6 Important Elements in Your Email Message [Infographic]

With each employee receiving an average of 121 business-related email messages each day, it’s no wonder our email boxes are filled to overflowing. And why you need to pay close attention to your email marketing and creating effective messages.

Did you know 43 percent of email recipients click the Spam button based on the email From name or email address?

I’m one of them. If I don’t recognize the From name in an email message, it’s quickly sent to the spam folder and I move on to the next message.

Quick tip: if you’re a company that wants your email message to be opened, make sure the From name is a name your subscriber recognizes. That may mean you use your organization’s name instead of the name of your marketing manager.

In this infographic from Get Response, you’ll learn about six important elements in your email message and get helpful tips for:

• Attracting subscribers to open your email message
• Encouraging subscribers to read the whole message
• Increasing engagement

Check out the key takeaways.

Source: A Guide to Creating a Compelling Email Message #Infographic – GetResponse.

Key Takeaways

To create a successful email message, pay attention to the key elements in the content.

The email message envelope consists of three items: sender, subject line, and preheader. All three items are visible in the inbox of the user’s email application.

1. The sender/ the from field

   This is the first thing subscribers see when they open their email inbox. Whether you use your name or the company name, make sure it displays properly.

   Remember that your audience gets used to the sender. So choose a from field and stick to it.

   Hint: Ask your subscribers to add your email address to their address book.

2. The Subject line

   Subscribers read the subject line to decide whether to open your email or ignore it.

   So help them make the right choice. Your subject line should be relevant to the content, create positive anticipation, and tempt the subscriber to read further.

   Statistics: 69 percent of email recipients report email as Spam based solely on the subject line.

3. Preheader

   Some email programs display the first few lines of the message next to the subject line. Make good use of preview text by including one of the following: snippet text, call to action, link to the online version, or request to add your email address to their address book.

4. Header

   The header appears in the preview pane. Use it to encourage subscribers to read the message.

   Include your brand’s characteristic visual elements that make your messages instantly recognizable.

   Statistics: 84 percent of people aged 18-34 use an email preview pane.

5. Body

   This is what your message is all about. Make sure the content and the goal of your email are perfectly aligned.

   The call to action is the most important element of your message. Make it prominent, crystal clear, and consistent with the overall goal of your message.

   Break the routine with different graphic elements, such as hero shots, images, animated GIFs and videos.

   Hint: Some email programs block images by default. So include alt text for images.

   Statistics: If marketers optimized their emails for images blocking, ROI (return on investment) would increase 9 percent.

6. Footer

   The footer of your message plays an important role in your email marketing communications. Increase engagement and build trust by adding: social media buttons, unsubscribe link, and postal address.

Guide to creating a compelling email message

Here are a few tips to remember when creating an email message that brings results. Follow the rules presented below and watch your ROI soar!

1. Switch to responsive design

   Mobile-friendly isn’t enough. To be full effective, optimize your message to look great on any device: desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

   To generate the highest-possible ROI, use responsive email templates that adjust to fit every screen size.

2. Personalize your messages

   Email has always been the right tool for building relationships. Gather information from your audience and personalize the content for each recipient. For example, treat each subscriber with kindness and courtesy by using their first name.

3. Express your brand’s identity

   Create a brand experience that resonates with your audience: customize your template to keep your brand identity consistent, write copy using your own unique voice, include real photos wherever possible, and offer your subscribers something no one else can.

4. Always test before sending

   Does your email look great on desktop, webmail, and mobile inboxes? Don’t take it for granted, test every message before you press the send button.

   You can never put too much emphasis on testing, so let me say that again – you should always test your messages before you send them. Check the copy for typos and make sure that the template looks great in different email clients.

   Use multiple devices to see if your message looks great on different platforms.