how to design emails in digital marketing?

In email marketing, design refers to the way in which emails are outlined and schematized. This is done taking into account the objectives of the email marketing strategy. In addition, it is intended to increase the conversion rate and opening of emails. To design emails, it is essential to customize the content according to the tastes, interests and needs of contacts. These should be stored in a database to improve the digital marketing strategy.

The design of the email is influenced by various elements to take advantage of the action causing maximum performance. For example, influence the structure, the use of visual content, the text of the email or calls to action, among others. A successful email should have a distinctive scheme that differentiates you from competitors. It is also recommended to test its performance by monitoring the results.

Benefits of having a functional design in email marketing

• Reinforce brand image: Having a homogeneous design and content that is similar in all emails, even though each one fulfills a different function, will reinforce the brand image. Being recognizable and knowing how to differentiate yourself is essential in digital marketing.
• Increased interaction: If the email design is appropriate, subscribers will improve their relationship with the brand and interact with the email. It will generate an immediate response.
• Increased open rate: One of the key elements of email marketing design is the subject line. A powerful subject line guarantees the opening of the email. In order to generate more attraction, it must be clear, direct and personalised for the subscriber.
• Increased sales: Marketing strategies will be more successful if the design does its job. This translates into increased sales of products and services of the brand.
• Lower investment: Email marketing is a lower investment for the company. Having a good design for email will improve its performance and ROI of the brand.

Elements that are part of an email design

Subject line

The subject line is the first thing the subscriber sees. Therefore, it determines the success of the campaign. It helps the audience decide whether or not they should open the email. Here are some tips to make an effective subject line:

• Make it interesting: The reader must be curious to open the email. There must be a common thread for them to open it.
• Clarity: The subject line should be between 40 and 50 characters. If it is too long, the recipient will lose interest and will not continue reading.
• Wording: It should be well written, use punctuation marks and capital letters correctly.

Header

The email header should include the brand logo to be recognisable and have a CTA that stands out and makes sense for the purpose of the email.

Branding

The brand logo should have a unique design. The colours and fonts of the logo should be consistent with those used on other platforms or social networks. In addition, it should be cohesive with the essence and values of the brand.

Content

The body of the email should contain a useful and relevant message for the recipient. It is recommended that it be direct, simple and be elaborated based on the stage of the user's buyer's journey.

Specific campaign design

The structure of the design should be tailored to the email marketing campaign, i.e. depending on the campaign the visual elements, font sizes or position of graphics will vary depending on the company's intention.

Visual elements

Including visual content such as images, GIFs or animations is key to capture the attention of the recipient.

Responsive design

Most of the audience will open the email from their mobile device, so the email design should be responsive and adapt to any type of screen.

GDPR

Any user information must be collected under GDPR regulations. It must be included in the email, otherwise your email will be detected as spam.

Call to action

The email must contain a CTA in line with the objective of the campaign. It must use a font, colours and message that identify with the brand, and it must achieve the objective of the campaign.Signature

The signature should appear at the end of the email, it is the hallmark of the email and the last piece of information the reader will receive.

How to create a design scheme in 5 steps

1. Define your objective

Being clear about the KPIs of the brand and the specific objective you intend to achieve with the email marketing campaign is essential for it to be successful. You will not send the same emails to build customer loyalty as you would to get a purchase to be completed.

2. Make a content outline

This is a brief outline that contains elements of the body of the message. Each email is different, but making an outline will give uniformity to all emails from the company and will save time.

3. Draft the text of the email

Choose the content of the email based on contact information. The tone, language and vocabulary will vary depending on the brand values, the relationship with the contacts and their stage in the buyer's journey. It is recommended that the text is clear, simple and has a friendly tone.

4. Ensure consistency of design and content

It is important that the content and the design are related. The objective of the design is to communicate the same ideas as the content in a visual way. The design will guide the subscribers through the text of the content.

5. Structure the content of the email according to your objective

To write an email correctly, it must make sense to the subscriber. Therefore, it must be appropriate to the stage of the sales funnel and the objective that the brand aims to achieve with the email marketing campaign. The following actions are recommended:

• Use the right tone.
• Personalise the content.
• Highlight the most relevant information.
• Check for possible errors before sending.

what types of designs are there?

The design depends on the brand's objective. Companies can use custom templates or create their own. Here are some of the main designs:

• Conversation starter design: HubSpot Marketplace offers this type of template, which is ideal for starting a conversation with a subscriber and is characterised by engaging the reader in the message and uses natural, relatable language.
• Design for a welcome email: It is similar to the conversation starter email, but it focuses on presenting the brand's products and services. It is characterised by using large images and a call-to-action button. It clearly conveys the intention of the email.
• Coupon email design: This type of template is ideal for B2C companies. It focuses on delivering immediate results. Its design is simple and has a specific objective, usually to sell a new product or service.