Why would Parcel, a platform created for many who code HTML emails, ship plain-looking emails to its clients and subscribers? May there be a motive to ship your checklist a quite simple e mail design?
When the staff examined their flashier HTML designs in opposition to easy, text-based emails … the straightforward e mail design received. (Yeah, our minds have been blown too.)
We wished to know extra, so we requested Naomi West, Product Advertising and marketing Supervisor at Parcel, and Emily Ryan, Electronic mail Strategist and Co-Founder at Westfield Artistic, to speak us by way of what they’ve realized about experimenting with minimalism at Electronic mail Camp, our two-day digital e 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 might be extra in e mail design.
Couldn’t make this 12 months’s epic space-themed model of Electronic mail Camp? Don’t fear. We’ve put collectively a recap of what we realized from Naomi and Emily about how easy e mail design and text-based emails can work in your model.
HTML e mail campaigns vs. plain textual content emails
Earlier than we soar in, let’s outline what plain textual content emails appear to be versus extra conventional HTML-based e mail campaigns. As an e mail marketer, you already know and love well-designed HTML e mail campaigns – you realize, those which have vivid colours, stunning imagery, and perhaps a bit one thing additional, like animation or interactive components.
Plain textual content e-newsletter
HTML e mail e-newsletter
True plain textual content emails are messages that solely embody textual content. Meaning no HTML code is used in any respect within the creation of the e-mail. There are not any pictures, 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 e 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 e mail that you possibly can ship out of your private account.
That is generally known as “easy,” “low-design,” or “minimalist” e mail design.
“Plain textual content emails, they don’t get loads of TLC, however they’re so necessary. We’ve began to see them convert higher, and they could be a nice method for anybody with restricted sources or who desires to simplify their e mail.”
Naomi West, Product Advertising and marketing, Parcel.io
The advantages of easy e mail design
All of us love stunning, design-heavy emails. (That’s why you’re studying our weblog, proper?) And whereas these emails will all the time have a spot in any advertising and marketing technique, easy e mail design could be a surprisingly high-performing tactic value testing in your subsequent e mail marketing campaign.
Why? Electronic mail has all the time been one of the vital private channels a marketer can entry.
“Electronic mail is perceived as a one to 1 interplay. You’re going into one particular person’s inbox. You might be emailing 100,000 contacts, however it’s a private interplay with one subscriber that they expertise.”
Emily Ryan, Co-founder, Westfield Artistic
Naomi and the staff at Parcel ran a five-month variant check for his or her welcome automation with designed emails subsequent to a text-based method. What occurred took them a bit abruptly.
“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 the next conversion for the text-based emails. So I mentioned to [our developer] Mark Robbins, thanks for designing this stunning e mail, however I can’t 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 method finally caught folks’s eyes and allowed them to answer quite a bit simpler.”
Naomi West, Product Advertising and marketing, Parcel.io
As e mail entrepreneurs, it’s necessary to not let our personal biases dictate our design decisions. Each viewers has totally different preferences — and since e mail is designed to be private and conversational, it is sensible that subscribers would favor a less complicated method.
Taking an method like this one additionally gave the Parcel staff an enormous benefit: Standing out within the inbox. We frequently discuss designing probably the most eye-catching e 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 today, it’s really the easier e mail that may stand out.
4 examples of minimalist e mail design
Minimalism doesn’t need to be boring. Streamlining your design components offers your copywriting staff an opportunity to actually shine. Listed here are 5 examples of easy, stripped-down e mail designs you may take inspiration from in your subsequent marketing campaign:
1. Customer support e mail – Out of doors Voices
Totally different emails require a unique degree of design, and in relation to customer support emails like this one from Out of doors Voices, taking a super-personal method pays off. This e mail is a fast check-in for patrons after they make a purchase order and units up a stronger relationship sooner or later.
2. Welcome e mail – Zeplin
Welcome emails are your alternative to ship an awesome first impression in your subscribers, however they don’t need to be tremendous flashy. This e mail from Zeplin has just a few 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
In case you’ve bought some model new options to share, why not check out whether or not you want a flowery new e mail design or if you wish to maintain it easy? This can be a nice tactic when you have a product that isn’t simply visualized, like software program or a subscription. This product launch e mail from B2B model Robin makes use of a easy template and focuses primarily on the why behind their new product.
4. Affords 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 e mail, particularly for Black Friday, is a good instance of standing out within the inbox by paring down. It’s a fast, customized notice that includes just a few key gadgets and a reminder that the sale ends quickly.
Take a look at each marketing campaign to ship your model’s finest
Whether or not you’re seeking to dip your toe into extra minimalist e mail designs or need to experiment with a text-based method, each model and each e mail checklist is totally different. That’s why A/B testing this type of factor is so necessary. You by no means understand how your subscribers will reply.
“Clearly, we love HTML, design-heavy emails which are attractive and wonderful and interactive, however we discovered that working with our purchasers and clients that plain textual content really works very well as a part of your advertising and marketing technique. It’s actually fascinating if you begin testing to see what individuals are going to reply to.”
Emily Ryan, Co-founder, Westfield Artistic
You will get began by placing considered one of your extremely designed emails up in opposition to a plain textual content model, similar to Naomi did.
Do not forget – there are two sorts of e mail testing. Whereas A/B testing offers you insights into how your subscribers reply to adjustments, pre-send e mail testing is totally different. It is high quality assurance for e mail entrepreneurs, and it is wanted for each minimalist emails in addition to complicated designs. Each varieties of testing assist with e 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 Electronic mail on Acid offers senders limitless pre-send e mail testing with each paid subscription. Meaning you may check as many variations of your HTML e mail designs as you want. You will really feel assured that if you hit ship, you will be delivering the very best model of your e mail advertising and marketing marketing campaign.
Be part of us for Electronic mail Camp in 2024
In case you loved the presentation from Emily and Naomi, you will love Electronic mail Camp – our free, digital occasion.
We’re already getting issues collectively for an additional fun-filled, mind-expanding gathering of e mail geeks in 2024. Need to be a part of it? We would like you there. Signal as much as get updates about Electronic mail Camp 2024. We’ll fill you in on dates, audio system, and extra.
Within the meantime, take a look at extra on-demand Electronic mail Camp 2023 shows on YouTube.
