Why would Parcel, a platform created for many who code HTML emails, ship plain-looking emails to its clients and subscribers? Might there be a motive to ship your listing a quite simple electronic mail design?
When the workforce examined their flashier HTML designs towards easy, text-based emails … the easy electronic mail design received. (Yeah, our minds have been blown too.)
We needed to know extra, so we requested Naomi West, Product Advertising and marketing Supervisor at Parcel, and Emily Ryan, E-mail Strategist and Co-Founder at Westfield Inventive, to speak us by what they’ve realized about experimenting with minimalism at E-mail Camp, our two-day digital electronic mail advertising and marketing technique, growth, and design digital occasion.
Watch the on-demand presentation under to seek out out extra about what Naomi and Emily why much less could be extra in electronic mail design.
Couldn’t make this 12 months’s epic space-themed model of E-mail Camp? Don’t fear. We’ve put collectively a recap of what we realized from Naomi and Emily about how easy electronic mail design and text-based emails can work to your model.
HTML electronic mail campaigns vs. plain textual content emails
Earlier than we soar in, let’s outline what plain textual content emails appear like versus extra conventional HTML-based electronic mail campaigns. As an electronic mail marketer, you already know and love well-designed HTML electronic mail campaigns – you already know, those which have shiny colours, lovely imagery, and perhaps a little bit one thing additional, like animation or interactive components.
Plain textual content e-newsletter
HTML electronic mail e-newsletter
True plain textual content emails are messages that solely embody textual content. Which means no HTML code is used in any respect within the creation of the e-mail. There aren’t any photographs, graphics, columns, tables, CTA buttons, or hyperlinks with anchor textual content. In reality, if we get technical about it, formatting textual content as daring or italics would additionally exclude it from being a literal plain textual content electronic mail.
What Naomi and Emaily are actually speaking about are easy, text-based emails with minimal code or graphics. This nonetheless technically makes use of HTML to construct the e-mail – for instance, coding in hyperlinks or including a easy CTA button on the backside – however has the look of an electronic mail that you may ship out of your private account.
That is generally known as “easy,” “low-design,” or “minimalist” electronic mail design.
“Plain textual content emails, they don’t get numerous TLC, however they’re so essential. We’ve began to see them convert higher, and they could be a nice strategy for anybody with restricted sources or who needs to simplify their electronic mail.”
Naomi West, Product Advertising and marketing, Parcel.io
The advantages of easy electronic mail design
All of us love lovely, design-heavy emails. (That’s why you’re studying our weblog, proper?) And whereas these emails will at all times have a spot in any advertising and marketing technique, easy electronic mail design could be a surprisingly high-performing tactic value testing in your subsequent electronic mail marketing campaign.
Why? E-mail has at all times been probably the most private channels a marketer can entry.
“E-mail is perceived as a one to 1 interplay. You’re going into one individual’s inbox. Chances are you’ll be emailing 100,000 contacts, however it’s a private interplay with one subscriber that they expertise.”
Emily Ryan, Co-founder, Westfield Inventive
Naomi and the workforce at Parcel ran a five-month variant check for his or her welcome automation with designed emails subsequent to a text-based strategy. What occurred took them a bit unexpectedly.
“My speculation going into the A/B check was that extra people could be impressed by the design variant, however what we ended up seeing was a better conversion for the text-based emails. So I stated to [our developer] Mark Robbins, thanks for designing this lovely electronic mail, however I cannot be continuing with it. I’m going to return to the e-mail that takes zero sources to get out the door. A text-based strategy finally caught folks’s eyes and allowed them to answer quite a bit simpler.”
Naomi West, Product Advertising and marketing, Parcel.io
As electronic mail entrepreneurs, it’s essential to not let our personal biases dictate our design decisions. Each viewers has totally different preferences — and since electronic mail is designed to be private and conversational, it is sensible that subscribers would like an easier strategy.
Taking an strategy like this one additionally gave the Parcel workforce an enormous benefit: Standing out within the inbox. We regularly speak about designing probably the most eye-catching electronic mail or working with particular psychological colours for conversion (keep in mind when everybody had orange CTAs?) however with so a lot on the web nowadays, it’s truly the easier electronic mail that may stand out.
4 examples of minimalist electronic mail design
Minimalism doesn’t need to be boring. Streamlining your design components provides your copywriting workforce an opportunity to actually shine. Listed below are 5 examples of easy, stripped-down electronic mail designs you’ll be able to take inspiration from to your subsequent marketing campaign:
1. Customer support electronic mail – Outside Voices
Completely different emails require a special degree of design, and with regards to customer support emails like this one from Outside Voices, taking a super-personal strategy pays off. This electronic mail is a fast check-in for purchasers after they make a purchase order and units up a stronger relationship sooner or later.
2. Welcome electronic mail – Zeplin
Welcome emails are your alternative to ship an incredible first impression to your subscribers, however they don’t need to be tremendous flashy. This electronic mail from Zeplin has a number of small design components, like a whimsical footer and distinctive CTA button (a golden ticket!) however is in any other case principally textual content.
3. Product launch – Robin
For those who’ve bought some model new options to share, why not check out whether or not you want a elaborate new electronic mail design or if you wish to maintain it easy? It is a nice tactic you probably have a product that isn’t simply visualized, like software program or a subscription. This product launch electronic mail from B2B model Robin makes use of a easy template and focuses primarily on the why behind their new product.
4. Presents and reductions – Everlane
Everlane’s clothes model is all about easy neutrals, however they often ship out closely designed emails or ones that function sturdy visuals of their retail merchandise. This electronic mail, particularly for Black Friday, is a superb instance of standing out within the inbox by paring down. It’s a fast, personalised word that includes a number of key gadgets and a reminder that the sale ends quickly.
Take a look at each marketing campaign to ship your model’s greatest
Whether or not you’re trying to dip your toe into extra minimalist electronic mail designs or wish to experiment with a text-based strategy, each model and each electronic mail listing is totally different. That’s why A/B testing this sort of factor is so essential. You by no means understand how your subscribers will reply.
“Clearly, we love HTML, design-heavy emails which can be beautiful and superb and interactive, however we discovered that working with our purchasers and clients that plain textual content truly works very well as a part of your advertising and marketing technique. It’s actually attention-grabbing once you begin testing to see what individuals are going to reply to.”
Emily Ryan, Co-founder, Westfield Inventive
You will get began by placing one among your extremely designed emails up towards a plain textual content model, identical to Naomi did.
Don’t overlook – there are two sorts of electronic mail testing. Whereas A/B testing provides you insights into how your subscribers reply to adjustments, pre-send electronic mail testing is totally different. It’s high quality assurance for electronic mail entrepreneurs, and it’s wanted for each minimalist emails in addition to advanced designs. Each varieties of testing assist with electronic mail advertising and marketing optimization, however one takes place earlier than you hit the ship button, and the opposite takes place after you launch.
Sinch E-mail on Acid provides senders limitless pre-send electronic mail testing with each paid subscription. Which means you’ll be able to check as many variations of your HTML electronic mail designs as you want. You’ll really feel assured that once you hit ship, you’ll be delivering the perfect model of your electronic mail advertising and marketing marketing campaign.
Be part of us for E-mail Camp in 2024
For those who loved the presentation from Emily and Naomi, you’ll love E-mail Camp – our free, digital occasion.
We’re already getting issues collectively for one more fun-filled, mind-expanding gathering of electronic mail geeks in 2024. Need to be a part of it? We wish you there. Signal as much as get updates about E-mail Camp 2024. We’ll fill you in on dates, audio system, and extra.
Within the meantime, take a look at extra on-demand E-mail Camp 2023 shows on YouTube.
Creator: The E-mail on Acid Staff
The E-mail on Acid content material workforce is made up of digital entrepreneurs, content material creators, and straight-up electronic mail geeks.
Join with us on LinkedIn, observe us on Fb, and tweet at @EmailonAcid on Twitter for extra candy stuff and nice convos on electronic mail advertising and marketing.
Creator: The E-mail on Acid Staff
The E-mail on Acid content material workforce is made up of digital entrepreneurs, content material creators, and straight-up electronic mail geeks.
Join with us on LinkedIn, observe us on Fb, and tweet at @EmailonAcid on Twitter for extra candy stuff and nice convos on electronic mail advertising and marketing.
