You’ve probably visited Really Good Emails if you’ve done anything in the email marketing space. It’s essentially an online museum of, well, really good emails from the world over.
Really Good Emails (or RGE) is an online showcase of email design and a key resource for online professionals. It provides unique insights into product and customer email cycles.
To that end, the platform’s mission is to discover, curate, and critique exceptional messages, and then organize them into collections for marketers, designers, and developers. RGE staff members heavily critique thousands of submissions. Only those determined to be really good make it onto the site.
Naturally, you may be wondering what defines “really good”. We’ll discuss the criteria we use as an email marketing agency to design emails that are good enough to feature in the RGE gallery.
8 Elements of Really Good Emails
Really good emails come in all forms. However, they all share certain common elements and structure.
Below are the guidelines we’ve created after evaluating numerous messages:
Visual Design and Hierarchy: Blending strong visual design with a clear, simple structure.
Customer-Centric Content: Prioritizing customer needs over company interests in the content.
Brand Consistency: Ensuring uniform branding across the message, website, and app for a cohesive look and feel.
Innovative Technology: Utilizing cutting-edge technology to push boundaries in campaigns.
Surprise and Delight: Offering unexpected or delightful elements, even in transactional messages.
Performance Potential: Having expected strong results based on marketing expertise.
Text and Image Balance: Maintaining a suitable mix of live text and images.
Accessibility: Designing the campaign to display well on any device and be accessible to all users.
Obviously, certain factors hold more importance than others. When evaluating emails, we compare them extensively across industries, aiming for excellence.
Here’s our comprehensive checklist for crafting great messages:
- Subject Line
- Preheader Text
- Layout Patterns
- Images
- Typography
- White Space
- Mobile Optimization
- Call-to-Action (CTA) Design
- Video
- GIF
- Interactivity
- Personalization
- Voice & Tone
- Footer Design
- Legal Compliance
Really Good Email Subject Lines
Writing really good emails with engaging subject lines helps ensure that your subscribers read your messages. Make sure to use actionable language with command verbs like “take” or “reserve” to guide the reader on what to do. Furthermore, personalize the content based on audience preferences for better performance. Then, prioritize clarity over catchiness, as clear subject lines are key. Certainly, entertainment can follow without sacrificing clarity.
Really Good Preheader Text
A preheader is the short text displayed beside the subject line in an inbox, giving a preview of the message’s content. It’s available in various email clients on mobile, desktop, and web platforms, providing a sneak peek of the content before opening. Users use it to preview messages, while marketers view it as a chance to create a stronger impression.
To see how effective your preheader text is, you only need to look at your open rates. Obviously, high open rates indicate an engaging preheader, while low rates may signal a need for improvements. To create an effective preheader, review your content thoroughly to make sure it conveys the key points clearly and compels readers to delve into the message.
The preheader, known as the “second subject line,” should complement the main subject line to boost your campaign’s impact. It acts like a mini-headline and mini-article—the subject line grabs attention, while the preheader gives a sneak peek into the message’s value.
For example, if your subject line hints at a special offer, the preheader can provide more details or tease the benefit, enticing readers to open. By harmonizing these elements, you create a cohesive preview that not only grabs attention but also boosts engagement, leading to higher open and click-through rates.
Really Good Email Layouts
To create really good email layouts, balance structure with visual appeal. Understand your audience, design responsive layouts, and align content with campaign goals for effective communication. Whether using single-column, multi-column, hybrid, or unique layouts, aim to be easy to absorb, provide value, and prompt action. Undoubtedly, you should pay careful attention to layout when planning a campaign for success.
Really Good Images
When using images, it’s crucial to maintain a consistent design. While the layout can vary, ensure colors, header sizes, and fonts should stay the same to produce really good emails.
A universal rule for all email services is that images should be at least twice the size of the image placeholder. This ensures clear display on high-definition screens like those on iPhones, iPads, and newer computers with 4K or Retina displays. Although email widths are generally consistent across providers, there might be slight differences. Check your provider’s knowledge base for specific image guidelines.
Really Good Email Typography
Choosing the right fonts for your email marketing is crucial. Even really good emails can be crippled by poor typography.
Simply put, some fonts perform better, grabbing attention and boosting engagement rates. Furthermore, fonts reinforce your brand identity, as well as affect readability.
On the other hand, small or hard-to-read fonts can deter recipients from reading your message. Align fonts with your branding typography. If a brand font isn’t web-safe, use images instead.
In short, selecting the right fonts can enhance your campaigns. Focus on branding and readability to keep readers engaged and looking forward to your messages.
Really Good Emails Have Adequate White Space
White space, also known as negative space, is the empty area between elements in your campaign. This spacing is crucial for aiding the reader in scanning, interpreting, and digesting information easily. Avoid cramming images or text against the edges or columns, as this invades personal space and hinders readability.
Additionally, provide breathing room between your content blocks instead of overcrowding it. Remember, less is more when it comes to designing really good emails, especially for mobile users.
Really Good Emails Are Optimized for Mobile
Nowadays, around 84% of the global population owns smartphones—surpassing PC and laptop users. In fact, for many, smartphones are their primary access point to the internet. This means that even if you’re writing really good emails, many people will never be able to see them if they’re not optimized for mobile.
In conclusion, neglecting this risks losing a significant audience. Users expect a seamless experience online… and will switch to better alternatives if unsatisfied.
Really Good Email CTAs
A CTA prompts users to take a specific action in marketing. CTAs can appear as buttons, full-width content blocks, text lines, or images. They provide clear instructions for beneficial actions like downloading resources, signing up for newsletters, booking demos, making contact, adding items to carts, or completing purchases.
Obviously, CTAs should be responsive for a smooth user experience across desktop and mobile devices.
Really Good Use of GIFs
GIFs can elevate really good emails and make them more appealing to recipients in the right context. That being said, GIFs are not recommended for one-to-one sales messages, as plain text is generally more effective in those cases. However, they can be a valuable addition to marketing emails, newsletters, and when targeting the appropriate audience. Canva now offers a GIF maker, simplifying the creation of stylish, on-brand moving graphics.
Considerations like file size are important here. Opt for smaller GIFs. Also, note that users with older Outlook versions may not view GIFs automatically.
Really Good Personalization
In email marketing, personalization involves tailoring a campaign to individual subscribers using collected data like their name, purchases, location, app logins, and other metrics. Personalization strategies vary from basic (like using the subscriber’s name in the subject line) to advanced (adjusting content based on gender, location, etc.).
Really good emails utilize personalization to boost open and click-through rates. In fact, research shows that personalized subject lines increase open rates by 26%, and personalized messages generate 5.7 times more revenue. Personalized messages stand out by directly addressing subscribers, using their names, and offering tailored promotions and products.
Really Good Voice and Tone
Choosing a consistent tone for your campaigns is important for building trust and strengthening your brand identity. The tone you use influences how you engage with your readers—and should align with your brand’s personality and the message’s purpose. Whether you choose a conversational, professional, persuasive, informative, or humorous tone, really good emails are consistent.
Really Good Footers
The footer is the content area at the bottom of the message, containing elements like copyright notice, privacy policy and sitemap links, company logo, contact details, and social media icons. It offers valuable information for the recipient’s reference.
Despite its position at the bottom, the footer is crucial. Research shows users frequently engage with content below the middle of the message. In contrast, only 57% of viewing time is spent at the top, with this percentage decreasing due to larger screens, minimalist design, and common scrolling. Thus, user attention towards the bottom of really good emails has increased over time.
Really Good Interactive Emails
What if you could embed surveys directly into messages instead of redirecting users to a landing page? Or if users could browse products within messages like on a website? This functionality is possible with interactive campaigns.
Plus, interactive campaigns are gaining popularity, with 32% of marketers seeing them as a key trend in email marketing.
Interactive campaigns allow users to interact with content by tapping, swiping, or hovering over elements in the message. For example, users can complete quizzes, participate in polls, or solve puzzles within the body. This interactive experience enhances user engagement by providing valuable content within the message itself.
Really Good Legal Compliance
Laws governing email marketing for commercial purposes include the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States, CASL regulations in Canada, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations of 2003 in the United Kingdom. These laws set out specific requirements for email marketers to follow in order to avoid fines.
While it may appear complex, running a legitimate business and using a reputable email marketing platform for genuine campaigns likely ensures compliance with these regulations. The laws primarily target spammers, prevent unauthorized email collection, and limit unwanted messages.
Despite the focus on spammers, even well-intentioned marketers can unintentionally violate these laws due to nuances. It’s crucial to stay informed about compliance requirements.
Really Good Emails
So what sets great messages apart from mediocre ones? Impactful visuals, strategic use of copy, and a clear call-to-action. By understanding these essential components, you can create campaigns that stand out. Who knows? Maybe one day, your creation will be featured on Really Good Emails as well.
More on Creating Really Good Emails
Ultimate Email Marketing QA Checklist
Create an Email Marketing Strategy
Email Content Calendar & Strategy
Power of Audience Segmentation
Email Campaign Management Best Practices
Platform Integration for Email Marketing
Google Analytics for Marketing
