Design

Stuck in a rut about how to send Father's Day emails this year? If you're still assembling the designs, don't fret.To get the creative juices flowing, we've roundedup messages with clever copy and dynamicdesigns. Try these best practices for putting together Father's Day emails that will catch the eye and inspire your audience to click.

Provide options at different price points (but not too many)

Shoppers love to see customizable gifts they can choose to suit their individual dads, but they don't want to be presented with too many options. BirchBox's campaign offers readers two ideas: a monthly subscription or a one-time limited edition box.By offering just two gift suggestions (instead of, say, 10), BirchBox(a) doesn't overwhelm readers; (b) prevents readers from scrolling much or clicking to a new page; and (c) invites shoppers to choose the option that best matcheswhat their dad would like (and that's also budget-friendly).

What Works: What sets this campaign apart from other Father's Day emails is that it's incredibly focused. There is no complicated navigation menu at the top, and the message is simple, clear, and to the point. The price of each gift is included, so there's transparency. Almost everything you need to make a decision is right in one email—and when it's easy for readers to make a decision, it's easier for them to take action, too.

Make the gift stand out and the shopping super easy

It's no secret that dads can be tough to shop for. So always inspire readers with a fresh idea—and make it a simple purchase process—in your Father's Day emails. Patagonia recently sent this email (with the clever subject line:A gift for dads on the fly) to advertise a fly fishing kit for newcomers to the sport.Patagonia'slead image and message are clear: "All you really need is a rod, line and fly." With a single purchase,this gift gives readers an idea they might not have considered, takes the burden off the shopper to do extra research, and gets dad ready for a fishing adventure.

What Works: Like Birchbox, Patagonia uses a simple header and keeps its message simple and direct. By putting the copy below the lead image, the Father's Day email also improves its text-to-image ratio and becomes mobile friendly. Plus, those orange CTA buttons are easy to spot and tap, and they're bulletproof.

Use humor with heart

Father's Day isn't inundated with as much sentiment as Mother's Day, but there's nothing wrong with being earnest and getting to the heart of the matter: why dads are loved. Huckberry does a great job ofdesigning an email that's both heartfelt and silly.

What Works: With playful illustrated quote bubbles, Huckberry'sone-liner theme is carried from the introtext to the final message, creating an email that feels cohesiveand thoughtful. Plus, it probably puts a smile on readers faces. By using the same blue-green colorin headers, call-out bars, and CTA buttons, the color scheme also reinforces the email's cohesion and unifiesthe message from beginning to end.

Go minimalist with a typographic design

Not all campaigns need to rely on photos. By playing with font styles, sizes, and layout, Artifact Uprising uses minimalism to catch readers' eyes and tell Father's Day shoppersabout a chance to save.

What Works: Artifact Uprising proves that a simple typographic design can be anything butbasic or boring. A streamlined color palette, smart typography choices, and cleverlayout can come together for a design that's sleek and chic, and that also reduces budget and time. The email communicates effectively and delivers readers with the information they're looking for: how to shop and save thisFather's Day.

Skip out on clichés

Forget neckties, golf clubs, and whiskey (unless that's your dad's thing) in your Father's Day emails. Get inspired byYellow Leaf Hammocks, which played off tired dad clichés and suggested alternatives for each one. Although each alternate gift is the same thing (a hammock), the clever concept gets readers smiling and thinking outside the box.

Similarly, Terrainsteers clear of overused gift ideas by pointing readers back to its brand and inspiring shoppers with great design.

What Works: The playful language used by both brands keeps the messaging light and fresh. Plus, with such well-designed photos of things arranged neatly, one standout photo is all you need.

Wrap-Up: Design Inspiration for Father's Day Emails

1. Recognize dad's individuality with multiple gift options. Offer a few choices at different prices, but don't feel the need to give dozens of options. Stick to a unifying theme or carefully curate items, letting readers know why each choice might be a good fit for a specific type of dad.
2. Feature a single product that's relatively universal. Consider displaying something that has all the parts sold together. With a great all-in-one product like that, it can be better to pitch it to shoppers as one inspiring idea, instead of curating a list of goods.
3. Mix a little bit of humor with a little bit of sentiment. No need to get too sarcastic or too sappy, but clever copywriting can get to the heart of the matter and add a little fun.
4. Present your promotion with a sleek, typographic design. This is a good option if you're short on art, but make sure to put thought into the design so it's not slapdash. Use brand fonts and colors, but get creative with layout to catch readers' eyes.
5. Don't give into Father's Day gift clichés. Show readers refreshing, unexpected gift ideas, which means brands have the opportunity to appeal to all types of shoppers this Father's Day.

Do you have a new take on Father's Day email designs? Tell us about it! And remember to try the BEE editor to design fully mobile-responsive emails online for free. This way, your campaign can be ready to go in minutes.

A good email layout design will capture the attention of your busy subscribers—andmake content easier to read.The right design will direct your focus tothe content itself, not the structure holding it in place, and it should be simple, well-organized, and have an intuitive flow. Here, we share three types of email layouts, along with some pointers on how to pick the right one for different campaigns.

Email layouts: 3 types

Email layouts generally fall into threegroups: single-column, multiple-column, or a hybrid. Whichever you choose, the important thing is to keep the design simple and mobile-optimized.

1. Single-column layout

A single-column layout consists of one or more modules that fill the full width of the email and are all stacked on top of each other. Stanley, a company that makes hand tools, uses a single-column layout email, as seen below:

Benefits of a single-column email layout:

1. Easy to read. Single-column emails have a clear hierarchy: they start with the most important content at the top, and more content is consumed as you scroll down. You view one module, then the next. There are no sidebar distractions.
2. Optimized for mobile viewing. Multiple columns do not render well on smaller screens, which is why multi-column emails should always be responsive, reordering content into a single column. When scrolling on a mobile device, multiple columns also make content harder to read, forcing zoom in with fingers, which doesn't make for a seamless experience.
3. Focused on a single call-to-action. A single-column email is optimal for storytelling, taking readers through each component of the message until there is a clear, obvious call-to-action. This intuitive, sequential nature leads readers directly to your CTA.

2. Multiple-column layout

A multi-column layout typically separates content into two or three columns, sometimesso content appears arranged in a grid, like in this example from the shopping curation site, Shop: My Domaine. Here, columns are defined by pink boxes:

Benefits of a multiple-column email layout:

1. Organized product display. Arranging products on a grid allows you to showcase a lot of items quickly, maximizing the amount viewed above the fold.
2. Optimal for image-driven content. If your email is almost entirely image-based, and the images don’t require descriptive text, multiple columns will probably be the best layout.
3. Displays a lot of content quickly (on desktop). Since your multiple-column email layout should be mobile responsive and switch to a single-column layout on smaller devices, it may require a lot of scrolling. But desktop viewers will be able to quickly scan through a lot of visual content arranged on a grid.

3. Hybrid layout

Manypublishers send emails with a feature story at the top, with secondary content in multiple columns underneath it. This hybrid layout, which goes from first a single column then to multiple columns, has plenty of uses, like making product announcements. Here's an email example from the notebook company Moleskine, where columns are also defined by pink boxes:

Benefits of a hybrid email layout:

1. Maintains a strong hierarchy. By starting with a single-column module, the first and most important module of content won't be missed.
2. Easy to present multiple calls-to-action. Having a clear and focused message with a single call-to-action is a wise strategy for busy readers, but if you have more than one call-to-action and no strong hierarchy to your message, multiple columns can be used.
3. Ideal for linking to secondary content. A hybrid layout can be used to focus readers’ attention on the most important piece of content but still provide additional information

Email layout design: Choose the best one for your content

Now that you know the three different layout designs, how do you choose one? In order to choose an email layout, think about the purpose of your message and ask yourself: Is it to deliver an important update? Showsubscribers a new product feature? Inform about a change to privacy settings? Send a roundup of upcoming events? Offer a limited-time discount? The type of message you plan to send—and the amount of content—will inform which layout is optimal for your campaign.Often, designers use templates to establish consistent, branded foundations for variousemail types. Templates improve workflow efficiency and provide a framework for delivering well-designed emailsthat are always on brand.That's why using the BEE editor, which includes plenty of templates and layouts, will make your life easier. And, with BEE Pro, the new advanced version of BEE, you get even moreprofessionally designed templates and layouts to create a new email campaign.

Whether you choose from a selection of professionally designed templates or you start from scratch, determining the best layout for your email starts by identifying the message you're sending. Below, we highlight specific types of newslettersand the best email layout to choose for each one:

Text based email

Letter or text-based templates are useful for sending subscribers a personal message or a serious update, like one necessary for legal reasons. You might use a letter to welcome a new subscriber, apologize for an error, or announce a company change.

Email Layout to Choose: 

A basic single-column layout and keep the message straightforward, simple, and short.

Round up email

For lists, roundups, or blog/article digests, an email'slayout can reinforce consistency around the number of items included and the format of each item in the list.

Email Layout to Choose:

A hybrid layoutwith a list format that features one headlining item followed by more content.

User invitation email template

Aninvitation template is a valuable go-to for your online lead generation efforts. Think about the promotional content on your website. Are you inviting subscribers to participate in an onlinewebinar, offering them a free report or e-book to download? You can use anemail template builder like BEE to create a responsive email design for your next invitation.

Email Layout to Choose:

A single-column orhybrid layoutwhere the first module includes the most important details about the offering, along with a CTA button.

Promotional emails

To generate buzz around your product, create an email template for promotional offers that's short, well-branded, vibrant, and has a clear call to action.

Email Layout to Choose:

A single-column or hybrid layoutto focus readers' attention on your offer.

News alert or product announcement emails

Toquickly communicate a single, clear message to readers—like a big promotion alert/reminder or a product announcement—a layout that's dedicated to delivering an important piece of singular information is key. These email types areoften most effective when designed with simplicity.

Email Layout to Choose:

A single-column or hybrid layoutto make sure the most important information is in the first module (just avoid additional modules!).

Catalogue or multiple products feature template

Most product feature emails break from the single-column structure and use agrid-based layout. Since keeping a grid formation often means items are difficult to see on mobile devices, make sure these messages are responsive so products reposition into one column. (All BEE templates are 100% responsive).

Email Layout to Choose:

A multiple-column layout that's responsive to mobile screens.

Remember:BEE Prohas dozens of beautiful, professional-quality email templates with great layouts. Create the best newsletter design withBEE Pro for more design options, from newsletter templatesto notification templatesincluding this order notification template, and many more!

Email drip campaigns are part of a marketing strategy designed to stay connected with subscribers througha series of automatedemails. They're like friendly little nudges that offer enticing content (special discounts, limited-time offers, or free trials) to subscribers who are usuallynew to a mailing list or inactive.When done well, email drip campaigns generate and/or maintain relationships and build up brand loyalty. To help you implement a successful drip campaign, let's review more aspects of how they work and how they should look from a design perspective. Check out great examples of drip campaigns below to get inspired.

How email drip campaigns work

Drip campaigns typically consist of three or more emails sent in succession.Usually, emails are sent to segmented portions of an audience—for example, you might only send a special drip campaign with a specific offer to subscribers who have neverpurchased your product before.Although content for each campaign email may be similar, differences lie in the subject line, language, and design (which can create various levels of urgency). Typically, the emails are automated, and once ready, they're scheduled to go out in succession, stopping only when a subscriber engages and clicks on them.Drip campaignscan be used for a variety of purposes. Some common strategies include:

• Welcome campaign: Once someone subscribes to your mailing list, a welcome email might send a "thank  you" offer that includes a promotion, free trial, or free download. Your drip campaign can then follow up to remind readers the offer exists, and/or to instruct them on how to best use the site or product.
• Training/educational campaign: If your product or site has new features, a drip campaign might introduce them to readers and offer instructions. But even without new features, drip campaigns can introduce readers to existing features that they didn't know.
• New product announcement: To pique interest and increase exposure about a new product announcement, a drip campaign can send emails up until the final product launch.
• Promotional/marketing campaign: Subscribers can be reminded of limited-time deals or offers through promotional language.
• Re-engagement or renewal: For subscribers who have never used your product or service (or who haven't in a while), these emails might offer a special incentive to generate interest.

If you've had success with the email drip campaigns above, or you've tried or seen others, share them with us in the comments section.Let's look at 3 inspirational drip campaigns from top brands!

#1: Netflix's Dual-Email Re-engagement Campaigns

I haven't subscribed to Netflix in a few years, but every three or four months, I receive re-engagement campaigns inviting me to sign up foranother free trial. The drip campaigns come in a set of two emails about two weeks apart. Here's a list of the latestsix:

Most of the subject lines use the key phrase "free trial." A pair of emails sent in February look like the ones below.The content in each varies slightly; the first one is longer, showing images of popular shows, along with CTAs to restart to watch, while the second email is shorter and only shows a simple photo collage.

What Works

Design-wise, both emails have amodular, single-column design and use a classic inverted pyramid structure in the first section, driving readers toward the same CTA: "Enjoy Another Free Trial." The Netflix email drip campaign is a good example of two complementary designs that echo each other in terms of messaging and structure, but that still offerunique content.By using a parallel structure in the first module of both emails,the same offer remains a familiar, friendly reminder. This way, if the first message was read but then got lost in a crowded inbox, the second email served as a short, clear reminder, with no scrolling required.

#2: MOO's Promotional Push Campaign

MOO, the business card site, useda four-email drip campaign this April to promote a 25% off sale. Each subject line included consistent messaging—"25% off"—and the emails were sent two days apart.

For the first two emails, content is exactly the same (aside from the varying subject lines).

The third email breaks from the first two with additional modules showcasing products. It also stresses sale urgency with a "72 hours left" image. As for the final email, it's short and to the point about the sale being the last chance to make a purchase. Emails 1, 2, and 4 also include thisanimated GIF:

What Works

Like Netflix, MOO maintains the same CTA throughout the campaign, which alsocompletely unifies its style of design style. Each emailmaintains the same structure, the same teal-and-yellow color scheme, and the same flower artwork.As MOO demonstrates, using the same email early on in the campaign (with different subject lines) warms up readers by building general awareness. But as time runs out, the two emails after it create urgency throughdifferent headers and more/different information.

#3: ALOHA's Free Trial Campaign

In March, ALOHA, the healthy lifestyle company (known for their protein supplements), sent a three-email drip campaign to offer readers a free trial. Thefirst two emails were sent five days apart, followed by a "last chance"email sent about two weeks later.

Within all three emails,ALOHA maintains aconsistent structure and a primary CTA, but varies the color scheme and language.

What Works

Even though all three emails are a little bit different, it's easy to see that they're visually connectedand part of the same design family. This is an essential factor in drip campaigns, having each message be immediately reminiscent of the others, even if some features change. Also, like Netflix and MOO, ALOHA's use of a consistent structure for its first module, including a CTA that never changes, is just as important.

Wrap Up: Design Tips for Email Drip Campaigns

As you consider drip campaigns for different purposes and different segments of your audience, consider these best design practices:

1. Center emails on a central design theme, which will mean repeating the same colors, fonts, and/or images.
2. Maintain the same call-to-actions  throughout the campaign.
3. Have a consistent first module format as a great way to unify your messages (even if email lengths vary).

But, don't forget to include these general best practices as well to run a successful email drip campaign:

1. Don't be afraid to send the same email twice in a campaign—but always change the subject line.
2. If you do vary the subject lines between emails, always include the same key phrase.
3. Monitor the open-rates and click-throughs of your email drip campaigns to fine tune timing and the number of sent emails.

Designers use email newsletter templates not to make cookie-cutter emails, but to have a consistent, branded foundation. Email newsletter templates improve workflow efficiency and provide a framework for delivering well-designed emailsthat are always on brand.When you use templates, your emails start offwith basic components that are assembledin your brand's visual style, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel with every email.That means, from email to email, components like these always have the same size, style, color, andplacement:

• Logo
• Header and footer
• Call-to-action and social media buttons
• Font style (headers, body text, and links)

Having email newsletter templates on hand is valuable for any email marketer, and today, we're going to walk through the top five you should always have ready to go.

1. A letter or text-based template

Letter or text-based templates are useful for sending subscribers a personal message or a serious update, like one necessary for legal reasons. You might use a letter to welcome a new subscriber, apologize for an error, or announce a company change. Often, we see text-based emails when companies let readers know about an update to the privacy policy or terms of service, like in thisemail from AirBNB:

And another from The Muse:

Similarly, some brands use letter-style templatesfor their standard newsletters, like in this example from Skillcrush:

Even for brands with a primarily visual style, a simple letter-style template isessential to have on hand, particularly if you need to send a note to subscribers in a timely manner, like an apology email.Here's an example from Drybar:

Letter or text-based emails are straightforward. Important components to considerincluding in your email newsletter template are:

1. A standard, branded header/logo
2. An easy-to-read email-safe font for the body text
3. A call-to-action button
4. An e-signature
5. A footer

Format each of these items to match your visual brand standards, and your text-based template will be ready to go at a moment's notice.

2. An invitation-to-join template

Think about the promotional content on your website. Are you inviting subscribers to participate in an online webinar, offering them a free report or e-book to download? You'll want a well-designed invitation template for your online lead generation efforts.If you're a publisher, this is one of your most valuable templates, only second to your newsletter template. Why? Because it's the template used for uploading content and promotions from your advertisers.Here is an example of an invitation email fromtheSkimm.To invite existing readers to try out their new app, the Skimm Ahead app, the subscription service styled their promotion email similar totheir daily newsletters. Even though there aren't overt call-to-actions, theSkimm employs a short intro featuring the app prominently, plus a mock Q&A section written in their trademark tongue-in-cheek friendliness, to help readers get to know the app without being pressured to buy it.

Another email example fromHomeAwaymanages to tug at the heartstrings with an invitation email inviting subscribers to enter a romantic vacation sweepstakes. Not only does the email immediately grab the eye with a strong visual image, but specific keywords reinforce the sweetness ("romantic, fairytale, luxurious, enchanting"). Plus,the strong call-to-actions (one more visual than the other but both using romantic words like "epic" and "dream") make this email promotionfeel more personal.

In an email newsletter template like this, you'll generally want to include fivekey elements:

1. A logo/header
2. A strong visual image or two (especially of the product)
3. A fairly short section providing promotion highlights
4. Clear and strong call-to-action language
5. A footer

3. A news alert or product announcement template

It's important to have a template that canquickly communicate a single, clear message to readers. It's anewsletter that's dedicated to delivering an important piece of singular information, like a big promotion alert or reminder, or a product announcement. These email types areoften most effective when designed with simplicity using the inverted pyramid model:

Clothing company Everlane often uses this basic format in announcement emails:

These templates are likely to be updated significantly from one use to another, especially when announcing new products (you'll probably have special art and color schemes dedicated to the new item), but it's valuable to have a template with a structure and standard width and flow in place. Everlane, for example, always needs the same header, content dividers, "Radical Transparency" content section, and footer for announcement emails like these.

So for announcement and product email newsletter templates, you'll usuallywant to include fivekey elements:

1. A logo/header
2. A placeholder for artwork
3. A consistently-formatted section for body text
4. A clear call-to-action button
5. A footer

4. A content roundup template

For lists, roundups, or blog/article digests, a single column, modular email newsletter templateis a must. A template like this can reinforce consistency around the number of items included and the format of each item in the list. For example, this email from Skillsharethat liststhe most popular free classes is well-organized and formatted. Items are equidistant from each other (consistent padding), the image sizes and text styles are all the same, and the CTA buttons have the same format:

Depending on your objectives, your list format can vary widely. Inc. Wire, for instance, chooses social sharing CTA buttons and sticks to one header image per digest email:

With a template like this, it's easy to drop in new content with every send, maintaining a polished, branded roundup email no matter the frequency of your campaigns. And if your lists are generally on the longer side, be sure to check out our posts on formatting text-heavy emails and preventing Gmail from clipping your messages.So for these types ofemail newsletter templates, aim toinclude fivekey elements:

1. A logo/header
2. Relevant artwork placeholder(s)
3. A well-organized body text section
4. Clear and consistent call-to-action button(s)
5. A footer

5. A multiple products template

Product feature emails have become a real art. Designers and email marketing teamscreatesophisticated infographics, visual stories, photo collages, and much more. And with the email volume that brands send, having a baseline product email template is important, especially for regularly-scheduled product offering messages featuring multiple items.Danner, for instance, uses a simple template to introduce and remind subscribers about featured boot collections:

Similarly, Aloha uses a photo collage template to feature recipes and content on its site:

MAC Cosmetics also uses a grid style to send out regular emails featuring its bestselling or newest products:

Most product feature emails break from the single-column structure and use agrid-based layout. Since keeping a grid formation often means items are difficult to see on mobile devices, make sure these messages are responsive so products reposition into one column.When it comes down to email newsletter templates for multiple products, always try to include fivekey elements:

1. A logo/header
2. A well-organized photo and body text section
3. Clear and consistent call-to-action button(s)
4. A design that responsive on mobile devices
5. A footer

Wrap up: 5 email newsletter templates to have on hand

Templates don't just lay the foundation for good email design—they reinforce and build your brand, establishing trust with readers. Make sure you have these templates ready to go:

1. Letter or text-based
2. Promotional
3. Simple announcement or reminder
4. Content roundup
5. Multiple products feature

Looking for email templates to use? Go Pro!

If you're not already using our BEE editor, sign-up for a BEE Pro free trial and find dozens of beautiful, professional-quality email templates to edit again and again for all of your newsletter needs.Here are just a few examples of our email templates found in BEE Pro:

Mother's Day is just around the corner!As we prepare to celebrate moms, consumers' spending habits reflect just how much we value making herfeel special.According to the National Retail Foundation, American consumers spent an average of $172.63 on mom lastyear, more than ever before. What's the best way to create Mother's Day email that will help your brand get in on this spending?As you send out your Mother's Day email campaign this week, keep in mind thesetop three design tips, withexamples to inspire.

Tip #1: Focus on value over numbers

You can't put a price on love—especially when it comes to mom.As email marketers present gift ideas, the emphasis fallson value of the gift instead of its price. Often, prices aren't listed at all, and discounts aren't offered. Instead, it's all about finding the right way to celebrate mom. She's worth it.This Mother's Day email from Godiva, for instance, is an intricately-designed roundup of "Inspired Gifts for the Women Who Inspire You."Each giftis accompanied by a one-line summary of what makes it perfect for mom. It's all about choosing what she'll like best, not about saving cash.

Also, instead of focusing on discounts and deals, brands are curating lists of hand-picked items for the occasion and encouraging readers to think about how to show mom they care. Terraintakes this approach, offering acollection(which we trimmed, because it's long!) of gift ideas, seen below.With a beautiful design, a headline stating "Our Very Best Gifts for Mom," and product descriptions thatilluminate what's unique about each item, the email is designed to help readers focus on choosing what would be most special and best suitedfor mom.

Don't forget that even single-product emails can emphasize the quality of the gift over its cost, like in this email from mpix. The key message, "Melt Her Heart," like the ones from Godiva and Terrain, isabout doing something special for mom (not about getting a great discount while doing it). Even thoughmpix is offering 40% off photo books, the primary emphasis of the email itself is on the product and the joy it will bring.

Takeaway: In designingyour Mother's Day email, give readers reasons other than price to love your product. Strengthen your design and messaging instead of steeply discounting your offerings, and see how consumers respond.

Tip #2: Use personal language in Mother's Day email

For most brands, Mother's Day is a time to put the jokes aside and apply a more sentimental angle in email marketing. Butsentimental doesn't have to mean sappy or cliché. Effectivemessaging gets to the heart of the matter in a way that's authentic, simple, and on-brand. Take the powerful introductionof thisemail from Jimmy Choo.The image and header say it all, bringing in nostalgia and elegance to make the pitch. Using the pronoun "you" underscores theinclusive and personal nature of the message.

Like Jimmy Choo, Purewow also usesnostalgia to create messaging that pulls at the heartstrings.At first consideration, the mother-daughter trope might seem like one that's overdone, but the brand proves that, with the right approach to design and messaging, you can create something authentic and effective.

Likewise, Refinery29 + Neimann Marcus use a similar connection in their messaging, cleverly referring to moms as "our first style icons":

Takeaway: As you develop content foryour Mother's Day email, consider how you mightweave in universal themes of nostalgia, mother-child connection, and the power of a mother's carethrough a child's eyes. Use pronouns like "you" and "our" to add a personal element tothe language, and be authentic! Your messaging should always be in sync with your brand.

Tip #3: Create urgency

Once you've emphasized the unique value of your offeringsand created compelling content, you'll still need readers to do one more important thing: click! Take a step back and begin withthesubject line. Present your value proposition in five words or less, and be sure to optimize pre-header text. Here are some of the subjects we've seen this Mother's Day:

What stands out as most clickable to you? Take note, create your own variation, and test how subscribers respond.Once your email is open, optimize your call-to-action by making it obvious what you want readers to do, and making it easy for them to do it. AHAlife (formerly Bezar) put together this clever email campaign featuring words from their own employees talking about their moms. Here are the first few modules, which give the email apowerful, simple concept. Best of all, each module includes a bulletproof call-to-action button that's easy to spot and easy to tap on desktop and mobile.

Anotherway to create urgency is toinclude a countdown timer, like Yellow Leaf Hammocks does in this Mother's Day message:

Countdown timers are dynamic, attention-grabbing, and fun to use. Here's the Yellow Leaf one in action:

They're pretty easy to implement, too (check out our tutorial on how to do it).Takeaway: Before pressing send on your Mother's Day email, check that your subject line, content, and in-email CTAs are optimized to create urgency and get clicks!

Wrap Up: Tips for Mother's Day Emails

1. Don't focus on a sale or promotion. Instead, focus on the intrinsic value of your offering and how it will make mom happy.
2. Create messages with meaning. Without getting sappy, find a creative angle to access readers' nostalgia and tap into the core of what's important about the holiday.
3. Be clickable. Optimize your subject line and call-to-action—and try a countdown timer to encourage action and create urgency.

Originally published on April 25, 2016. Last updated August 13, 2021.

Never overlook the value of your email marketing strategies. While some may say email is dead, the data shows otherwise. Over 306 billion e-mails were sent and received every day worldwide in 2020, and it continues to be one of the most effective communication channels available to marketers. Now is the time to level up your email design. Design components make your email more engaging, with the power to increase both open rates and click through rates. Quickly enhance your emails and increase your open rates with these 9 email design best practices:

1. Optimize for mobile

We love to stress this best practice because it’s so vital to creating your best email design. About 50% of email opens occur on mobile devices. This means responsive email designs are no longer a “nice to have” —proper rendering is a must. The good news is that email editors like BEE Pro allow you to build a fully responsive mobile email without specialized coding or designing skills.

Desktop and mobile versions of Webflow’s well-designed responsive email.

In addition to using a responsive editor, you can optimize your messages for smaller screens by implementing these bonus design best practices:

• Minimalistic design (no complex headers, extra CTAs, or clutter)
• Large, easy-to-view content
• Clickable links and bullet-proof buttons
• Small image file sizes (allow for quicker load times)
• High-contrast design for mobile screens set to low brightness
• Proper balance of images and plain text (ALT text used for images)

2. Format text to improve readability

If you send newsletters, feature launch emails, or other text-heavy emails to subscribers, you’ll want to have a consistent, balanced approach to formatting text. As you build your email, make sure to:

1. Stick to 1-2 email-safe fonts. Arial, Georgia, Verdana and Helvetica are popular email-safe fonts. They are reliable, classic, and easy to read. Once you’ve established your font, create structure and improve readability with styling techniques (bold, caps, size, color, and spacing).
2. Include headers. Headers establish structure and break up sections of content. Generally, using a font size that’s 2-3 times the size of your body text will make your email easy to scan and clearly show readers when a new section begins.
3. Use short paragraphs and bullets. Make your email content scannable by giving readers short bits of information. Nobody wants to read a long paragraph.
4. Don’t over-format. It can be tempting to overdo styling techniques like bold, italicize, underline, color and more -but resist that temptation. A minimalistic approach to body copy is best for readability.

The Skimm newsletter uses solid font sizes and bold styling to create clear structure.

3. Don't underestimate color

In email, color is used to call attention to content, reinforce your brand identity, improve content organization and more.Background colors are a great way to organize content in email. HTML background colors are a great tool because they render across all inboxes (unlike images) and they’re easy to implement. Using different background colors in your email modules will properly organize your content and provide a seamless reading experience for subscribers.Looking for other creative uses of color in email? Try these quick tips:

• Labels. Organize long emails with eye-catching color tabs.
• Match photos. Grab attention with a monochromatic color scheme.
• Divide content. Use colorful lines and background colors to get organized.
• Photo collage. Break up images with blocks of color.
• Text. Use a high-contrast color other than black, like blue or grey.
• Links. Step away from that boring blue and create branded links.
• CTA buttons. Make sure they stand out more than any other message component.
• HTML backgrounds for ads. Improve transparency and make sure ads stand out from other content.

Refinery29 uses color tabs to organize content in this portion of their newsletter.

4. Create bold CTA buttons

All effective marketing emails have a call-to-action. You can ask your audience to sign up for an event, download white paper, snag a discount on a product or to share content. Whatever your CTA, it’s the driving force behind the entire email campaign. The goal of your email is to get subscribers to click on what you’re offering them, so it’s critical that your CTAs stand out. The best way to optimize CTAs is to form them into buttons. That way they will be clearly seen and clicked more frequently.Buttons written in HTML—also known as bulletproof buttons—will always render across all inboxes. Editors like BEE Pro generate bulletproof buttons with no-coding required on your end. Drag-and-drop your button into your email template, and you’re good to go.CTA button best practices:

• Write action-oriented, personal and compelling copy for your button. Keeping it direct and clear will ensure readers know exactly why they’re clicking
• Check that your button visually pops out. It should be quick and easy to find
• Make sure the color of the button is different than your email background and the copy inside the button is different than the button color - visibility is key
• Keep the style simple. Avoid gradients and multiple colors
• Place your button in an easy-to-find spot that fits organically in the story of your email (probably below the fold)

Tastebook’s CTA button is easy to spot and click, and it’s a brand color that contrasts against the white background.

5. Make sure your message can be read with image-viewing turned off

It’s tempting to build your email as one big image or as a series of images, but doing so means you’ll risk encountering a number of inbox and mobile rendering issues. Skip the image-only email and follow these design best practices:

• Don’t rely on images to be the only visually interesting part of your email. Clean, simple design best. Capitalize on this by using flat design tactics and bold colors to get the attention of your readers and to ultimately create an elegant, interesting email.
• Find a proper balance of live text and imagery.
• Bulletproof your buttons. Using HTML instead of an image ensures your call-to-action buttons look great on all devices and always render. (Bonus: With BEE Pro, you don’t have to actively use HTML. Your visual will automatically turn into code and render almost anywhere with the design-suite).

A side-by-side view of an email from Aveda: on the left, image-viewing is turned off, revealing that most of the message is composed solely of images.

6. Be selective with social media buttons

Social media buttons are secondary calls to action that invite readers to follow your social accounts or to share your content on social media.Because they aren’t usually as important as your email’s central CTA, social media buttons shouldn’t compete with your main content. That’s why they’re typically placed in the header or footer. If they need to be included in the body of your email, along with each featured story, choose no more than two sharing options (e.g., only Twitter and Facebook). Otherwise, an overwhelmed subscriber won’t take any action.Here are some social media button best practices:

• Social media buttons in email are usually secondary CTAs. Wherever you place them, these buttons shouldn’t compete with your main content. Try the header or footer.
• Choose a shape, size, color and customization that fits your visual identity. Make sure the buttons are clickable on mobile by including ample white space around buttons.

Decide which buttons to include based on the nature of your content and subscribers’ needs. Don’t overload readers with too many options.

Mic includes two social media buttons in its header and two accompanying each story.

7. Incorporate dynamic content

Visual storytelling in email is growing increasingly sophisticated and effective. Animated GIFs are big contributors to that growth. GIFs communicate quickly and break down complicated concepts into a few frames of fluid messaging. To maximize their effect, use them intentionally and follow these tips for GIFs:

• Make sure your GIF serves a purpose in the story you want to tell. Does it improve your readers’ understanding of your message?
• Position GIFs to lead subscribers directly to your CTA. Let it show them where to click.
• Remember GIFs are image files - link them to your website and always use ALT text.
• Communicate your message in the first frame. There’s no guarantee your GIF will animate for all subscribers. Make sure the first frame is as effective as the whole animation.
• Don’t send out a huge file size. An enormous GIF may not load and can eat up mobile user’s data.

Like animated GIFs, countdown timers are another great way to call attention to special emails and compel readers to act. Position your timer at the top of your email, giving it room to breathe with some padding. Pair it with a CTA button, and choose a look and feel that aligns with your email and brand.

Skillcrush uses a dynamic countdown timer to urge readers to sign up for a workshop. 

8. Enhance your footer

Even though they come last, email footers shouldn’t be overlooked. They’re often where readers go to find details about your brand, additional perks, and social media links.If you’re sending commercial emails (i.e., messages that sell or promote a product or a service), these pieces of information are typically required by anti-spam laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act of the USA, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and many others:

• A link to unsubscribe
• A link back to your site
• Your mailing address
• Contact email address

Footers can quickly become crowded with buttons, icons, links, and fine print. Before stuffing your footer with information, first evaluate what makes the most sense to include, and go with a minimalistic approach. Overwhelming readers with too much information can lead them to skip over the footer altogether. Keep it simple for subscribers.

This footer from Medium is simple and well-organized.

9. Don't get clipped

Message clipping is especially common for Gmail users, where HTML emails larger than 102 KB get trimmed. The Gmail app for iOS clips messages larger than 20 KB. This can cause an inconvenient roadblock for brands with Gmail subscribers, as their email is not fully shown, but rather clipped with a link to view the entire message.

Prevent clipping by:

• Optimizing for mobile. Don’t overload your emails with content, and be sure to use a mobile responsive design tool like BEE Pro to prevent clipping. Mobile design mode in BEE allows you to edit your email in mobile view while ensuring that your emails will look exactly the way you want them to upon sending.

Create in BEE Pro for long-lasting success with great email design

Enhancing your email design will provide your subscribers with a better understanding of the value you bring to their lives. While email design trends and best practices are constantly evolving, staying up to speed will result in increased email opens and higher conversion rates.Create authentic, eye-catching emails in BEE Pro, and be sure to refer back to this quick guide of design best practices before sending out your next email campaign.

Illustration in emailisn't just away toaddlevity andvisual interest—it's a great storytelling tool thatextends your visual brand.Illustrationcan be used to depict an abstract product or service (that may not be easy to photograph) or make a complex messages easier to understand. Withinfographics, icons, diagrams, and symbols, illustration canquickly and elegantly convey conceptual or abstractmessages. Plus, illustration isa great way to delight readers and add beauty to email. Here are five creative ways to use illustration in email, with inspiration from brands doing it best.

Add spot illustrations in email to depict a process, feature, or offer

Spot illustrations are small drawings—usually without borders or backgrounds—designed to appear alongsidetext to liven up or visualize a message. Including spot illustrations in email to show offproduct features is a great option for brands with products or services that are not "tangible" items that get shipped to our doorsteps. Dropbox, the cloud storage company, for instance, uses illustrations to introduce three new features that are more conceptual than they are literal or physical:

The line illustration style is friendly and approachable, and it's unique to the Dropbox brand, offering readers a consistent, visualway to get updates on Dropbox offerings. Likewise, Hipmunk, the travel company, usesspot illustrations, along with illustrated text, to imbue its email with a sense of playfulness while also adding visual context for its product features and offerings:

Illustration in email is also a helpful tool in communicating a process. Airbnb uses these colorful spot illustrations in its welcome email to visually instruct readers on the first three actions to takeinusing its service:

As part of the instructions, the illustrations add levity and give readers something to look at other than typed out directions.Uniqlo, the clothing company, uses a spot illustration / icon hybrid approach to illustrate prizes offered for a special in-store event. While the company typically sends photo-heavy emails showcasing clothing items, the brand clearly values the design power of adding illustration to the mix.

Grab attention with animated GIFs

Animated GIFs are often created with a series of photos to create mini-videos or cinemagraphs.But brands also animate drawings, often as the lead image in an email, to catch readers' attention with simple motion. Take this recent email from Grammarly, the grammar-checking app, for instance:

Maximizing aninverted pyramid structure, the email starts off with a cute, simple animated GIF:

Tinybeans, the online baby journal sharing site, takes a very similar approach with this thank you email to subscribers:

Like Grammarly, the lead illustration has a simple animation to add playfulness and catch eyes:

Both of these brands operate online, with services that aren't readily photographable. Including a dynamic illustration style as a key component of their visual brand identity is a smart way to makeemails more engaging and interesting.

Layer with photos for added dimension

Marrying illustration in email with photography brings character to your design. With illustration, you can level-up stock images or add a special touch to your own photos, creating a more memorable experience for readers. It's an approach BarkBox nearly always takes—playful illustration atop photos are a staple of their visual brand. Here are two recent examples from BarkBox emails:

It's a cute and playful way to add some fun to their already humorous doggy photos.

But the pairing doesn't always have to be silly. General Assembly has a well-established illustration style that sometimes overlaps with photography, too, like in this recent email promoting upcoming classes:

By layering colorful illustration atop black-and-white photography, GA achieves a unique look that stands out. Theheader image is also a great photo-illo animated GIF:

Illustrate text to build unique headers

If you don't have a process or service to illustrate, making your email's text illustrative is a quick way to create visual interest in email. Coupling illustration and typography can be a refreshing addition to emails that are often photography-based. Take this header from a recent Bloomingdale's email, for example:

Like Uniqlo, the brand typicallyfocuses on beautiful hi-res photography to showcase wardrobe items, but this playful illustration is a nice change of pace. Placed at the top of the email, it's positioned to grab readers' attention from the get-go.Similarly, Bliss, the beauty care line, addsfun and movement to a recent email with this"#BODGOALS" header that's ananimated GIF, too:

The movement is simple, but, placed right at the top of the email, it's enough to catch readers' eyes right when they open the email, and it shows subscribers that Bliss is dedicated to engaging email design. (For tips on how to use GIFs in email, be sure to check out ourtop 4 tips for using animated GIFS in email.

Divide content with a pattern

Modular email design often benefits from subtle content dividers to improve readability as subscribers scroll between sections. Instead of a basic horizontal line, dividing content with a small illustrative flourish is a unique way to personalize an email. It's a tactic Drybar, the salon service, often employs in their light, bright, gray-and-yellow messages, like with this heart-and-dot divider from a recent email:

Similarly, the Honest Company adds an illustrative touch to their welcome email with a gray illustrative pattern that separates the navigation menu from the first content module:

These simple, subtle touches, when used consistently,pull together your email design in a cohesive, professional way.

Wrap up: Ways to use illustration in email

1. Pair spot illustrations with abstract concepts to bring to life your business's processes, services, or features.
2. Use an illustrated animated GIF at the top of your email to catch readers' eyes.
3. Layer photos and illustrations to add dimension and show readers your investment in good email design.
4. Illustrate lettering to add punch to your email's header and key message.
5. Break up content with illustrated dividers that add a special touch.

Illustration is an effective investment in extending your brand. Give it a try by adding illustration to the next email you create in the BEE editor, and let us know how it goes!

Spring fever is heating upour inboxes. With the change of seasons, retailers and ecommerce businesses are shifting gears from winter sales to spring promotions. The email designs we're seeing for these emails reflects the freshness and newness of the season. We're inspired by the creativity, color, and clever copy we're seeing in retail email right now. Check outthe best retail email designtips we gathered from messagesshowcasing products in unique ways.

Focus on one special product

Instead of showing a breadth of new products, zero in on one that's really special, and go behind the scenes to show what makes it so great. That's exactly what Sperry did in this messagefeaturing their customer favorite Gold Cup shoe:

Coupling graphics with up-close product images, Sperry walks readers through what a great shoe they've produced, emphasized its quality, comfort, and small customizations that make the shoe a favorite. It's not enough to tell readers to buy your product; you have to tell them why. This deep-dive look at the design behind this shoe is a smart way to visually show customers exactly why it's great.

Feature great customer feedback

There's nothing more persuasive to potential customers than seeing how excited and satisfied existingcustomers are with your products. Show off great reviews you've received to demonstrate how happy your clients are. Bumble & Bumble pulled great customer reviews in this recent email campaign, The Best of the Best, featuring some of their favorite products:

Pairint high quality images and those recognizable 5-star ratings, this email proves potently clickable.The technique isa great way to reinvigorateattention towardexisting products and take advantage of content that already exists.

Think outside the box with photography

One way to grab readers' attention is to present your products in a way they haven't seen before or didn't expect. Not only is it a fun approach, but it shows readers your dedication to email design that's both playful and sophisticated. You're positioning yourself as a brand that pays attention to the details, thinks creatively, and knows how to engage its audience. Here's a recent email from Moo, where they've strung up their new business card line like lightbulbs:

It's simple and cute, and it grabs our attention because it's not how we'd expect to shop around for business cards.TOMS, similarly,had fun turning their shoes into hearts this Valentine's Day:

We wouldn't normally think of business cards are lights or shoes as hearts, but that's exactly what makes these emails work. Take the time to plan an eye-catching email campaign with creative photography, and readers will take note!

Show your digital product in action

Maybe your product isn't one customers can hold in their hands. If that's the case, you might have to get creative with how you can liven up emails and show readers how your product functions and how it can improve their lives. Animated GIFs—easy to implement in email and powerful for catching reader attention—are a great option for "intangible"products. Noble Desktop, the training school, often includes GIFs in its emails to showcase coding tips in a snappy, visual way, like this one in fromrecent message:

Here's the module for context:

Lackingtime or resources to create a GIF? Simple, high-quality screenshots are a good option, too. Grammarly, the writing enhancement platform, uses multiple shots of its product in action to show readers exactly how it can help:

Headers tell readers each featured benefit, followed byscreenshots that tell the rest of the story. The story is well-told with a balance of text and images, and with a quick scan we get an understanding of how the free extension functions.

Engage readers with a clever CTA

BirchBox, the makeup subscription service, wants readers to sign up to receive its products. But instead of the expected structure of presenting a product, showing why it's great, and giving readers a clickable CTA button, Birchbox reframes the whole CTA. The subject line of this recent email reads "Choose Between Two Rifle Paper Co. Boxes," and the email shows readers how they can choose between two makeup options ifthey sign up today:

Instead of the option of whether to subscribe or not subscribe, readers are instead focused on which option to choose when they subscribe. It's a smart customer engagement tactic on Birchbox's part, and it benefitsreaders when they have an opportunityto customizetheir experience.

Create a curated list

Presenting readers with a small selection of hand-picked products can call attention to items in a new way. Inspire customers with a product they might have otherwise skimmed over by showing them how to pair it with other products or by calling attention to it in a special email. It's an especially useful approach in the fashion industry, where retailers seek to inspire customers with how, where, and with what to wear their clothing.Anthropologie, for instance, sent a recent emailwith the subject "New uniform: kimono, kimono, kimono" and focused on—you guessed it—inspiring readers with ways to wear kimonos.

Instead of featuring different ways to wear a single item, Ann Taylor chose five special items to feature in an "essential pieces" email:

Showing readers a shortlist of items inspires and creates focus. It's a dynamic approach thatretailers can recycle in multiple ways in spring campaigns.

Optimize for mobile screens

The weather's warming and we're all coming out of our winter shells—which means we're on the move! It's so important that spring email campaigns are optimized for mobile devices where we're most likely to see them.While the featured emails we reviewed above are beautiful, the image-only approach isn't an email best practice. A great alternative is to break up your email into modules and use HTML background colors with stunning photography to build a responsive email that looks stellar on all devices.We spotted Lord & Taylor showcasing a new coat in an email module like this:

It's a perfect way to show a high-quality imageof a product while breaking up the email with responsive-friendly design. The column on the right is easy to make with email-safe fonts, an HTML background color, and a well-styled bulletproof CTA button. Check out our tutorial, How to use HTML colors alongside images, to recreate the look.

Wrap up: Retail email design tips for spring

Spring is a time for fresh starts—and for having fun. Get inspired with these creative ways to showcase your products, and let us know how it goes in the comments!

• Choose one product and feature it. Go deeper to tell a story, add infographics, and show readers why it's worth the buy.
• Need content? Use customer reviews. Show readers your 5-star ratings and give them a reason to experience your product's benefits along with their peers.
• Photograph your product in unexpected ways. Catch readers off guard and get them talking—and shopping!—with playful product photo ops.
• Visualize digital products, too. If your product lives on a screen, you can still show it off with screenshots and animated GIFs. Whenever possible, show, don't tell.
• Change up your CTA. Engage readers with a call-t0-action that's unexpected, interesting, and beneficial to them.
• Curate must-have items. Too many choices might lead readers to click on nothing. Instead, offer a small list, and get customers thinking about your products in new ways.
• Use responsive design best practices. It's a must! Make this spring the time you go fully mobile optimized!

Last week, top email marketers and strategistscame together in New Orleans for the Email Evolution Conference 2016 (EEC2016). Through panel events, breakout sessions, and workshops, email marketers gathered a great deal of advice and insight from both peers and industry leaders and learned about tech and recent trends for 2016. Missed it? Don't worry—we rounded up the top email design tips from the conference, straight from the participants themselves.

Tip #1: Provide value after opt-in

Make new subscribers glad they signed up: give them a coupon or free gift as a thank you. You can also providean opportunity for readers to add data about themselves to tailor their experience in future messages.Welcome emails are some of the highest performing messages (with an average 50% open rate!), socapitalize on the opportunity and make a great first impression.Brush up on your welcome email with our 10 Tips for Great Welcome Email Design—and make sure you've optimized your subscription opt-in email to increase completedsignups.

Tip #2: Skip the all-image email

It's not new news that image-only emails areproblematic. They end up in spam folders...https://twitter.com/ShShauna/status/715935749531705344And aren't seen by subscribers with image-viewing turned off:https://twitter.com/jacaldwell/status/715256566501351424Avoid the pitfalls of the image-only email by instead designing a message with a balanced text-to-image ratio. Use vibrant HTML background colors and well-styled email-safe fonts to create an email that makes it into inboxes and still looks great. And make sure all images have accurate, well-styled ALT text so you don't lose parts of your message with images off.

Tip #3: Don't make it hard to unsubscribe

If you're in Canada or send to Canadian residents, you need to comply with Canada Anti-Spam Law (CASL). In the States, it's the CAN-SPAM law. One of the most important requirements of both is to make it clear and simple for readers to unsubscribe.https://twitter.com/LenShneyder/status/715625179641024514https://twitter.com/LenShneyder/status/715625929913929728Best practice is to include an unsubscribe or opt-out link at the top of your message or in the footer. Including it isn't just the law; it builds trust, loyalty, and respect with readers.

Tip #4: Tease content in email

The content in youremail should bean appetizer before the main meal. Drive subscribers to your blog (and make your email short, sweet, and mobile-friendly) by teasing a piece of your content thatencourages readers to tap to read moreon your (also mobile-optimized!) blog.https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715633325365309440https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715624356106211328Not sure you have content? Laura Atkins shares some ideas:https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715621233497210880https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715621976648196096https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715624246051938304

Tip #5: Add animation

Because GIFs are image files(likePNGs and JPEGs),they're super simple to usein email.And they're a powerful tool for email marketers, adding asense of levity, delight, and playfulnessthat’s eye-catching and entertaining.https://twitter.com/BHJnow/status/715931475628204032Animating a small portion is a great tip; large GIF files can be slow to download or eat up mobile data plans. Optimize your use of animated GIFs in emails with these top 4 tips.

Tip #6: Test your responsive design

With up to 70% of email opens now occurring on mobile, mobile-optimized design is a must. But to make sure your email looks great across email clients, test first.https://twitter.com/DeliveryCounts/status/715944464179707908An email that's too HTML-heavy could get clipped, whereas one that's too image-heavy may not be viewable to readers with image-viewing disabled, or may be slow to load on mobile.

Tip #7: Try live content

Like animated GIFs, live content is dynamic and intriguing, and there are plenty of content optionsto incorporate:https://twitter.com/BHJnow/status/715936833755082752Countdown timers can be particularly effective at creating urgency. They're also easy and free to make online.Check out our recent tutorial for a step-by-step how-to!

Tip #8: Lose the social media buttons

In email, social media buttons are secondary calls to action, often landing in an email's footer, all the way at the bottom. The main focus of your email is to get readers to take action on your primary CTA, like signing up for your upcoming webinar, for instance. The key focusisn’t for a reader to follow you on Facebook, so it's a best practice to preventsocial icons from being a distraction. But what if you don't need them at all?https://twitter.com/FaithAlbers/status/715625635754823681Find out if readers are tapping those social icons or not by using click tracking. This isparticularly important if you've been including social buttons at the top of your email in a navigation menu that needs to be scaled down.https://twitter.com/FaithAlbers/status/715622525816811520

Tip #9: Test font styles and colors

Font styles and colors can evoke strong reactions in readers. Ecommerce brands need to be particularly attuned to how subscribers interpretcontent. Check out Jessica Best's tweet on using a small font for listing an item's price, and being wary of the color:https://twitter.com/bestofjess/status/715587220082532353The best way to get answers is to test different styles with your audience and collect data. Make sure to optimize text formatting, especially in longer messages, and try these creative uses of color to see how readers engage.

Tip #10: Prioritize email quality over quantity

Want to know what'll cost you subscribers more than anything else? Laura Atkins doesn't sugarcoat it:https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715621054668865536https://twitter.com/wise_laura/status/715620359832121344Segment subscriber lists to send tailored, relevant content to readers.https://twitter.com/jwrigley1/status/715941186607779840It's all about creating trust and respect with your readership.https://twitter.com/jwrigley1/status/715942233036296193

Did you attend? Let us know your takeaway in the comments!

If you were at EEC 2016, too, let us know your key takeaways in the comments! We'd love to hear from you.Also, if you're interested in reading more tweets you can follow @theeec, check out the #EEC16 hashtag and view the full collection on Eventifier.

For small businesses, email marketingis a cost-effective way toboost sales, attract new clients, promote services, strengthen relationships, and a lot more, writes Constant Contact's Ryan PinkhaminForbes. What's more, data from MarketingSherpa indicates that 91 percent of U.S. adults report they'd like to receive promotional emailsfrom companies they do business with. It sounds like a match made in heaven: sending email benefits small businesses, and receivingemail benefits readers.If only it were that simple! Email marketers and designers know just how much work goes into building an audience, distributingcontent, and getting clicks. A huge step along the way? Actually makingthe emails themselves—with smart design. A well-designedemail communicates visually, is easy to understand, looks great on mobile screens, and converts. If you're a small business, be sure you're implementing theseemail design tacticsin your marketing strategy.

Tip #1: Know how your brand's visual identity extends to email

A common misstep of small businesses is not establishing a visual brand identity before undertaking an email marketing strategy. Having a logo is not enough. Small businesses need to understandthe full depth of their visual brand, from font families and text treatments, to photo and illustration styles, to primary and secondary colors, and more. Your emails are an extension of your brand. They should be professional-looking and consistently-designed—and they need to look great. Sending messages that aren't well branded, consistent, or are a departure from your visual identity on other platforms (your website, your social media accounts) is confusing to readers and can be damaging to your brand. Do the opposite, andyou can build brand loyalty and trust with your audience.AIGA, the well-known professional association for design, is a great place to look for design excellence. Here's a snapshot of three of their recent weekly newsletters, AIGA Eye on Design.Note the consistent approach used for email width, colors, layout, text, header, pre-footer, and footer.

Indetermining how your visual identity will function in email, here are some questions to ask:

• What font type, size, and treatment will we use for headers, body text, and call-to-action buttons?
• How will our headers and footers look?
• Which accent color will we use for links and call-to-action buttons?
• Which background colors will we use? Will they ever change?
• What visual treatment will ads receive so they stand out?
• How will our CTA buttons look?
• How will our social media buttons look? Which ones will we include?
• How often will we include animated GIFs, countdown timers, or other dynamic designs?
• How will we distinguish and divide content?
• How will we sign off our emails?

There should be a section in your style guide specifically for email designto insure the same approach is used by anyone designing emails over time. Here are some tips and tricks for being consistent with your email design:

• Use HTML color codes to establish color consistency (always use the exact codes, don't guess!)
• Duplicate content blocks so that text styling is carried throughout an email
• Set up each email the same way: adjust the width, background color, text color, font type, and link color consistently before you begin
• Moderate white space with uniform guidelines for text alignment, line height, and content padding
• Establish a standard practice for image sizing and treatment
• Use variations of the same basic layout each time

Tip #2: Think mobile first

Small businesses might find it daunting to optimize emails for mobile, making sure messages are responsive to all screen sizes. But plenty of email editors, BEE included, allow you to design emails that are responsive by default—without needing to code or know any HTML. It's so easy, there's no excuse not to.Up to 70% of email opens now occur on mobile screens, depending on your target audience, product, and email type. Responsive email is no longer a "nice to have" feature—it's a necessity for all small businesses.We recently received this responsive email from Webflow, the website design tool, that's optimized for desktop and mobile-viewing:

Not only is the email responsive—the image, text, and button all adapt well tothe mobile screen—butthe basic design of the email is optimal for on-the-go viewing.The email is perfect for mobile reading because:

• It has an easy-to-scroll-through single column layout
• It uses the inverted pyramid method to create hierarchy and drive readers to the CTA button
• It's just a teaser: the whole email consists of one image, one header, one line of body text, and one CTA button
• The body of the email is plain text
• The CTA button is bulletproof

Read more about how to design a responsive email in out post10 responsive email design tips.

Tip #3: Optimize your calls-to-action

First things first: each email you send must have a call to action.It could be to invitereaders to sign up for an event, download a white paper, snag a discount on your product, or share your content. Whatever it is, it’s the driving force behind your whole email campaign. Anyone sending a marketing email, especiallysmall businesses, must optimize their calls-to-action so that they're effective.Here's an email from Typeform, the online platform that allows your to build surveys, witha great CTA. You can find similar examples and templates on their customer feedback forms webpage.

What makes this button work?

1. It's bulletproof. Bulletproof buttons—those written in HTML—will always render across inboxes (vs. buttons that are images and don't show up for readers with images disabled in their inboxes). To make one, you can either make a standard CTA button bulletproof by adding a few lines of HTML code or check that the email editor that you’re using generates bulletproof buttons (and that those buttons are not simply images).
2. It's well-placed. Typeform's email communicates a clear, single message that leads to a clear, single call-to-action. The CTA comes after Typeform makes a case for why readers should click.
3. It uses custom, on-brand language. Good CTA text reflects the tone of the brand. “Click here,” “Register,” “Learn more,” and “Sign up” are overused and generic. Using personal pronouns like “my” and “your” also helps to set a friendly tone and make a CTA more engaging. "Show me how to do less work" is a lot more compelling than "Read more."

Tip #4: Make it easy to scan

Don't assume subscribersare reading every line of your email. Small businesses should optimize messages for distracted, on-the-go mobile viewing by leveraging design best practices for formatting email text.This email from Sprout Social, the social media management tool, employsgreat design techniques to make the message easy to skim:

Theemail is comprised of modules that all have a consistent layout: header text, description text, and a call-to-action button. The format creates a hierarchy within each section of the message by using theinverted pyramid method, a smart approach for communicating todistracted readers who are only giving your email a cursory glance.

Sprout Social'semail also leverages largeheaders, two-to-three times the size of the body text,to reinforcestructure within theemail and make it easy to scan. The email also uses a single font and a generous standard line height to optimize readability. Without any competing images or graphics, the bright green call-to-action buttons stand out prominently on the screen. One change we'd recommend, though, is to optimize the text used within each CTA button. "Read more" is generic and doesn't communicate much to someone skimming through the message. A stronger CTA might be, for example, "Learn how to identify influencers now."

Tip #5: Use short subject lines

In overcrowded inboxes, what makes the difference between a message that gets opened vs. one that gets archived? The subject line.Salesforce reports that after sender name, thesubject line has the biggest impact on whether anemail is opened or not. Small businesses can stand out by putting some thought, planning, and testing into subject lines.Agood rule of thumb is to keep subject lines short. Most mobile devicesonly display the first six or sevenwords of a subject line, so using a shortsubject line is critical to get your message across. Data from Retention Science shows that subject lines with ten words or less tend to have higher open rates.

Try gettingreaders curious about your email with a line that asks a question, promises a deal or coupon, has a “how to,” or includes a number. You could also test howemoji does with your audience. Here's a snapshot of some current examples in our inbox:

Almost as important as the subject line—especially on mobile—is the preheader text that immediately follows is.Subscribers use preheader textas a screening tool, deciding whether or not the email is worth reading based on just a few words, so using compellingpreheader text can increase open rates.The first plain text that appears in your email will show up as preheader text. Optimize it!

Wrap Up: Email design for small business

It's a great time for small businesses to optimizetheir email marketing strategies. Now more than ever, free resources and tools tolevel-up your email design are at your fingertips. Email can't be overlooked. Improve your email campaigns with these five essential design tips:

1. Consult your style guide. Your emails should be on-brand, consistent, and professional.
2. Design for mobile first. That's where most of your clients likely read your emails.
3. Optimize your CTA buttons. Good design goes a long way. Be bulletproof.
4. Make your message skim-readable. The important stuff should stand out.
5. Start with a great subject line. And preheader text, too!

Ready to design your email for your small business? It's easy to do with the BEE email editor! Try out BEE Free, or check out our new BEE Pro version which allows you to save your messagesand use them again.Save

More and more brands are using countdown timers in their email design. Countdown timers are dynamic, attention-grabbing, and fun to use. Brands are integrating these timers to encourage subscribers to snag a last-minute deal, register for a workshop, watch an event, and more.In today’s workshop, we’ll be showing you how easy it is to add a countdown timer in your email messages. Our tools for this workshop will be the BEE editor, along with a simple, free-to-use online tool that will generate the HTML for our countdown email timer.Here’s our video recap:

Tools You’ll Need

Today, we’re going to use two tools to build our email with a dynamic countdown timer:

• We’ll be using the BEE email editor. If you’re not already using BEE, sign up for a free two-week trial of BEE Pro to gain access to additional templates and design features.
• Second, we’re going to use a tool called Sendtric that can create and generate the HTML for a countdown timer. Sendtric creates the countdown as an animated GIF so it will render in email. 

Let's get started making our countdown email!

Step 1: Design the email in BEE

We’re going to recreate a countdown timer email that The Company Store recently sent its subscribers to announce the last chance for holiday shipping:

In BEE, we opened up a basic template andnow it’s time to start customizing the email design.To add content, we’ll:

• Drop in The Company Store logo
• Add text to the navigation menu

We’re also going to create an additional image block underneath to add the first part of the email. We’re in good shape so far! This is our progress:

Let’s make the timer and see how it looks in our header.

Step 2: Make the countdown timer with Sendtric

Over at Sendtric.com, creating our timer is pretty straightforward.First, we’ll enter our end date. Sendtric allows you to set the date up to a month out.Then, we’ll update the colors — here, all we need is a beige background and black numbers, and we're going to plug in the HTML color code from the background of the email (#f3f3f3) for an exact match.

After we press the Generate button, Sendtric gives us the HTML code and the timer is ready to use!

Step 3: Add the timer to your email

In Sendtric, copy only the link that's in the middle of the code.Back in the BEE editor, we added a new image block in the email and we're going to paste the code for our timer in the URL box for the image. Just like that, our timer is active in the email.

In Preview Mode, we can see how the width of the timer adjusts to fit a smaller screen. It looks great!

Additional tools for creating countdown timers

Anumber of online platforms offer easy-to-use countdown timers you can add to your email campaigns. Here's a quick list of additional options:

• FreshRevelance
• PowerInbox
• MotionMail

Using a countdown timer in email? Go Pro!

We hope you enjoy using BEE to jazz up your emails with some countdown timers. If you’re not already using BEE, sign up for a BEE Pro free trial to have access to even more email templates and design features!

Spring is a time to reset, refresh, and start anew. The colors are brightening and the days are lengthening. There are good vibes in the air! And for many, the official start of spring is Easter. Easter emails have already been popping up in our inboxes, and marketers are seizing the opportunity to bring good cheer, from deals and discounts to playful designs and clever messaging. End the hunt for eggcellent Easter emails—here's a selection of inspiring messages to get you excited about creating your own campaign! (And once you're ready, check out BEE's HTML email templates for Easter here and here!)

Set out to inspire

Of all the Easter emails we've gotten this year, Terrain takes the cake. The home and garden shop is bringing springtime joy to readersthrough abeautiful campaign. And becausespring is when shoppers are on the lookout for flowers, plants, and garden decor, there's no doubt that Easter is a big holiday for the shop. As a result, we first started seeing Terrain Easter emails in February, by the plenty. Here's a look at their short, directsubject lines:

Inside, theemails themselves are enchanting, and the design is top-notch. Theapproach is true-to-form: like its sister company Anthropologie, Terrain has a visual identity that'selaborate, beautiful, and luxurious. Here are four of their Easter-focused messages:

The single-column modular approach draws readers' attention to a series ofbright, beautiful photos. Their first Easter email of the season (the one all the way to the left) begins with this fun-to-watch animated GIF:

Another follows up with an animated GIF linked to a video on their site:

It's obvious Terrain has invested in preparing for this holiday. But they aren't simplepushing flashy deals and discounts on readers, they'reusing great design to inspire. The well-crafted campaign, with its bright photos, playful GIFs, and Easter-focused video, delights subscribers. That's the power of thoughtful marketing.If we had to make some changes, however, we would advise breaking up the image-heavy emails with well-styled, email-friendly plain text that will always show up in inboxes (even if image-viewing is turned off) and can decrease an email's potential spam score. Here's a look at one of Terrain's emails when we don't have image-viewing enabled:

It's nearly non-existent! Some plain text, ALT text, and HTML background colors would go a long way in safeguarding this email's design for all environments.

Present a solution

Effective marketing is solutions-driven. Yankee Candle knows this: their Easter emails offer a solution for the stresses of hosting guests overEaster. It can be overwhelmingto have a home full of houseguests for brunch or dinner, and Yankee is positioning themselves to help you prepare.With—you guessed it—candles! Here's a peek at three of their Easter emails:

Like Terrain, Yankee isn't leading with flashy deals and discounts (though coupons are available in the email, too)—they're positioning their product as a helpful asset this holiday as readers prepare their homes for guests. Each email leads off with this concept, and Yankee sends multipleemails along thistheme to drive home the message.Yankee clearly has Easter-themed products ("Happy Easter" candles), but other ecommerce brands can take the same approach with theiritems by showing readers how they can be helpful this holiday (think: home decor, recipes, cleaning products, a new outfit).While we love the strategy here, we would make some design updates to Yankee's emails. The cluttered header detracts from the main message, and the emails would benefit from bulletproof CTA buttons and a better image-to-text ratio.

Tease content over time

While some brands choose to create a largeEaster email campaign, others take a more subtle approach by including Easter content in emailswithout necessarily building a campaign around it. The attention you give to the holiday will dependon your brand and audience. But even if Easter isn't at the forefront of your marketing strategy, you can still market to Easter-interested readers by includingEaster content in your newsletters this month.Martha Stewart Living and Etsy have done a good job creating and curating Easter-related content for readers, and sharing that content over time in their regularly sent newsletters.Two recent Martha Steward Living emails included Easter-oriented content, which we highlighted in orange:

As the holiday approaches, the brand may choose to go all-out with an Easter-themed email, but for now, they're sprinkling content into their regularly scheduled calendar.Similarly, Etsy is teasing Easter content in their usual "Finds" emails featuring items on the site (again, we marked up the content in orange here):

Creating content connected to Easter and showing teasers of it in regularly sent emails is a nice balance: it doesn't feel over-the-top to subscribers who don't celebrate the holiday, but it's there for those who do. See if it converts, and if the holiday might warrant more of your marketing energy in the future. It's a great way to find out!

Put your eggs in one basket

Instead of creating a whole series of Easter-themed emails or sending bits of Easter content in newsletters over time, we've seen some brands sendouta single Easter-themed email. Sometimes one is all you need! That way, you're calling attention to all the great Easter-related content you've created and curated in one place.Here's how Brit + Co, the DIY ecommerce site, did it:

To use their brand font throughout, the email is a single image. We recommend breaking it up with plain text and makingit mobile-optimized, maybe with a responsive photo collage.The Kitchn created a dedicated Easter email that uses modules of plain text, photos, and bulletproof CTA buttons to deliver great content:

Skip Easter, but stick with spring

If the holiday doesn't resonate with your brand or your audience, skip it and go for a springtime email instead. It's a season all of us can get behind. Or at least that's what our inbox seems to indicate. Here's just a small sample of the springtime emails we've received:

Trybright colors, clever copy, and a fresh look. And have fun! That's what the season's all about.Don't forget that the BEE editor is totally free, online, and requires no registration. Check it out!