4 Cool Takeaways from the Email Design Conference

Last month, AccuData sent my colleague and I (we are part of AccuData’s group of email design experts) to the Email Design Conference presented by Litmus in Boston to continue our education in the evolving realm of email marketing. Since I’m a cool person, I’m going to share the top 4 things that I found interesting…

1.Email Preheader Optimization

The email preheader should be used to complement the subject line since it’s another opportunity to entice the viewer to open and read more. For longer emails (three paragraphs or more), add a teaser from the last paragraph as the preheader. This way, viewers of the email will need to scan the email to find the preheader reference. This is a tactic used to promote engagement.

2. Email Personalization

Personalized emails can produce transaction rates and revenue four times higher than non-personalized messages! The average consumer has 220 unopened emails in their inbox, 56 of those from brands. Sixty percent say they would open those messages if the subject line was personalized. Consumers want to feel connected to the brand, and brands need to let consumers know how important their business is to them.

3. Hybrid Email Designs

Fluid hybrid email design is on the way to replacing media query-based code in responsive emails. Fluid hybrid design uses new code technologies that won’t provide for the restrictions we often find in Outlook today. Fluid emails will look great on any mobile device, in almost any email client and will make for a better viewing experience on laptops and smaller screens. Print design emails (aka slice and dice) are at high risk of being marked as spam by email clients because of limited text.

4. Avoid “Click Here!”

The days of opening up email strictly on desktop computers are over. More than 53% of emails are opened up on a mobile device including Apple, Android and tablet devices. The term “Click Here” should be avoided since those users can only “tap” and not “click.” Instead of asking for an aggressive action, use the term “Explore More.”  If the call to action represents an action of “reading or learning,” have the CTA relate to the specific story or headline of the article. Example – “Explore the Case Study.”

Want more email tips and tools? Explore AccuData’s full suite of Digital Marketing Solutions, which includes social marketing, display advertising, and creative design services.

 

Written by Ellis W. and Jon K.

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