Beefree team

Countdown timers are one of the most effective ways to add urgency to your email message. And it's no wonder: when readers open an email with a timer, they instantly see a ticking clock with seconds slipping away in real time. It's a powerful tool. Countdown timers can be implemented in multiple ways in your email campaigns. Read on to get inspired by this roundup of great timers, and start planning your own.

In today's workshop, we'll show you how to create awesome email signatures in the Beefree editor. An email signature isn't just for person-to-person business messages; creative signoffs are used in marketing emails to add a personal touch.

Email signatures aren't just for person-to-person business emails. Many brands use special, designed sign-offs to make marketing messages more personal, seizing an opportunity to show readers what their brand is all about and to leave a lasting impression. After all, emails aren't written and designed by robots, but by a team of real people. If you're using email signatures in your messages, or if you're intrigued by the idea, check out how other companies use email signatures to make sure you're implementing best practices.

Are you heading to SXSW this week? Whether you'll be on the ground at South by Southwest, or you're just following the going-on via Twitter, you're sure to get new tech insights and learn about exciting new technology and startups during the festival. The Austin-based event has become a seedbed for creativity and fresh ideas, from music to tech. There really is something for everyone at SXSW—and our inboxes reflect that.

Stuck on how to make your email campaign stand out or want to try something new? Check out these Pinterest email design boards to get inspired. Be sure to follow us on Pinterest!

Our inboxes have been filling up with travel newsletters for spring break in March. Let's take a look at our favorite newsletters and see how their email designs stack up.

Emails are not websites. Emails are "teaser content." If you make that content interesting enough, readers will tap to learn more. That's why email messages need to be brief, focused, and easy to understand in a matter of seconds.

Do you know how to design emails with HTML colors as background colors? Background colors can help you organize content, establish hierarchy, and, when used behind images, can reinforce your design even with image-viewing turned off. Plus, HTML background colors render across all inboxes (unlike images), take up less than one line of code, and are easy to implement.

The upcoming Academy Awards ceremony has us thinking about big screens, red carpets, buckets of buttery popcorn—and good design, of course. So, how do companies in the movie and video industries take what they know about the powerful medium of film and use that to communicate in email? Let's have a look at email design for movie promotions.