in a way that the key elements and challenges of your message stand out quickly.In addition, you need to present in a way that attracts the attention of the reader very quickly, but also teases or convinces them to read on to get even more good information.  

Finally, your email marketing message must convey a clear and compelling call for action from the reader.  Be very specific about what you want them to do and provide them all the information and contact information they will need to get the action accomplished quickly.  For further information on how to successfully employ email marketing, visit Network Online Reviews for a variety of articles and reviews of email marketing products.

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