Smarter Primate

A good email marketing campaign design results from several things.  Keeping it simple is the first and foremost, but if it contains a flashy headline and opening with no real content, you are unlikely to get the results you desire.Readers tend to be turned off by ‘gimmicky’ emails, so you should avoid that by using the elements of design presented below.

Begin with a newsletter format.  The Nielson Norman Group reports that the average email newsletter reader spends an average of fifty seconds 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. We come now to a bit more about the best principles of design for 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.Typical recipients actually open a small fraction of emails received, and even those are mostly only briefly 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.  Most email marketers personalize the subject line, as well as the actual body copy.   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.  Take a few days to list the subject lines that have compelled you to actually read an incoming email, then analyze them to understand why they worked with you.

The proper use of colors and graphics can also help call your readers attention to key communication elements and messages.In addition, use colors carefully by integrating them smoothly with the narrative, an be sure that the graphics that you use have a clear communication purpose, rather that to simply enhance appearance.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.   Furthermore, they must be presented in a way that not only grabs attention, but also compels the reader to continue on to get even better information.  

Most importantly, your email must have a clear call to action.  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.