Email Newsletter Best Practices

• Include alt text for images. It is helpful for those that use screen readers or if images don’t load. Alt text should provide a description of what is in the image – and include important information like times or dates that are included in the graphic. When you add an image in the email builder, look for a line where you can add in your alt text (often next to where you can add a link).
   
• Do not send all-image emails. Some email providers default to not show images, which means the recipient won’t see any of the content. When images do not load those who use screen readers won’t be able to access the content of the email.
   
• Keep the layout simple. Don’t overload the template with too many columns, text/image blocks, or other sections.
   
• What looks familiar is better. Left align text reads more easily than center aligned text.
   
• Use legible typography. Use sans-serif fonts, a minimum of 14-point font size, and 1.5 line spacing.
   
• Use high contrast colors. In the email body, image, or button, use dark colors like black, navy blue or darker shades of red to contrast with white backgrounds. Avoid low contrast colors like yellow and brighter shades of blue, red, or green.
   
• Avoid dark backgrounds when possible. If you must use a dark background, use white text to achieve a greater contrast.
   
• Add blank space to enhance readability. Use padding tools to add 10-20 points of padding between text/image blocks. In most email builders, you’ll be able to add/edit padding for each text/image block you drop into the template. Look for a “layout settings” or similar section when you click on the text/image block you wish to edit.
   
• Make buttons and links stand out from other email elements. You can make these links/buttons larger so they are easier to identify and use link language more specific than “Click Here” (i.e., “Register for the Event”).   

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• Stick to a consistent sender name for your newsletter. Surveys show that recognizing a sender name is the most important factor when deciding to open an email.

• The more concise the better with subject lines. Aim for about 40 characters (or 5-7 words). Longer subject lines run the risk of being cut off by email clients. 
   
• Write subject lines that pique your audience’s curiosity. You’re competing for your reader’s attention, so provide just enough of a hook without satisfying that curiosity until they open.
   
• Be concise in your subject line. Don’t attempt to capture every story in your newsletter in your subject line.
  • Use time-based language in your subject line to draw attention to the urgency of your message, especially if you are promoting an event (i.e. “Coming Wednesday:” or “Registration Ends Tomorrow:”)
  • Avoid repeating subject lines or similar subject lines too soon after your initial use. Recipients are more likely to open if they see a new subject line, even if the body content is similar.
     
• Don’t leave your preview text blank. An email preview text is a line or two of text that will display beneath the subject line in a recipient’s inbox. When you build your email, you typically find a box to edit preview text under the box to edit your subject line. Use the preview text as additional space to express details you couldn’t fit into your concise subject line.
  • Aim for similarly concise preview texts (40-50 characters).

• Use a consistent newsletter template that reflects your brand identity. Using a branded banner consistently at the top of your email helps your audience quickly recognize your newsletter and the kind of content they will find inside.
   
• Include a mix of content. Your newsletters should include a variety of elements:(blogs/articles, videos, podcasts, upcoming events, etc.). Balance consumable content with promotional content to maximize value for the recipient.
   
• Know your audience. Provide content that is relevant to the interests and needs of your audience. If you do this, they’ll look forward to what you’ll give them in the next newsletter.
   
• Section titles and blurbs should be concise. Give just enough information to make your audience eager to click on your link.
   
• Write content that is authentic to your brand voice.
   
• Add meaningful images that directly relate to your stories. Consider if the image helps tell a story, conveys an action/emotion or represents an idea. Avoid using filler images.
   
• Highest priority content should be at the top. Arrange your newsletter so your audience doesn’t have to scroll through it to find the most important information.
   
• Every story should have an associated link. Your newsletter should direct your audience to click through to the associated story. Links help you keep your email concise while still giving your recipients a pathway to learn more.
   
• Use bold/colored text when hyperlinking text. If possible, create a button to draw attention to your links. Be sure to add links to your images as well.
   
• Always think of the user click pathway. Your links should take recipients directly to relevant landing pages. Don’t expect them to get to the desired destination if it requires multiple clicks. 
   
• Gmail will automatically “clip” newsletters with too much text/imagery. Clipping will hide the bottom portion of your email in a recipient’s inbox and they will have to click a link to view the full email in a separate tab. Avoid clipping by writing concisely and limiting the number of (large) images in your newsletter. Test send newsletters to Gmail to confirm clipping will not occur.

• Prioritize great content and consistency over frequency. Determine your send schedule based on a realistic assessment of your ability to produce new content and stick to it. 
   
• Put together a pre-send checklist. Outline the steps in the review/approval process before you hit the send button.
   
• Send a fresh preview every time you make edits to an email draft. Emails can’t be edited once they’ve been deployed, so make sure you review multiple times until the content is perfect.
   
• Make sure that reviewers aren’t just looking at the written copy. Confirm that links work, images are displaying correctly and that there are no other formatting issues.
   
• Review the draft on multiple devices and webmail servers. Content may display differently by device (desktop vs. mobile) and by email platform (Gmail vs. Outlook, etc.). This review will help to make sure your formatting remains consistent.
   
• Mistakes happen. If you do send an email with a meaningful mistake (I.e. wrong date/time for an event given, a broken link), don’t panic. Send a correction email out to the same audience, drawing attention to the correction in the subject line and in the body of the email.

Check back in to see how your emails performed. After the emails are sent make sure to monitor the engagement of your audience. The essential email metrics to keep track of are: 

• Open Rates: Number of unique contacts who opened an email/total number of contacts who received that email. Open rates are used to assess the strength of your sender name, subject line, preview text, as well as your send date/time. 
   
• Click Rates: Number of unique contacts who clicked an email/total number of contacts who received that email. Click rates are used to assess the strength of the content of your email.  
   
• Unsubscribe Rates: Number of unique contacts who opted out from a specific email/total number of contacts who received that email 

Don’t fear unsubscribes. If your average unsubscribe rate remains below 0.2% per email, you shouldn’t worry too much about your contacts unsubscribing.