Designing Enticing Emails

At Creative Mellen, we enjoy designing emails that are successful. And by success, we mean emails that your target audience will open, read, and take a desired action. Using powerful/action verb subject lines, inserting dynamic content, and ending with a call to action are the essentials that lead to positive results.

Here are some best-practice tips to consider:

Subject Line
Keep subject lines compelling with action verbs. Keep them concise by using about 60 characters. Subject lines with five to seven words tend to get read.

Preheader Text
Increase open rates by including five to eight words of preheader text that appears below the subject line on mobile devices.

Content
Remember: people are busy! And your competing for their attention. Have a clear goal in mind and keep your copy concise and scannable. Use captivating teasers and link to more in-depth information. Don’t be so stuffy. Translate jargon into common English. Depending on your audience, it’s okay to lighten up and have a little fun.

Fonts and Colors
Control your fonts (use no more than two), balance your colors (keep it simple with a palette of two or three), and remember the power of white space. White space is an essential part of communication. It creates separation, attracts the eyes, creates balance, gives focus, improves readability, and implies sophistication.

Images
Not every block of text needs an image. Use one or two strong images to highlight the most important information.

Add Dynamic Content
Insert movement to trigger surprise and generate action.

• Use Animation
  Placing an engaging image with a video play button piques interest.
• Include Animated gifs
  As an alternate to video, gifs allow you to animate what you need to keep files sizes under control and get instant attention.

Call to Action
Tell people exactly what you want them to do and give them a little push. By making sure your calls to action stick out, incorporate a button or pop of color.

For other tips, read Constant Contact’s Best Practice Guide.