List Detonator Personal Use Ebook

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9.0 HTML Newsletter Design

One of the biggest mistakes the vast majority of Internet marketers make, is they use ‘Plain Text’ emails exclusively.

Now don’t get me wrong everyone should use ‘plain text’ emails, but only as a plan B i.e. HTML should be the default choice. If an email client can’t display HTML emails, your email marketing services (e.g. Aweber) will deliver the Plain Text version instead.

For the purpose of clarity lets compare and contrast ‘plain text’ and ‘HTML’ emails.

Plain Text Advantages

Consistency Of Form

Plain text is plain text. Regardless what email client the recipient is using the text will usually appear as you send it.

Personable

Plain text emails are personable as they replicate the way in which you send emails to your friends. The recipient will get a sense that you are talking to them personally.

Less Effected By Spam Filters

Provided that you avoid the use of words that trigger spam filters, plain text emails have a lower probability of being trapped in a spam folder.

Plain Text Disadvantages

Inability To Hyperlink

If sending plain text emails then you need to put a raw or cloaked link in the content. This is less effective than the hyperlinked call to action associated with HTML emails.

Lack of Emphasis

All plain text looks the same in an email, as you can’t use bold, italics, underline or font color. If it’s a big block of text, then people are less likely to read it.

Lack of Multimedia

Video or images cannot be embedded in the email.

Difficult To Break Up Into Easy To Scan Sections

Plain Text emails rely totally on line breaks or white space in order to break text into bite size chunks. It lacks the ability to break up text with images, video, highlighted area, font colors, bold, underline or italics.

Line Breaks Can Be Disjointed

Depending on the resolution of the display on the device used to read the emails, the line breaks can look disjointed and messy. This reduces the propensity of a recipient to read the emails.

HTML Advantages

Brand Consistency

HTML emails enable marketer’s to match the color scheme and design of their website or marketing materials. This level of brand consistency looks professional.

Stand Out

The vast majority of marketers use plain text email exclusively. Just by using the graphic orientation of HTML, you can really make your emails stand out from the crowd.

Ability To Hyper Link

Instead of using raw links you can hyperlink your call to action phrases. This has a definite impact on your CTR.

Track Statistics

Unlike links in plain text emails, hyperlinks in HTML emails can be tracked in terms of click through rate. This is a very effective measure of the conversion rate of your email copy.

Emphasis

Email subscribers are scanners not readers. HTML can facilitate scanning by highlighting important points using bold, italics, underline, font color and / the yellow highlight tool.

Can Embed Video And Images

HTML emails enable you to embed video and images inside the copy. This serves to accentuate your message and provide the recipient with a rich multimedia experience.

Can break content into bite size chunks

Marketers can use bold, italics, color variations, video, images and other elements to break up text in to easy to read chunks. This makes it more likely that their entire email will be read.

Optimized For Mobile Devices

Most HTML templates are optimized for mobile display. These means that they will appear perfectly formatted on mobile devices such as an iPhones and iPads.

HTML Disadvantages

Can be More Formal

You wouldn’t ordinarily send your friends a HTML email, usually its plain text. For that reason HTML can sometimes be perceived as more formal and slightly less one to one.

Can be trapped by SPAM Filters

HTML has a greater array of elements that can add to your spam score and thus trigger a spam filter.

Display Can be Inconsistent

Depending on the email client, the email can display differently.

Images Are Often Blocked

Popular mail clients such as Gmail, automatically block images. They require the recipient to click a link that says ‘always display images from this person’. If this link is not clicked, the images will not display.

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