Creating a compelling, reusable email template should be a high priority on every marketing department’s social media To Do List. After all, in the words of eMarketer senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson, “[social media and email] can help each other, offering the opportunity for marketers to create deeper connections.” So, here are a few tips on what a good template should include.
Social Links. Wherever you put them—the header, the footer, or the sidebar—make sure to include links to your Facebook and Twitter pages. For the JitterJam email template I’ve been setting up over the past week, I’ve also included a link to our Make Me Happy contact preferences page, where contacts can tell us through which channel they prefer to be contacted (as well as how often they wish to be contacted). Give your readers every opportunity to extend the conversation beyond their inboxes.
Plenty of White Space. Don’t cram your profile full of extra content. Do make sure to include social links and a logo, but don’t over-embellish. In my experience, a busy, headache-inducing email is an email swiftly deleted. Leave room for the content to speak for itself. And be sure to use a big enough font! Don’t make your readers strain their eyes to see your message.
A Compelling Plain-Text Alternative. Not every email client is capable of displaying HTML emails, and not every user is interested in reading HTML emails even if their client is capable of it. So, be sure to take some time to craft a compelling plain-text alternative to your message (assuming the email broadcasting platform you’re using is capable of including one).
Once you’ve crafted your template, don’t forget to test, test, test, and then test again. Test different desktop clients on different operating systems, plus every Webmail client you can get your hands on. Make sure that your message is going to look beautiful and be intelligible when it reaches your readers.
