Creative Best Practices

	10 Fast and Easy Creative Best Practices for Email By Julian S. Scott, Responsys Creative Director

Did you know the implementation of several fundamental creative best practices for email can make a significant and immediate difference in your campaign results? Consider this: on a good day your email might be opened by 40% of recipients, and maybe 5% might take an action. To make matters worse, readers decide whether or not to view your email in less than a second. You must grab their attention and subtly guide them to the desired action.

Try implementing the following simple email creative best practices to help improve results immediately:

1. For most email clients, the ideal above-the-fold mark is 300-500 pixels from the top of the view pane. This is your prime opportunity to grab the viewer’s attention. Make the most of it. At a bare minimum, it is an opportunity to reinforce your branding.
2. Make sure your dominant call-to-action is above the fold at least once. If represented by a button, make sure a text link option is present as well. The text link can repeat the call-to-action message directly under the button or be incorporated in any primary system text messaging.
3. One of the biggest missed opportunities is the absence of a call-to-action at the end of each content section. Don’t make the mistake of getting them to read the content but giving them no where to go afterwards. More often than not, they will not scroll back up to find the call-to-action.
4. Repeat call-to-actions as many times as possible using buttons and text links. Be sure to make all graphic images clickable as well. Remember, the primary purpose of email is to guide the viewer to take an action. The more opportunities you provide to do that, the more likely you will achieve the intended result.
5. Give your viewers options. The primary message may not interest them even with the best of segmentation strategies. Provide additional calls-to-action, whether a basic footer navigation or links to related topics.
6. Be sure to balance out graphic content with system text to ensure there is readable content and calls-to-action through the email, especially if images are blocked. This is particularly important for the area determined to be above the fold. Be sure to avoid giant graphic "postcard" treatments. Most email clients block images by default, so all viewers will see is a giant gray square.
7. For messaging, avoid abstract and/or excessive copy. Be direct and brief. Use bullet points wherever possible for quick scanning. Don’t assume your message is so interesting or important that everyone will take extra time to read it. They won’t.
8. The ideal width for an email from the left edge of a view pane is 575-600 pixels. Anything wider risks "running off" the page. There is no set rule for email height. Generally shorter is better, but as long as an email is interesting and well laid-out, there should be no negative impact.
9. Graphic animations can be a powerful tool to add visual appeal and spark interest, although there is a fine line between "just right" and "way too much." Often the best animations are the most subtle, particularly if they subconsciously guide the viewer to continue reading down the email or towards a specific call to action.
10. Don’t be afraid to use color and accents to make your emails more visually appealing. Great content only matters if we can catch a viewer’s attention long enough to look. Visually appealing designs infused with strategic best practices can make all the difference.

An email that incorporates all of these recommendations can be viewed here: View example.

Lacking the time or resources to optimize your email creative?
Ask about the Email Creative Refresh from Responsys Professional Services. Our award-winning team of experts can give your existing email design a makeover in three weeks or less. The Refresh can help you lift response rates and educate your own design team on the best practices that have the greatest impact on your success.

Read more in the Email Creative Refresh data sheet.

If you would like to learn more about Responsys creative services, contact your Account Representative today.