From the beginning of mankind/womankind, buttons have been useful in interacting with the physical world. Here’s a quick rundown on how humans have developed buttons for special purposes:<img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*XqsHttXkdfiGb9ohCvG7eA.png"><blockquote>Exhibit: History of the button. Not approved by the Smithsonian, but it could be.</blockquote> Since the button transitioned into the virtual world via Apple computers in 1986, there really hasn’t been that much of a development. Sure, there is a one less border (or maybe no border at all) and some color added, but it looks very much like it did back then.<img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*ESwk-Lie9UftQGc5BmAOhA.png"><blockquote>Now in technicolor!</blockquote><h2> </h2><h2>Interests</h2>So, as the second part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/email-industry-news/the-newest-email-design-trends-of-2016-f8d038e56396#.uzu31bykc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Email Design Trends of 2016</a>&nbsp;article, I took every email submitted to ReallyGoodEmails.com in 2016 and broke down their call-to-action (CTA) buttons. I logged multiple data points for each email to learn everything I could about what people were doing with their branded buttons. It was pretty tedious. It sucked. I kept telling myself: “Do it for the children!” Here’s what I was looking for specifically:<ul><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;size&nbsp;for a CTA button?</li><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;color&nbsp;for a CTA button?</li><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;shape&nbsp;for a CTA button?</li><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;frequency&nbsp;of a CTA button?</li><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;placement&nbsp;of a CTA button?</li><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;wording used&nbsp;in a CTA button?</li><li>What’s the most popular&nbsp;character length&nbsp;in a CTA button?</li></ul> <img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:2000/1*ooz94MK1rtOO8FOyt4OsVw.png"><blockquote>The proof is in the pudding, as the say. And I love pudding.</blockquote> Then there were more peripheral answers I was looking for, such as:<ul><li>How does branding dictate CTA choice?</li><li>How often do icons, images, or unicode characters appear in CTAs?</li><li>How does frequency affect tertiary CTA buttons?</li><li>How do I order a pizza at 1 am when I am working on stuff like this?</li></ul><h1> </h1><h1>Discoveries</h1>Surprisingly, there wasn’t one data point that every brand does exactly the same. Sure, there are clusters, showing a common acceptance of some practice, but there are definitely deviations and traits. Here’s what I found:<h2> </h2><h2>SIZE</h2><ul><li>The&nbsp;average CTA button is 47.9 pixels tall. However, the two largest clusters are 47 pixels and 50 pixels tall.</li><li>The&nbsp;smallest CTA button was 20 pixels tall. With Apple suggesting that any touch point should be at least 44 pixels tall, it is very unlikely that someone will tap on this on their phone. (However, in every instance where this button size existed, it was baked into an image — not hard coded — and the entire image was linked. This occurred in most buttons that were below 40 pixels tall.)</li><li>The&nbsp;largest CTA buttons were 115 pixels tall. These were definitely an outlier. Just look at the frequency distribution below. It is way out there, without any friends.</li></ul><img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:946/1*ll7CVU8k2TR9efIZaSixTg.png">I do need to mention, though, that there are factors which affect the size such as font size, padding, and maybe even genetics. I’ve thrown some of those into a “Consideration” section below.<h2> </h2><h2>COLOR</h2><ul><li>48% of brands match their CTA&nbsp;to a color within their brand logo (of non-black or non-white logos). Of brands with black logos, 30% matched it with a black CTA while brands with white logos only matched it 10%.</li><li>Blue is the clear winner&nbsp;for CTA color of choice. Brown wasn’t ever used. Sorry, brown.</li></ul><img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*TWpkvcZgACsMjHzCBtlj3A.png"><blockquote>Blue is always chosen first on my playground kickball team.</blockquote><ul><li>Only 2 hex color codes appeared multiple times&nbsp;in the data: #28AFFA and #55ACEE (the latter happens to be Twitter’s official color so maybe there’s been some code stealing? Just sayin’.)</li><li>White buttons appeared less&nbsp;because a majority of emails had a white background. One could assume that if there was an increase of colored backgrounds, you would see white used more often to contrast that background color.</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>SHAPE</h2><ul><li>Rounded edges are used the most: roughly 54% of the time.</li><li>Completely square is used second most: 28% of the time.</li><li>Pill-shaped comes in last: 18% of the time. However, in the past few months, this shape is being used more (26% more compared to the beginning of the year). Maybe a growing trend?</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>FREQUENCY</h2><ul><li>The&nbsp;average email contains 2.1 CTA buttons.&nbsp;It is kind of like the census saying that the average American household contains 2.54 people. Don’t ask how you get 0.1 of a button in there, nor 0.54 of a person.</li><li>The&nbsp;maximum number of CTAs in an email is 11. 56% of all emails contain 1 CTA, 24% contain 2, and 20% contain 3 or more. And of those that contain more than 3, 50% of those contain more than 5. Yikes.</li></ul><img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:972/1*lqsxI0CmKwnIl521ZLx36w.png"><ul><li>Of emails that contain&nbsp;5 or more CTAs, retail brands account for 90%.</li></ul> <h2>PLACEMENT</h2><ul><li>The&nbsp;most popular place for a CTA is in the top 3rd&nbsp;of the email.&nbsp;38% of all emails had their first CTA somewhere near the top, usually within an image or right below a header image.</li><li>The&nbsp;second most popular place was the bottom 3rd. Even though it is second, it is a very close second: 35% of all emails put their first (and usually only) CTA at the bottom.</li><li>The&nbsp;least popular was the middle.&nbsp;Not too far off, with 27% of CTAs happening here.</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>WORDING</h2><ul><li>The&nbsp;most popular verb in a CTA is “Get”. As in “Get it now” or “Get yourself a pizza.” This word was used more than 10% of the time to instill action.</li><li>The&nbsp;top ten verbs&nbsp;are as follows (in order of frequency):</li><li>1. Get</li><li>2. Shop</li><li>3. Take</li><li>4. Read</li><li>5. Book</li><li>6. View</li><li>7. Start</li><li>8. See</li><li>9. Find</li><li>10. Join</li><li>Surprisingly, there was&nbsp;only one CTA that started with “Buy”&nbsp;compared to almost 10% that started with “Shop.”</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>CHARACTERS</h2><ul><li>The&nbsp;average button contains 14 characters.</li><li>The&nbsp;shortest character count was just 3 letters. (It was “YES”.)</li><li>The&nbsp;longest character count was 66. That is more than what Google displays in search results for a title tag. Also, looks like it may be on the same diet as that super big button we saw earlier.</li></ul><img src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:960/1*ohZI3ANqoqf9ZzaH458Z_A.png"><blockquote>Love this?&nbsp;<a href="http://reallygoodemails.com/newsletter/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You’ll love our newsletter!</a></blockquote><h2> </h2><h2>OTHER INSIGHTS THAT DIDN’T FIT UNDER A TOPIC ABOVE</h2><ul><li>17% of brands duplicate their first CTA. They throw the second CTA at the end as a reminder. The average email that has a duplicate CTA contains 3.9 buttons.</li><li>87% of brands fill in their buttons&nbsp;as opposed to just having an open button with a border around the text.</li><li>When CTAs compete (placed side by side), some brands show that one has&nbsp;less priority by making the second CTA open&nbsp;(not filled in).</li><li>4% of brands use an extra wide&nbsp;or edge-to-edge CTA button.</li><li>Gradient buttons seem to be dead. Only 3 emails out of the data set contained a gradient button.</li><li>Only one email contained an image&nbsp;within the button. It was a Facebook icon.</li><li>While&nbsp;some brands were consistent with their formatting and colors, some change with every send. For example, InVision always uses their branded pink and rounded edges and Dollar Shave Club uses their branded orange and rounded for all of their newsletters. On the other hand, Moo uses rounded corners, but changes the color or fill of the CTA.</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>Considerations</h2><ul><li>Within the findings, I use “average” which refers to the&nbsp;mean; the most popular is the value that occurs most often; and in some cases I note the median or middle value.</li><li>I used tools such as ColorZilla (to determine the button color), Awesome Screenshot (to determine the size of the button when it was baked into an image) and an excel.</li><li>The CTA button color varies based on background color and branding guidelines. For example, a white button will show very well when the background is dark or always using the color pink for branding purposes. This also plays a part with colors chosen to match the brand’s logo.</li><li>The CTA button analysis for color, character length, size, shape, and positioning only used the first CTA button to appear in the email. This was done on the assumption that the first CTA was the most important CTA in the email and also because I didn’t want to log every single tertiary CTA’s attributes.</li><li>Lastly, and probably most importantly, this data may be skewed based on if a brand used elements provided by their ESP and how many of those emails appeared in the data set. For example, MailChimp and Campaign Monitor’s drag-and-drop button is rounded. Mailchimp’s buttons are also, by default, blue and 47 pixels tall with a bold font at size 20.</li></ul> <h2>If you enjoyed this post, send it to a friend (or arch-nemesis) and follow us on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/reallygoodemail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitter</a></h2>

From the beginning of mankind/womankind, buttons have been useful in interacting with the physical world. But since this a site for email marketers, we'll stick to what's going on with virtual buttons.

All the things you wanted to know about email CTA buttons

Email is like sushi: simple ingredients rolled up together in one experience. But as you look closer, you can see how each item is chosen for impact and purpose. There are items for taste, items for texture, and items for function. And like cheap sushi, you can tell when it isn't prepared correctly. Not everyone can make exceptional sushi. About ten years ago, Netflix presented a documentary about an 85-year old chef who was still crafting his trade (titled "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqz7RSw5030" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jiro dreams of sushi</a>"). He was so meticulous about every element of the experience that it landed him with 3 Michelin Stars. People from all over the world would fly in to eat at his restaurant. What made Jiro successful wasn't that he had a secret ingredient, but rather the planning, preparation, and focus on the customer. After all, he was making this for them, not him. <blockquote>"When we have good tuna, I feel great. While I'm making the sushi, I feel victorious." - Jiro</blockquote> Standing behind his counter, Jiro notices things. Some customers are left-handed, some right-handed. That helps determine where they are seated at his counter. As he serves a piece of sushi, he observes it being eaten. He knows the history of that piece of seafood and how it was prepared (for example, he knows his staff has recently started massaging an octopus for 45 minutes and not half an hour). Similar to Jiro, email is all about the reader and their experience. It can be daunting trying to think of where to start when you are trying to compare yourself to masters in the field, but it doesn't have to be that way. Start taking a look at emails in your inbox that you find really good. What do they have in common? What can you grab from these and apply to your own emails? <h2>Here's an example.</h2>Going through my favorite emails the other day, I came across this email from <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/clear/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clear</a>:<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/emails/final-call-60-off-a-year-of-clear-.png">There's a lot going for this email: Live text, large CTA button, great color choices, image overlays, white space, timely messaging with urgency, and visual hierarchy. All of these things are held together with "the rice" of email, known as the code. If we want to look at any of these elements more closely, we'll need to pull it away from the HTML that is surrounding it. Here's how you do that in RGE:In the top left corner of every email on RGE, you'll see a "&lt;/&gt; View Code" button. Here's what that looks like <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/final-call-60-off-a-year-of-clear-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">for this email</a> we've been looking at: <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/70ea555ee90a4ba58cc1d251283eb0fe"> Unlike the details view, here is where you can do some heavy dissecting because the code and email are being rendered in a live state. You'll see editable code on the left, and the email on the right.<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/64e9b863ed004c17a0bd69b113e1e600"> Much like sushi, you don't need to look at every grain of rice to understand what kind of roll you have - you just need to look at the big stuff. In this example, there are a few different things we can search for in the HTML, so let's start with the leading text "Your offer takes off tonight". Click into the code area and then hit command+f (on apple) or ctrl+f (on windows) to bring up the search bar in the top right corner of the code viewer.<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/3cfb8bb2580749d1a5df5d33a715ce85"> From there, search for the thing you are looking for, such as the text that the email starts with.<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/7d561b849c474dbeb09c41a5e1d71da3"> You can learn a few things right off the bat from this: <ol><li>The font being used is <a href="https://commercialtype.com/catalog/lyon/lyon_text/regular" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lyon Text Regular 2</a> and the size is at 55px.</li><li>There are no line breaks inserted between the words "takes" and "off", meaning that the text is wrapping naturally.</li><li>The color being used is black (#000000).</li><li>Most importantly, that the text in this email is coded (not baked into an image) so it is editable.</li></ol> Let's go in there and change the text to our liking. Select the text you want to change, erase it, and write in what you want. For example, we could change that to "International sushi day" and see it rendered on the right side instantly.<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/9279d98e019d4e51ab79604b0fd09e1b"> We haven't really changed the look and feel of the email at this point. It's still pretty much the same rolled up email we started with. But we have learned that Lyon Text Regular 2 at size 55px looks pretty good and would work with our wording we've chosen. Before going on with this tutorial, it is important to mention that we are using this process to learn how people are building their emails, what we like about the layout and overall look, and how we can apply those same elements to emails we are working on (not copy the entire email). This process is a widely known strategy for developers. Places like Treehouse and Glitch emphasize breaking someone else's code as the best way to learn the code. However, swapping out a logo, text, and an image and calling it your own creative work is like going into a sushi bar and drizzling a little bit of different sauce on an already-made roll and stating that you are a master sushi chef. It's also called stealing. What we are trying to show here is how playing around with the code can give you a better understanding and perspective of making your own emails better. Now, let's go and change more text so that this email makes more sense with that header text about International sushi day and see what it would look like if we applied some of our own copy with the length we've been given, change out the font styles, etc:<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/c19bfba876df477590049481052059b5"> This isn't an email about a casual walk around an airport any more - it's about International Sushi so let's dress it up with some imagery that fits that. When we dig into the code, we see that this is actually a transparent image overlaid on top of the angled blue and white background. That's pretty cool and something we should teach ourselves how that is done. First, let's change that out with an image that is transparent so we can keep the angled blue background. A quick way to find that image in the code is to right click on it and hit "Copy Image Address." If you are looking for something that isn't an image (such as a button, background color, etc), then use "inspect" in Chrome - which will highlight the element so that you can grab it and then search for that same thing in the code editor:<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/f605471a1f7b421790b83d160429efc3"> Just like we did for text, let's search and replace the image in the code editor for an image or illustration that works better for our vision of a sushi email. What happens when we insert a really tall image? A really short image? A really wide image? The code here is commented on really well so we can also see the other elements that this area relies on within the &lt;! -- walking --&gt; section, such as right alignment, padding, and width constraints. We can play around with those and see how it changes the look and feel. Let's make some adjustments and throw in our sushi illustration:<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/62006f49418748799b13a55a2b879fcb"> We can continue to tweak things here and there to our own taste. Breaking things along the way is part of the process. It helps teach you the structure and the variables that you can mess around with - and the things that you probably shouldn't. Let's try colors next. Upon further discovery, the background blue color isn't an image but rather coded gradient. That's pretty dope. What happens when we change the colors around within the gradient? To do that, use a color picker plug-in or use a site like coolors.com that gives you a nice variety of colors that go well together. I settled on #F69883 and played around with some different options, eventually landing on this:<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/0f3ddb488a004e8fab45fb4e791cffc3"> We could do this for hours, but this whole exercise has taken me about 35 minutes and you get the gist. We've learned some cool things in a short amount of time that we can apply to our own emails in the future, such as font choices, image overlays, and gradients. We can use this email and come back to how they built it if we get stuck building our own thing too. But before you go and start serving up this new email you've made from the parts of another email, think twice. There's much more that goes into an email than swapping images, text, and colors. Like a master sushi chef, there's planning, organizing, and execution that makes all the difference. This code editing and breaking process, however, will get you more accustomed to how others build their emails and how you can use those elements in your own recipes. <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/a30c634a6b224e27bca540a81e41a0c6"> And it is pretty satisfying to compare the original when you've spent some time with the code and understanding how to make it different.<img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/98c9110da5974f4bade9a82acdeb7109">

Email is like sushi: simple ingredients rolled up together in one experience. But as you look closer, you can see how each item is chosen for impact.

How to Use Code from RGE to Make Your Emails Better

Audiences are inundated with more webinar and event emails than ever. In a 2020 <a href="https://welcome.bizzabo.com/post-covid-19-event-outlook-report" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">event outlook report,</a> 93% of marketers said they planned to invest in virtual events moving forward. And that was before the pandemic hit in full force. But events have changed, and so have <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/categories/event-conference-trade-show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">event emails</a>. Readers want to know what the event will do for them, if it’s a good fit for their time, and if it’s worth their money. This is where you come in. Guide your audience, show them the value of your event, and work smarter not harder with your promotional event emails. <h2>Explain the RSVP</h2> Most events are recorded, especially webinars or conferences. Take Litmus Live, for example. <a href="https://www.litmus.com/blog/say-hello-to-litmus-live-everywhere/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Litmus announced</a> in that it would switch from hosting Litmus Live, its annual paid conference in three locations (Boston, Silicon Valley, and London), to hosting Litmus Live Everywhere online. This new format still gave email geeks the opportunity to learn and participate in workshops, but the events are free, and attendees can watch from the comfort of their home. In order for your company and events to pivot like this, you need to explain the value of your event and guide your audience to the registration page. If an event is free, why do people need to RSVP? What will entice them to click into your event and watch rather than schedule something else because your event was free? Notify attendees when you’re going live. Explain if and how the event will be recorded. Let them know when recordings will be available. Place the recording information in proximity to your CTA button. The key here is to make the RSVP process simple and easy for your audience. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/youre-invited-frontiers-by-slack-our-best-and-first-ever-conference" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/60b3784ad9d243488f7e93995cfa3623"></a> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/youre-invited-frontiers-by-slack-our-best-and-first-ever-conference" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/youre-invited-frontiers-by-slack-our-best-and-first-ever-conference</a><h2> </h2><h2>Use social proof</h2> Entice your audience to come to your event based on other people’s experiences with prior webinars and events. If your brand doesn’t have social proof for an upcoming event, send a quick survey to people who attended the last event and ask them for a quick quote or stat that you can use. If this is your inaugural event, ask for quotes from people who have worked with you and request speakers to get quotes from their audiences who have heard them speak. You can use a combination of testimonials from those speakers and your internal team to beef up your social proof. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/london-called-and-we-answered" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/db6e24d60e4840419eb9a10a7fbac1ee"></a><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/london-called-and-we-answered" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/london-called-and-we-answered</a> <h2>Create a personalized experience</h2> Yes, you should collect first name, last name, and email address at the minimum. But also create a personalized experience in the event email and at the event. How can attendees interact with each other? Is there an opportunity for 1:1 networking? Can you poll attendees before the event and incorporate that (or give attendees shout-outs at the event)? If not, how can you create that experience for them? Test elements throughout your event emails, such as photos of previous attendees, an app screenshot, original photography, or illustrations to see what receives the most engagement. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/tune-in-to-dreamforce-live-all-week" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/7fbb79765ac341aba569b7f70927bc29"></a><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/tune-in-to-dreamforce-live-all-week" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/tune-in-to-dreamforce-live-all-week</a> <h2>Dedicate a resources page on your event website</h2> A resources page can help guide your audience through the online platform they’ll be using, as well as access important documents like the event schedule. Include a branded downloadable Google Doc for attendees to take notes during the event. Another interactive option is to create a spreadsheet for attendees to fill out their contact info and social media profiles so they can exchange virtual business cards, networking before, during, and after your event. Outside of the documents, will attendees need to learn how to use an online platform for your event? Even if you’re hosting the event on Zoom, some audience members might not be familiar with the platform (or maybe they delete the app when they’re finished with a call).Include all of these instructions on how to download and use the online platform with screenshots and text to walk them through it on your event website resources page. <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/af91f459cbfe4ed28c5e079e3142700f"> <h2>Create a strong follow-up email</h2> You’ve worked so hard to get attendees in the virtual door, so keeping them engaged post-event is just as important! If you promise them a follow-up with recordings, follow through on that promise. Don’t be the friend that says, “Yeah! Let’s hang out sometime!” leaving the details up in the air. Inform your audience on how they can view the event recordings, how they can stay connected with more information on upcoming events, continuing the conversation online, and connecting with speakers. <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/4df134a8a5504a4c83f79471ce7a18f7"> <h2>The dos of online event emails</h2> <ul><li>Highlight event speakers – show people’s faces in the emails and link to information about their session or their background</li><li>Set up an email sequence leading up to the event</li><li>Ideally, you should start <a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/10-best-ways-promote-event-online/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">marketing 2 - 3 months before the event</a></li><li>If you’re short on time, focus on the most important details in the event email.</li></ul> <ul><li>In this case, less means more (don’t spam attendees’ inboxes – serve them the most critical information with the little time that you have)</li><li>What’s the time and date of the event?</li><li>Who are the speakers?</li><li>What’s the agenda?</li><li>How can people sign up?</li><li>Do people need to learn an online platform to attend?</li><li>Space out the information in a series of emails OR tease some information in the email and lead your audience to your website or registration page with the full agenda.</li></ul> <ul><li>Follow up promptly after the event with another sequence:</li><li>How to access event recordings</li><li>Next steps + how to stay connected with speakers and conference updates</li><li>Continue the conversation on the website, forum, or social media</li></ul> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/the-conference-livestream" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/76c767b32fa14d449333e26671b0b8b3"></a><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/the-conference-livestream" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/the-conference-livestream</a> <h2>The don’ts of online event emails</h2> <ul><li>Don’t cram everything in one email.</li><li>Don’t forget to explain the “why.” What’s the job of the event? You have to demonstrate the value because time is valuable. Whether someone is listening on their lunch break, in the background during work, or on a day off, they want to know why they’re tuning in.</li><li>Don’t use a stock photo of someone behind a computer or a top-down shot of someone writing on a notepad. That kind of imagery doesn’t contribute to the value you’re trying to highlight.</li><li>Don’t forget about the follow-up! You spent a lot of time getting attendees in the door online, so, nurture that relationship.</li></ul> <h2>Really Good Event Email Collections</h2> Get inspired with these event email collections on our site: Kira's collection of event emails features bright and bold designs from companies like Bit Bash, Litmus, Emma, and Google. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/kiradunn/collections/wYOzPbfnrALLkuOtp4Gn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/kiradunn/collections/wYOzPbfnrALLkuOtp4Gn</a> Jessie's event emails collection features designs from Apple, Sprout Social, and Mintel. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/jiexikalicious/collections/FbEFD32jFHbXdgtEGJub" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/jiexikalicious/collections/FbEFD32jFHbXdgtEGJub</a> Check out some of the emails featured in this article: <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/kellylamano/collections/vPkYCRWoXh8MS402HCS1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reallygoodemails.com/kellylamano/collections/vPkYCRWoXh8MS402HCS1</a> <h2>How to market your next online event</h2> Keep your audience in mind when you’re sending event emails. Make it easy for them to understand the value of the event. Send them links with more information on the event agenda, how to get tickets, why they should spend their time – and money, if it’s a paid event – on the event, and how they can access recordings after the event. Build trust with your audience and nurture that relationship so they’ll come back to support your company, mission, and future events! Know of a really good event email? <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Send it to us</a>!

Event emails are even more important since shifting in-person events to online formats. Show your audience why your event is worth their time and money.

Craft Enticing Event Emails to Attract Registrations and Nurture Your Audience

As technology evolves, so does the world of email design. With millions of emails being sent daily, it's important to keep up with the latest trends to make your messages stand out. In this article, we'll be exploring the top email design trends for 2023 that you can use to create visually appealing and effective communications. <ul><li><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/TeamRGE/collections/DgoEdhsmTeq9g5OSpRMp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deep Blue-Green Hues</a>:&nbsp;This year, deep blue-green hues are all the rage. These rich, earthy tones convey a sense of sophistication and provide a calming contrast to the busy digital world.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/TeamRGE/collections/hAdmrHFUFwkIBGjoiuAc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chunky Headlines</a>:&nbsp;Bold, chunky headlines are making a comeback in 2023. These eye-catching titles grab attention and help break up the content of your email.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/TeamRGE/collections/HJzbsQZvL2U40dalMKqm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rounded Landscape Hero Images</a>:&nbsp;Rounded landscape hero images are a popular trend in 2023. These images provide a visually appealing and organic feel, drawing the eye to the central message of your email.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/TeamRGE/collections/ePRAdLAdbkFk6gzg2eWv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Outlined Table Borders</a>:&nbsp;Outlined table borders provide a clean, modern look for your email designs. They are easy to read and help organize your content.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/TeamRGE/collections/jY5BWwtc6jA0ayS5Zd31" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Non-framed Text</a>:&nbsp;Non-framed text gives your email a sleek, uncluttered look. It allows the content to breathe, making it easier for your audience to read and retain information.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/TeamRGE/collections/6EpuQGDsODHynkw8pxEo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Extra Shadow</a>:&nbsp;Shadows are making a comeback in 2023. Adding extra shadow to your designs can make your images and text pop, drawing the eye to important elements.</li></ul> In addition to these trends, we've also seen a rise in the use of hand models in email designs and a decline in the use of illustrations. This is because hand models provide a more personal touch, while illustrations can sometimes detract from the message. In conclusion, these are the top email design trends for 2023. By incorporating these elements into your designs, you can create visually appealing and effective emails that stand out in the crowded inbox. So, get ahead and start experimenting with these trends today! From the team at RGE, with love and a crystal ball full of creative inspiration. 🔮

Stay Ahead of the Game: Top Six Email Design Trends for 2023

2023 Email Design Trends

Comedy-inspired email copywriting tips anyone can use from <a href="https://punchlinecopy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lianna Patch</a>

Lighten Up!

With over 20,000 emails collected in 2021, it was a big year for emails submitted to the site. What brands send the best emails? What makes some emails perform better than others? This post will showcase the community-picked brands and explain why they are really good. <h2>1) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/everlane" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Everlane</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/everlane" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/95d5338c33da432fad0a66ee12e1cfa1"></a> Everlane uses inclusive imagery, bold fonts, and exciting color palettes to bring you into their promotional emails. While they tend to rely heavily on images, they are still a great example of what an e-commerce fashion brand can do to showcase a diverse product lineup. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCQ_9ap0Zlo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551186067" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NCQ_9ap0Zlo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/NCQ_9ap0Zlo</a> <h2>2) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/google" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/google" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/5adab61f7f8b442bb0133b043f1b4a0f"></a> Google is one of the largest brands still invested in bringing an interactive experience to the inbox. They do a fantastic job showcasing high-res product shots and using friendly language from product launches to onboarding emails.&nbsp; Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQtT-8rTJ78" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551193604" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VQtT-8rTJ78" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/VQtT-8rTJ78</a> <h2>3) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/airbnb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Airbnb</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/airbnb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/2d3665dbc5d2463caeb5be33100317ec"></a> Airbnb brings the anticipation of a good trip right into the inbox. They use detailed instructions and communication in their transactional emails to ensure you feel safe throughout the whole experience.&nbsp; Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah97l-u0o5U" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551200164" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ah97l-u0o5U" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ah97l-u0o5U</a> <h2>4) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/moment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moment</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/moment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/264fcfcaf95f42ec9c6bdbce6ff865dc"></a> Moment continues to surprise us by using live text and trendy layouts. Their emails are indeed a case study of what to do right with email marketing for physical and digital products. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGDbsPNvpw0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551200163" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGDbsPNvpw0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGDbsPNvpw0</a> <h2>5) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/tattly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tattly</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/tattly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/ebadf3d89771420eaf5b612a48c0b456"></a> Tattly goes above and beyond for their subscribers to bring compelling design and helpful information into their campaigns. Learn how their newsletter has <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/school/9-of-the-biggest-email-design-trends-from-the-past-year" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changed over the years</a>. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXwB6d89bXY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551200864" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IXwB6d89bXY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/IXwB6d89bXY</a> <h2>6) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/ritual" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ritual</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/ritual" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/7c3b56ac2f7f44d88124ebc22be4deae"></a> Ritual uses bright colors, illustrations, and engaging GIFs to communicate the value of their product. They use large text and an excellent typographical hierarchy to get the point across. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdyovP2Edfs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000491645485" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QdyovP2Edfs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/QdyovP2Edfs</a> <h2>7) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/hims" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hims</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/hims" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/850345f9d8244159b00980a57aea4a48"></a> hims &amp; hers both have clean product shots that make their emails stand out from the rest. While simple at first glance, they use subtle techniques to get you to scroll down the whole email on either desktop or mobile. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHhBhoOoHY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000474658803" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/efHhBhoOoHY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/efHhBhoOoHY</a> <h2>8) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/judy-co" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JUDY</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/judy-co" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/3ed6c04ddb2049afa97a28d9666a3976"></a> JUDY emails use storytelling to sell you a product that you hope you might never need to use. While their emails are relatively image-heavy, they keep the branding consistent across their retail emails. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZiNiu_naEQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000509782554" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ZiNiu_naEQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ZiNiu_naEQ</a> <h2>9) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/fitbit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fitbit</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/fitbit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/2f2b30e13aa84db5890804a0c9bc7a64"></a> Fitbit stands out most when they personalize using their fitness data. They can bring that one-to-one communication into the inbox or sell you on their latest technology product. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXBleJZ_xPQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000515435784" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cXBleJZ_xPQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/cXBleJZ_xPQ</a> <h2>10) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/sonos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sonos</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/sonos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/2f47ae5005944d89a793ca8422c12479"></a> Sonos mixes lifestyle photography and close-up shots to show how you might use their products. They do a great job creating an aspirational mood in their campaigns. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCOSAhMU4eI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000473591336" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cCOSAhMU4eI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/cCOSAhMU4eI</a> <h2>11) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/grammarly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grammarly</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/grammarly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/c7ea4caeeb63438f9aef3731f83493b7"></a> Grammarly uses their first-party data to send highly personalized messages to get you back into their product. They are a clear example to show how timely transactional emails based on user behavior can contribute to the success of your SaaS product. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXJV7_0QR3c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551203781" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hXJV7_0QR3c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/hXJV7_0QR3c</a> <h2>12) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/akidsbookabout" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Kids Book About</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/akidsbookabout" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/9f99da64c22b4d669060e59dbc08e890"></a> A Kids Book About uses typography and colors to help sell their long list of books for kids. Bold headlines and clear CTAs catch your eye in the inbox. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxRwIxjSSkE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551201634" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XxRwIxjSSkE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/XxRwIxjSSkE</a> <h2>13) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/resy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Resy</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/resy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/cfed1d9d75e24ab895e493a20cfd14f8"></a> Resy’s email digest style of emails is both engaging and informative. They use highly curated photos and picks to deliver value in the inbox. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZsLzvoR4Dc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000551202210" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EZsLzvoR4Dc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/EZsLzvoR4Dc</a> <h2>14) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/adobe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adobe</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/adobe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/b4e0aadc612a4b689ac811aa5e0d4711"></a> Adobe uses short and sweet communications to direct subscribers to a single action. While many of their emails only have a single button, the other content and imagery successfully support the one message they want to get across.&nbsp; Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB2vRxNTdGw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000502036950" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hB2vRxNTdGw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/hB2vRxNTdGw</a> <h2>15) <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/starbucks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Starbucks</a></h2> <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/starbucks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/92ecb34204c7467aba62bcfced3699ce"></a> Starbucks uses email to showcase its brand and community in a fun way. They stand out by using mesmerizing GIFs, beautiful gradients, and illustrated background images. Listen in on our full breakdown on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64XHhETWI0I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feedback-friday-by-really-good-emails/id1511644444?i=1000507803127" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/64XHhETWI0I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/64XHhETWI0I</a>

The 15 Most Popular Brands of 2021!

Data-driven email marketing begins with a reliable CRM system. But when it comes to how a CRM is built, customized, and maintained, marketers often don’t know what to ask for. This workshop is designed to teach email marketers and data-driven marketers how to navigate CRM systems so that they can have access to the data they need to successfully segment, trigger, and personalize their email campaigns. You’ll learn how to:· Understand CRM fields in terms of their purpose and your marketing goals· Ask for integrations to make CRM the single source of truth· Use CRM data to trigger automated marketing campaigns· Easily prove the ROI of marketing campaigns Who should come?Email marketers, data-driven marketers, B2B marketers Who should maybe skip this one?Designers, copywriters, email newbies Natalie Jackson is the Marketing Director for the emfluence Marketing Platform and for emfluence's Digital Marketing. She has nearly a decade of experience in B2B marketing and in digital marketing, including more than eight years of geeking out over all things email and marketing automation strategy. Natalie has spoken on email marketing, CRM strategy, and content marketing for storytellers at Digital Summit Kansas City and Digital Summit At Home, Microsoft Dynamics CRMUG Summit, emfluence’s And Then Some Conference, and for countless local marketing organizations. *All classes are recorded and will be sent out to all registrants for those that can't attend live and/or want to rewatch over and over again (who wouldn't?!) **By joining us for this class, you’ll also get free newsletters from Really Good Emails and Emfluence (if you aren't already). You can unsubscribe from either or both at any time.

For data-driven marketers to learn how to navigate CRM systems in order to successfully segment, trigger, and personalize campaigns.

The 7 Things That Belong on Every Email Marketer’s CRM Wish List

When building a first-class customer experience, every little detail counts. Leaders like Spotify, Amazon and Netflix have ushered in a new era of convenience and personalization we didn’t know was possible. Now it’s on all brands to live up to these high standards. Though challenging, there’s hope—83% of consumers will share their data in return for more personalized experiences. This where Iterable can help! In this class, experts from the Iterable team will reveal how to achieve advanced cross-channel personalization by building individualized recommendations and dynamic content based on product metadata. You’ll learn how to:<ul><li>Sort and filter dynamic content groupings using multi-attribute criteria</li><li>Create localized recommendations, like “5-star restaurants, in my price range, near me”</li><li>Use Iterable Catalog to build personalized content collections and automate messages in real time</li></ul> Who should come?B2C marketers that focus on customer lifecycle / retention / CRM Email, mobile and cross-channel strategists Verticals: retail/e-commerce, subscription services, media &amp; entertainment, food &amp; beverage, travel, consumer tech Enterprise businesses looking to replace a legacy marketing cloud People looking to see what Iterable is capable of Who should maybe skip this one?B2B marketers, Small businesses, Marketers in highly regulated industries (healthcare, finance, etc.), developers and designers who strictly write code and design from scratch Note:This class is part 3 in a 3-part series. While you're encouraged to attend all 3 classes, each class stands well on its own. Choose 1, 2, or all 3! Alyssa Jarrett is Head of Brand &amp; Content at Iterable, where she specializes in creating data-driven content to educate growth marketers on how to develop world-class customer engagement. She has previously served in marketing roles for companies in SaaS and big data, including Ripple, Objectivity, Splice Machine, and Cray. Katie Barends is a New Jersey native turned California girl now living in Denver (with a few years in Florida along the way). Katie got her start in journalism, focusing on communicating and storytelling in every interaction. She has a knack for strategic conversations and helping others realize and achieve their goals. She's been in the tech world for the last 5 years working with Fortune 100 and C-Suite decision-makers across all industries. In that time, Katie has held a variety of roles in solutions consulting, sales coaching, and product and customer marketing to support both not only customers and prospects but also internal partners. *All classes are recorded and will be sent out to all registrants for those that can't attend live and/or want to rewatch over and over again (who wouldn't?!) **By joining us for this class, you’ll also get free newsletters from Really Good Emails and Iterable(if you aren't already). You can unsubscribe from either or both at any time.

In part 3 of this 3-part series, you'll learn advanced personalization using product metadata.

Metadata: A 3-Step Plan to Cross-Channel Personalization (3 of 3)

Email campaigns are an exercise in relationship building. When done right, a well-mapped email program can bring in more sales and help you transform your existing client base into a community. But building a successful email strategy isn’t just selling things—by applying analytics to your customer journey, you can gather valuable intelligence about your prospect and customer base that can help you transform how clients experience your brand.In this class, we’ll talk about how to build targeted email campaigns for every step of the customer journey, with hands-on tips for deciding who to nurture, when to nurture them, what to say in your messaging, and how to measure email success. You’ll learn how to:· Map your email strategy to your customer journey· Grow beyond sales-oriented emails and into relationship nurtures· Use CRM data to determine who should receive which emails and when Who should come?Email marketers, data-driven marketers, client success teams Who should maybe skip this one?Designers, coders Natalie Jackson is the Marketing Director for the emfluence Marketing Platform and for emfluence's Digital Marketing. She has nearly a decade of experience in B2B marketing and in digital marketing, including more than eight years of geeking out over all things email and marketing automation strategy. Natalie has spoken on email marketing, CRM strategy, and content marketing for storytellers at Digital Summit Kansas City and Digital Summit At Home, Microsoft Dynamics CRMUG Summit, emfluence’s And Then Some Conference, and for countless local marketing organizations. *All classes are recorded and will be sent out to all registrants for those that can't attend live and/or want to rewatch over and over again (who wouldn't?!) **By joining us for this class, you’ll also get free newsletters from Really Good Emails and Emfluence (if you aren't already). You can unsubscribe from either or both at any time.

Building a successful email strategy isn’t just selling things—you have the power to transform how clients experience your brand.

Building Better Relationships with Email

B2B email doesn’t have to be boring. In this workshop, we’ll talk about how to jazz up your B2B email strategy and better leverage your CRM data to improve your recipient relationships. We’ll take lessons from B2C email strategies and discuss how they can be applied to B2B relationships, see what B2B marketers can learn from ecommerce email, and open up the possibilities of B2B email beyond the standard newsletter. You’ll learn how to:· Explore new ways to use email as a B2B relationship tool· Experiment with fresh email designs, strategies, and messaging for the B2B inbox· Work within the Outlook inbox Who should come?Email marketers, data-driven marketers, B2B marketers Who should maybe skip this one?B2C email marketers Natalie Jackson is the Marketing Director for the emfluence Marketing Platform and for emfluence's Digital Marketing. She has nearly a decade of experience in B2B marketing and in digital marketing, including more than eight years of geeking out over all things email and marketing automation strategy. Natalie has spoken on email marketing, CRM strategy, and content marketing for storytellers at Digital Summit Kansas City and Digital Summit At Home, Microsoft Dynamics CRMUG Summit, emfluence’s And Then Some Conference, and for countless local marketing organizations. *All classes are recorded and will be sent out to all registrants for those that can't attend live and/or want to rewatch over and over again (who wouldn't?!) **By joining us for this class, you’ll also get free newsletters from Really Good Emails and Emfluence (if you aren't already). You can unsubscribe from either or both at any time.

B2B email doesn’t have to be boring. It's time to open up the possibilities of B2B email beyond the standard newsletter.

The B2B Marketer’s Guide to Better Email

When building a first-class customer experience, every little detail counts. Leaders like Spotify, Amazon and Netflix have ushered in a new era of convenience and personalization we didn’t know was possible. Now it’s on all brands to live up to these high standards. Though challenging, there’s hope—83% of consumers will share their data in return for more personalized experiences. This is where Iterable can help! In this class, experts from the Iterable team will dive deep into all things data feeds between your ESP and outside sources. By mastering data feeds, you’ll be able to send time-sensitive content at the perfect moment for each customer. You’ll learn how to:<ul><li>Use data feeds to personalize campaigns, like active offers and blog newsletters</li><li>Differentiate public and managed data feeds and how to leverage them</li><li>Create individualized email templates using Iterable’s handlebars logic</li></ul> Who should come?B2C marketers that focus on customer lifecycle / retention / CRMEmail, mobile and cross-channel strategistsVerticals: retail/e-commerce, subscription services, media &amp; entertainment, food &amp; beverage, travel, consumer techEnterprise businesses looking to replace a legacy marketing cloudPeople looking to see what Iterable is capable of Who should maybe skip this one?B2B marketers, Small businesses, Marketers in highly regulated industries (healthcare, finance, etc.), developers and designers who strictly write code and design from scratch Note:This class is part 2 in a 3-part series. While you're encouraged to attend all 3 classes, each class stands well on its own. Choose 1, 2, or all 3! Alyssa Jarrett is Head of Brand &amp; Content at Iterable, where she specializes in creating data-driven content to educate growth marketers on how to develop world-class customer engagement. She has previously served in marketing roles for companies in SaaS and big data, including Ripple, Objectivity, Splice Machine, and Cray. Katie Barends is a New Jersey native turned California girl now living in Denver (with a few years in Florida along the way). Katie got her start in journalism, focusing on communicating and storytelling in every interaction. She has a knack for strategic conversations and helping others realize and achieve their goals. She's been in the tech world for the last 5 years working with Fortune 100 and C-Suite decision-makers across all industries. In that time, Katie has held a variety of roles in solutions consulting, sales coaching, and product and customer marketing to support both not only customers and prospects but also internal partners. *All classes are recorded and will be sent out to all registrants for those that can't attend live and/or want to rewatch over and over again (who wouldn't?!) **By joining us for this class, you’ll also get free newsletters from Really Good Emails and Iterable(if you aren't already). You can unsubscribe from either or both at any time.

In part 2 of this 3-part series, you'll learn intermediate personalization using data feeds and other 3rd-party integrations.

Data Feeds: A 3-Step Plan to Cross-Channel Personalization (2 of 3)

When building a first-class customer experience, every little detail counts. Leaders like Spotify, Amazon and Netflix have ushered in a new era of convenience and personalization we didn’t know was possible. Now it’s on all brands to live up to these high standards. Though challenging, there’s hope—83% of consumers will share their data in return for more personalized experiences.In this class, experts from the Iterable team will cover the basics of how to user profile and event data to create personalized email and cross-channel messaging that supports a best-in-class customer experience. You’ll learn how to:<ul><li>Create custom events for lifecycle milestones, like downloading an app or visiting a high-intent webpage</li><li>Build the perfect email template that incorporates hyper-specific user profile data</li><li>Launch a foolproof campaign that delivers individualized customer messaging</li></ul> Who should come?B2C marketers that focus on customer lifecycle / retention / CRM Email, mobile and cross-channel strategists Verticals: retail/e-commerce, subscription services, media &amp; entertainment, food &amp; beverage, travel, consumer tech Enterprise businesses looking to replace a legacy marketing cloud People looking to see what Iterable is capable of Who should maybe skip this one?B2B marketers, Small businesses, Marketers in highly regulated industries (healthcare, finance, etc.), developers and designers who strictly write code and design from scratch Note:This class is part 1 in a 3-part series. While you're encouraged to attend all 3 classes, each class stands well on its own. Choose 1, 2, or all 3! Alyssa Jarrett is Head of Brand &amp; Content at Iterable, where she specializes in creating data-driven content to educate growth marketers on how to develop world-class customer engagement. She has previously served in marketing roles for companies in SaaS and big data, including Ripple, Objectivity, Splice Machine, and Cray. Katie Barends is a New Jersey native turned California girl now living in Denver (with a few years in Florida along the way). Katie got her start in journalism, focusing on communicating and storytelling in every interaction. She has a knack for strategic conversations and helping others realize and achieve their goals. She's been in the tech world for the last 5 years working with Fortune 100 and C-Suite decision-makers across all industries. In that time, Katie has held a variety of roles in solutions consulting, sales coaching, and product and customer marketing to support both not only customers and prospects but also internal partners. *All classes are recorded and will be sent out to all registrants for those that can't attend live and/or want to rewatch over and over again (who wouldn't?!) **By joining us for this class, you’ll also get free newsletters from Really Good Emails and Iterable(if you aren't already). You can unsubscribe from either or both at any time.

In part 1 of this 3-part series, you'll learn basic personalization using user profile and demographic data!

User & Event Data: A 3-Step Plan to Cross-Channel Personalization (1 of 3)

Their emails are chef's kiss. 🥯

Feedback Friday: BetterBrand

Matt Helbig: What's up, Email Geeks? Welcome back to another episode of Feedback Friday, the show that looks at emails and discusses why they are really good. Today I am joined by Tim from Clyde Golden. How about you introduce yourself, Tim?&nbsp; Tim Yeadon: Hey, Matt. Thanks for having me. I am Tim Yeadon with <a href="https://clydegolden.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clyde Golden</a>. We're an email marketing agency in Seatle. We've been in about five years now. We're just getting started. It's still much fun. Every day is just exciting.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: We both picked Apple today, a pretty big brand. I'm nervous. What are your initial thoughts on what Apple does well and what it could improve on? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/32_b6qjqei0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/32_b6qjqei0</a> Tim Yeadon: We all know that Apple has a beautiful brand, the products are extremely useful and seamless, and they're built for us. What's fascinating is the gap analysis between what the product is and how they interpret the brand in email. The landing pages are lovely, and the campaigns are engaging, and then once we get into email, it's all over the map. Matt Helbig: They have so many products. They have their product launch emails, Apple Fitness, iTunes, and Apple TV. So there are a lot of different brands under the Apple brand. Specific emails might get a little bit more attention than others. How many people might be on the marketing team for a big brand like Apple, and how can they keep it consistent across all the different products they offer? Tim Yeadon:&nbsp;In the end, it's all just Apple to me, whether it's iTunes or some other sub-brand. I think you remember when you are marketing for a company like this.&nbsp; You had set a handful of examples before we chose Apple, and one of them that you had sent was Nike, which deals with a similar scenario, and I thought they handled it well, in which there was always a consistency of that swoosh at the top. While I understood it was Nike, they were bringing in all sorts of different sorts of products and activities as they went. So Apple and Nike, in a certain regard, there's a parallel between those two. It's interesting to see when they have a campaign for a special event versus rolling out several iPhones they want to talk about. It's not easy to do, and it takes some discipline.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Definitely. All right. Well, we picked out three examples to look at. These are the top three most popular and collected ones on the site.&nbsp; <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/2795ee285f1342d1a99497ecee8635da"> This lovely animation is here on that Mom's Day text. A very subtle animation, but it's only right when it loads, which I wish it would repeat every 10 seconds instead. I think this is an excellent way to capture someone's eye, but when you're adding too much in a GIF, and people wait like 10 seconds to communicate the message, I think that's kind of when email marketers go a little bit overboard with GIFs.&nbsp; Tim Yeadon: I'm going to add to that. You have about three seconds from that subject line into the headline, and then if the subject line got me in and the headline doesn't load, you're likely to bounce onto the following email. Would you happen to know what's cool about this layout? First off, because that CTA is transparent, they can use different colors behind it and get a nice contrast. They're bottom aligning the module type from the bottom up. They're building up. And so, as I scan, the eye consistently goes to the same place in the module, and it's easy to browse. The type is nice and small. The images are pretty large. I can see the fabric of the band, which is lovely in something like this. This is a Mother's Day email, and we've all done things like this. This is a collection of beautiful things for Mom. You're not going to have a CTA right at the top. You're going to try to get people to bundle. You're going to try to get people to come into the site and look around, and you're just trying to solve a problem for Mother's Day. What should I get for my Mom? In the subhead, I want to highlight those superscripts and asterisks. Some paragraphs in these have an asterisk and a number everywhere you go. There are claims that they're trying to protect, and there's a brand team, a campaign team, and a product team, but the actual lead for Apple is the legal team. Everything you do probably has to go through legal, and they're just plastering asterisks all over this thing. So it's not very scannable. It's a little irritating, and it's a little off-putting. We've done lots of emails for banks and financial institutions, and there's not half the number of pieces pointing down at these various claims or just specific deals. Interestingly, a standard message throughout Apple is legal. The legal at the bottom, the small boilerplate. Not a big deal, but I wish there could be a way that there weren't just so many superscript numbers and asterisks hiding in the messaging. Matt Helbig: I like their use of color, breaking up these different sections into different products. Okay, this is their watch. These are accessories. This is another kind of device, and then more accessories. It's smart to break these up and still use live text. I know these buttons are images. It would be nice to see them try out a bulletproof button. I noticed they had this sort of catch-all CTA, which I usually like to see. It's done with that plain text and with an underline hover effect. Tim Yeadon: It's a rescue CTA. You could have placed something like that right up top. Some people get this, and they're like, right, let's look at Apple and see what they have. Matt Helbig: After this, they transition away from those products to more, I guess, secondary messaging. I was impressed that this is still using live text. Usually, I would've expected a banner like this. Someone might try to lock it up in an image. They have this fun little headline here, showing why you might want to interact with their site. So this is an exciting way to break out of these quick links at the bottom, like a navigation bar. I was surprised these were links. I thought they were more like icons supporting the messaging, but it seems like a bottom navigation section. Tim Yeadon: You need some emotional anchor to the bottom of an email that suggests. We're done. This does an excellent job of it. I would also say the live body copy, "Get free no contact delivery for your gift," is centered. It's justified center type, which is about the longest amount of center justified type you can safely use and still expect people to read. So you can almost absorb that "Trade in an old device and save" without actually reading it. Suppose you have 30 words in there. If you have 80 characters or more, you'll need a left-justified body copy so the eye can bounce back and forth and quickly scan. So that's something to be careful of, to use center justified type in short, short bursts, tops unless you don't want people to read it. Matt Helbig: This works great for me. I think no more than three lines is what I think the threshold is with the center-aligned text. This section is advanced. It is a three-column layout. You're throwing in lots of information, but it's still scannable and easy to read. So I'd like to drop it down to two or give it more room to breathe. But I think they use white space effectively enough to make this work.&nbsp; Tim Yeadon: It's my job to get you to the site quickly. It's not my job to teach you anything in an email like this. This email's a little long. There are a few pieces about three-quarters of the way that don't feel like the rest.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: We have a&nbsp;product launch email. <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/00fc066478994f73b090c17dd7a0e885"> Tim Yeadon: Out of all the emails you sent, this one annoyed me the most. The center type up at the very top. The description is a list of features. I'm still trying to determine if I've read all four lines. I almost need to close an eye to read these things. Matt Helbig: But there were a few things on this email that I did like. It was interesting to see them use those rounded corners. It softens the imagery and makes these feel like individualized cards. Tim Yeadon: There's an excellent resonance with the shape of the device itself.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Many people say, Oh, I want my emails to be like Apple. You might not have this kind of stunning product photography or the ability to bring in color palettes like this. So I always give them credit for doing their own thing and trying to surprise and delight in the inbox. This is a long scroll email. I know this is a product launch email, and everyone wants to get their little piece of the pie, something like an email like that, but there's just a lot of content within this one. So it may be too much for me. Tim Yeadon: Someone opens an email, and you have about three seconds to get their attention. You've only got a few more seconds to decide to click through. People will scroll. People on their phone scroll on Reddit all day long. They will scroll to the bottom if interested in an email and the content. When I say when they're too long, or the files are too heavy, and they get clipped, that's a fear. But I don't fear creating a long, tall skyscraper email that people will wander through and be interested in. There isn't anything wrong with that. Thumbs are strong at this point, and we can scroll forever. And so if you can get them to the bottom, that's great. But, unfortunately, most people aren't going to the bottom of promotional marketing emails. Wow. Look at this. Matt Helbig: Yeah, I know. I was going to say this is like a CVS receipt. It just keeps going. Tim Yeadon: I kind of like a Marvel movie. I want a module down at the bottom with some joke or something explaining what will happen in the next product launch. So if I got down here, I deserve it. Matt Helbig: Exactly. All right, we got a fun one for the last email that we're going to look at. A little bit of a webinar, too, because this might have been a virtual conference this year. I liked the memoji people and the code reflection in the eyes. That's a cool touch. <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/e06b1ae5a9634737a6e601bc73d613fb"> Some of their event invites are just one large image, but they use live text here, which is fantastic. I like that it takes over the entire email, and I like the dark-themed email. What do you think about this one? Tim Yeadon: I like the art too. Those are cool. We have a centered body text again, then "scroll down for more." I'm in an email. There's nothing else I can do. How about a CTA to register? Yeah, that would be nice right there. You have all of this not quite scannable centered light contrast body copy that's pretty small. I have a copywriting background, and I've written a lot of CTAs. "Learn more" is the lowest common denominator of CTAs. It doesn't ask me to do anything. It's like I need a CTA there and "learn more." The only thing worse than "learn more" would be "click here" because that's the only thing you can do with the button is "click here," and then that's just a mystery of what's going to happen afterward. But realistically, "register now" is maybe a little bit stronger. If you took this content and placed it into the Mother's Day email, I bet it would perform better with short, easy-to-scan blocks. Yeah. In a flow that makes sense with a nice big headline at the top and CTAs designed to get people to do things. It would be fascinating to take the same content and test it. Matt Helbig: Well, that covers most of the Apple emails. Go on to Really Good Emails and look at other examples. They do a lot with email. It's interesting to see the different layouts and content they use to connect with their subscribers. All right, Tim. Do you have anything to plug? Do you know where we can find you online? Tim Yeadon: We're at <a href="https://clydegolden.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clydegolden.com</a> all day, every day. Making great emails. Matt Helbig: Yeah, you all have great blog posts up there. You have featured Really Good Emails in some blog posts, so give those a look.&nbsp; Thank you so much, Tim. It was fantastic to talk with you today. Have a wonderful week. Tim Yeadon: All right. I hope you have a nice day. Bye.

This week we look at Apple's emails.

Feedback Friday: Apple

Hey, what's up, Matt Helbig from Really Good Emails here. We've brought Feedback Friday back from the dead for a spooky Halloween episode. There are no Halloween emails this week, but there is a new brand that we've been featuring on the site that I've been digging. So I thought it would be fun to take a look at these emails. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zdzPiE63I10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/zdzPiE63I10</a> I have these <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/output" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Output</a> emails uploaded into my private library on Really Good Emails. Output is a software service for musicians and their emails just really caught my eye. So let us walk through a couple of examples.&nbsp; So in this example, great use of live text here. Very simplistic email. I enjoy this inverted pyramid driving into that "Check it out" call to action button and keeping the center text short. This color combination of the background and the text is making it almost pop out to me. <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/da66d66546274a5b86acd18f5c83a647"> It's a perfect fit for keeping your header a particular color and then switching it up in the body. That CTA is super clear and bulletproof. It would have been nice to see a little hover effect on that. Very techie imagery showing off some of their software. Rounded corners on the imagery leading down into a very clean footer down here. The footer shows some of these additional links, a little grayed-out privacy and terms and conditions, taking your focus away from them, which is fantastic—then leading down into this bottom social section right here. Nice branded colors to match the rest of the email. Very clean email, very simplistic. A lot of these follow the same layout but switch up the background color. Sometimes really using color like this yellow, but I think some of this all-black sort of dark theme are some of my favorites.&nbsp; So I know this one has a GIF. They cycle between these different sections. It looks like they locked it up into an image just because of this gradient that they wanted to try out. I know gradients can be hard to do with code, especially to have that support everywhere. So they locked it up on an image, which isn't the best, but I think it works out pretty well for this use case. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/thermal-hear-the-before-after" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/b8bdf7267a984d18813e2bc72f3e79e6"></a> They do have this GIF to catch your attention. It looks this all goes to the same place. I guess it's a fun way to catch your eye and show you some different examples of what the software does. A clean image here using those rounded corners, again, really makes this stand out to me. They have that same footer on this all-black template, and it looks super clean. I'm a fan of this shorter style of email.&nbsp; Let's look at one more example here. I think we're going to try this yellow one to see how Output handles that. So for this one, they didn't do live text again, which is a bummer. I'm guessing they had some difficulty doing the 50/50 layout. But this could easily be live text like they had before. You might have to figure out, within your template, how to split these two sections. Excellent use of drop shadow here with the rounded corners. Again, I liked this inverted pyramid to the "Buy it now" CTA. Pretty solid CTA copy.&nbsp; <img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/9b1b3fec5fcc40f782bdfde651e30f2d"> Unique play button. We do say to try out a play button on videos. It gives you an indicator to click on something, a little different here with this unique shape for this video, but it stands out to me. I think it would be cool if this had a few seconds of the video playing as a GIF. Unique style of play button here. A good idea to add both the "Check it out" button and this play button if your goal is for your subscriber to watch a video. Overall an excellent brand to check out. Take a look at their emails and if it matches your brand, try some of these layouts and use colored backgrounds. I'm a big fan of this brand. If you're interested in getting more email examples to inspire you for your next campaign or adding some of your own, subscribe to the pro account on Really Good Emails. Create an account, and start collecting different email examples, like this Output one. You can save this one right into a collection, and it will be ready to go once you start your next email campaign.&nbsp; All right. That's it for this week. Thank you all for joining this special Halloween edition of Feedback Friday. Not very spooky, but I hope you all have a great weekend full of haunts. See you. Bye.

This week we look at Output's SaaS emails for musicians.

Feedback Friday: Output

There’s a lot more to consider about pop-up designs and strategy, but it all comes back to serving the end-user. One of our mantras at RGE is to build relationships, not lists. We chatted with Olivia Stapp, Customer Success Strategy Manager at Justuno, about some really good pop-up strategies. When thinking about why you want people to give you their information, thinking in this context should guide you better than anything else.

Strategizing Pop-Up Designs with Justuno

This FF episode was sponsored by <a href="https://us.netcorecloud.com/superior-email-delivery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Netcore</a>. Revolutionize email experiences with the only email delivery platform that leverages AI to power deliverability and increased customer engagement. <hr> Matt Helbig: What's up, Email Geeks? Welcome back to another episode of Feedback Friday, this week with an amazing guest. How's it going, Andy? Andy McCutcheon: Hey, it's going well, happy to be here. Thanks for having me. Matt Helbig: Your <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/vacasa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vacasa</a> emails caught our eye on <a href="https://www.reallygoodemails.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reallygoodemails.com</a>. Could you tell us a little bit about your background and maybe a little bit about this brand? Andy McCutcheon: I'm the Email Marketing Manager at Vacasa, which is North America's largest vacation rental management platform. We manage 30,000 homes across 400 different markets as well as rent out the homes that we manage for homeowners. I am the Email Marketing Manager, touching everything from marketing to transactional emails and everything in between. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NU4a_k0YvfM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/NU4a_k0YvfM</a> Matt Helbig: I was hoping that we could walk through some of these and maybe talk about what you like. Andy McCutcheon: Yeah. This was a little bit of a different kind of promotional email that we sent. All of our promotional marketing emails go out to previous reservation guests, so they are folks who are fairly knowledgeable or at least aware of Vacasa as a brand and have had a previous stay with us. We do a lot of unit personalization, pulling in dynamic unit recommendations into emails.&nbsp; <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/your-highway-101-road-trip-atlas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/be140421ac814f6abe88fd258ccc584d"></a> With this one, we wanted to do something a little bit different and really lean into one of the biggest travel trends of the last year, which is driving to destinations. Driving has been super popular with everything happening and folks being hesitant to fly and being able to go somewhere that they can hop in their car and have a little bit more control over their destination and how they get there. Rather than packing this full of personalized unit recommendations and things like that, we wanted to do something a little bit more fun, and softer, and a little bit broader. We tried to kind of recreate this road trip down the West Coast, highlighting a few of our favorite markets that we have homes to rent in. Matt Helbig: Even at this top section, a lot of things are standing out to me, a nice color palette, great use of live text. I even noticed on mobile that you left-aligned this content soit's a lot easier to read on that smaller screen.&nbsp; Andy McCutcheon: One of my biggest collaborators at Vacasa is a developer, Taylor Campbell, and he built the email workflow that we use. It's incredibly reusable and customizable with huge base components that we can use and then customize as needed. Then, it's got tons of styles and classes built into it as well, so doing things like taking text from center to left-aligned on desktop and mobile is really, really easy. We've also tried to be really strong advocates of accessibility in email, and always rely on live text as much as possible. Matt Helbig: Is there anything you might want to improve on this email? I know it's pretty polished. It's kind of a long scroll, but I do like how you use these graphics to bring your eye down the email. Andy McCutcheon: Yeah, I’m super happy with how this came out. One of the tricky parts was navigating how much white space we've generated around the dashed lines with the icons. Especially on desktop, I feel like they almost look like they're floating. In a perfect world, we could tuck those dashed lines up underneath the sections above and below them. However, wanting to keep live text and all of those kinds of things in space and consistent, we had to keep them above the sections. Overall, I'm super happy with how this came out. Matt Helbig: Nice. Could you tell me a little bit about this one? <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/beverlys-oasis-is-still-available" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/5ab79c024148455fb6044f31ed23e0b9"></a> Andy McCutcheon: This is our checkout abandonment email. This is one of a couple of different checkout abandonment emails we have. This is a user who starts the checkout process for a particular unit and then abandons it before completing. We resurface that unit that they were looking at and link back to it in a few different places, trying to encourage them to complete that reservation. We've done a lot of testing on the CTA. “Make it Yours” is the current CTA. Previously, we were just doing “Book Now.” We've tried a few different variants, and “Make it Yours” was the highest performer of the last round of testing that we did.&nbsp; Then, we recently onboarded a firm as a payment method partner, and we're all super excited about offering that. That was something that we felt made a lot of sense to surface in this email where somebody possibly got to the payment screen and felt a little bit unsure about making that last click. So, we surface this as a flexible payment option. I think this was a great recent addition that's only been in this template for a couple of months. Matt Helbig: Yeah, I like bringing in that level of personalization, and utilizing that live text to maybe do that as well. It’s cool to see. Then whenever you can use, I'm guessing these great images or things like that, especially with travel emails, it's nice to see, bringing those in and letting them go full width on mobile and stuff. I think on mobile, this one's optimized and would definitely catch my attention in the inbox. Andy McCutcheon: It makes our job a lot easier when we have phenomenal images of homes like this one. It makes it easy for us to pull in the primary image of the unit that they were looking at and make it pop. We make sure to use the default image for that home so that it's instantly recognizable from that session that they had on the site so they’ll know what we're reaching back out to them about. Matt Helbig: I'm curious, is there a reason why you don't show prices in this email? Andy McCutcheon: Yeah, that's a good point. We did an A/B test last year. It's been probably about six months so it might be time to revisit, but we did have a version of this that had the reservation details with the home’s name, the check-in, and check-out dates, as well as the price that they were seeing in their cart when they abandoned. We had a couple of different breakdowns of just the total price, and then, the rent plus fees, plus tax, and then a subtotal. We had the highest click-through rate and the highest post-click conversion rate from this one, that was a little bit more simple and clean so that's what we ended up going with. Matt Helbig: Thanks for sharing those learnings. It’s super cool to see testing emails like this that are maybe a more triggered email that can make you a lot of money long term.&nbsp; Then this last one caught my eye with this wave breaking up the color here. Great photography, great use of live text. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/time-to-start-planning-that-oregon-coast-trip" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/04cc87a6fad1478da07cbdeda4b96cd1"></a> Andy McCutcheon: This was something where again we're trying to lead into accessible destinations for folks. This was sent to users in our database that live in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho, where traveling to the Oregon coast is pretty accessible. Obviously, the waves, trying to be on theme with the Oregon coast. Our email designer and developer, Rachel, came up with this design and the waves to break up the depth of field almost in the header. That was something I saw on <a href="https://www.reallygoodemails.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Really Good Emails</a> that stood out to me. I shared it with the team as an example of how we could use live text as the main header title of the email and then have the image below it, and then do something underneath the image to break it up and give a little bit of a sense of depth to it, while still making my main image pop. Matt Helbig: It definitely stands out to me. I’m a big fan of these colors working together. It's cool to see a ghost button test to see if that would maybe perform a little bit better than an all-white button. However, I think it works for something like this, where there's a little bit more text leading you into that CTA. Andy McCutcheon: I think if we had gone with our traditional yellow CTA with that accent line directly beneath it, it might have been a little bit overpowering. I like the ghost button for this section as well and had I been thinking a little bit more strategically at the time, I probably would have liked to have done a direct A/B test, but something to think about for the future.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Anything else with these emails? Anything that's exciting with email? Anything upcoming? Andy McCutcheon: We're trying to keep being innovative and keep trying to take advantage of a lot of the great visual assets that we, as a vacation rental company, have access to.&nbsp; It makes our job easier when we have great assets, but then it's also on us to take it to the next level. That's always a challenge with email because you want it to be easily scrollable and not be visually overwhelming and not get in the way of the objective of the email. That's something that I think that we're constantly striving for, is how can we make this visual and really pop to the recipient, but also not be overwhelming and be clean, easy to scroll through, and easy to navigate. Matt Helbig: Amazing work. I like experimenting with these different layouts and designs. They all still feel like they're part of the same brand and the same design system. Thanks for jumping on and walking through these with us! Andy McCutcheon: Cool, thank you. It's so good to talk to you.

Do you map out every single step of a trip right down to the rest stops, or are you up for randomly stopping off at a local diner for some good and greasy food to pull an all-night drive? (Yeah, us too.) While emails should be more planned out than late-night road trip stops, you can easily customize your message by pulling in dynamic content. Andy McCutcheon, email marketing manager at Vacasa, walks us through some customized email templates with built-in styles, classes, and our favorite: live text.

How to Personalize the Travel Experience with Vacasa

This FF episode was sponsored by <a href="https://us.netcorecloud.com/superior-email-delivery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Netcore</a>. Revolutionize email experiences with the only email delivery platform that leverages AI to power deliverability and increased customer engagement.<hr> Matt Helbig: What's up Email Geeks? Welcome back to another episode of Feedback Friday, this week with a special guest. How's it going?&nbsp; Avi Goldman: I'm doing alright. How are you doing?&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Good. We've been a big fan of <a href="https://useparcel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Parcel</a>, so I was interested a little bit about this tool and your background Avi. Avi Goldman: For sure. I’m an Email Geek, first and foremost, that's kind of where I've been for the past five years. I've done some software engineering, marketing, product management, and everything that I do, I love to tie back into email. That's kind of who I am at this point.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: We have some <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/poolside-fm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Poolside FM</a> emails today, a very nice chill vacation vibe for the summer. I'm excited to walk through these and get your opinions on them.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: These are gorgeous.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: We're actually in Parcel right now. It's a pretty interesting, cool text editor for HTML, email development. I’m digging the scalable windows here and the different viewports. I think we can go to the desktop view, and we can walk through this one.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: Let's do it.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayhFSwABBSU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayhFSwABBSU</a> Matt Helbig: Sweet. What stood out to you on some of these? Avi Goldman: The thing that first struck me was just the colors, they fit so well with what I expect from the brand. They feel calming, that blue, and think about the colors, we'll see, they just feel like a vacation to me. That was the biggest thing for me, was just that it covers the entire screen, they don't have any width of 600, they filled up the entire email. They still have a really good text width, which is really important since they’re using that monospace. It creates a gorgeous feeling when I open the email, that was the biggest thing for me.&nbsp; <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/poolside-fm-launches-sunscreen-company-vacation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/a55eebbfeeb848bdbf018b9fb7cbdfc6"></a> Matt Helbig: I'm liking how the colors are working together with this nice, big sort of eye-catching GIF. It’s sort of a one-column email using some live text here, with that custom font for the intro. I like the reverse-pyramid right down into this copy. Yeah, we don't see a lot of mono type space like this. (Monospace font is a font whose letters and characters each occupy the same amount of horizontal space.) Matt Helbig: It fits their brand, more like a code-y developer sort of vibe. I'm a fan.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: Me too. Also, it's the 80’s feel too. The graphic at the top of the 80’s typeface too, like a no-text terminal kind of computer.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Yeah, and then right into that “Reserve Yours” CTA. I'm also a fan of how these colors are working together. Scrolling down to the second section, there is a fun little GIF talking about an honorary position at “Vacation Inc.” Avi Goldman: Amazing. It's fun. They've put a little bit of a game inside the email to engage you. It catches your eye.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Going down into this bottom section with the social, I think this is something that we call out a lot, sort of having a preview of these Instagram posts. I think it works pretty well here, just giving you a little teaser about content that they're sharing on Instagram. Then, there are some simple icons on the bottom. I was interested actually in some of these accessibility tools that you've built into Parcel here like we had blurred vision. Avi Goldman: The goal was to cover a wide range of accessibility issues. The first one that I wanted to tackle was visual impairments. My dad and my brother are both colorblind, I have really bad vision, and my apartment has windows that get glare all the time. There's both the situational disability as well as one that you just have. It's really important to keep that sort of thing in mind and that's kind of what I want to cover here.&nbsp; My vision tends to be almost black and white, especially when I have a glare on my laptop, so that one was important to me, even though it is probably the least common visual accessibility issue. Personally, the blurred screens, without my glasses, tend to be like that as well. I wanted to make it easy to see what that was like. Then, we can kind of see what that looks like here with blurred vision, that monospace font and at that 14 point font, it does make it difficult to see. Definitely, without my glasses, I wouldn't be reading this email. Matt Helbig: I know there are some tools out there that simulate this for you, for the web, but it's nice to have something like this built-in with that accessibility in mind. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/mixtapes-poolchat-keychains" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/81096e1f483d4f78b14f347ac9642269"></a> This is an ad for a mixtape. I like this throwback window here, and again, with that monotype, some interesting background colors, and just being consistent. I guess these GIFs specifically stand out to me.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: The thing that stood out for me in this email was their brand voice. It fits so well with their website, and with the design of it, it's a very fun, free flow, kind of human voice. It's easy to connect with it, it's easy to see that. If you're listening through to the mixtape, you will probably relate to the way they’re talking to you. They’ve tailored their brand voice to their audience well.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: I think some of these headlines could be a little larger to break up these sections. I think the bold is an indicator of that, maybe on mobile, it's a little clearer. Overall, I think they could make that a tad bit bigger here to break up these sections. I’m a fan of how this one goes through, and it's a rare strike through which I always like. It's a weird thing to include in email. With the all caps too, they're bringing in that fun tone voice as you said. I think this one's a pretty fun little newsletter. I guess I might have a problem with all this stuff being centered text, especially on some of these longer sections, it might get a little bit hard to read. I'd be interested in seeing this left-aligned, just on the accessibility side.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: Actually, can we try toggling the images off to see what their alt text looks like?&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Sure. Not the best, or at all. Avi Goldman: Yeah, I think that was something that jumped out at me when I was looking at these emails earlier. A lot of their headings are well designed with the typography, and they’ve used images to keep that, which is a totally valid thing to do, but when you have images off, when you're using a screen reader, and there's nothing there, that makes it hard to use for some folks. I think it's a really important, and pretty straightforward, step especially when the entire image is just a piece of text. Matt Helbig: Having this text be alt tags, you could even do a fun-styled alt text. You could probably create something a little bit similar to this in the email so that if those images are turned off, or are loading a little slow, you can get something with this before everything loads.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: I think mixing both an image CTA with a completely coated live text CTA at the bottom there. If you use the second item, over the little crosshairs, and go ahead and click on that, it makes it easy to see that, and the beauty of live text makes it easy to change. It’s really easy to jump in and pull that over. There are a few other tools up there on the right that make it easy to just go ahead and make the changes to your email right there.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Even this hover is impressive and useful.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: Another nice thing that we could do with this email, is this one is most definitely going to get clipped in Gmail with the current size of it. However, there's a lot of whitespace in this email, a lot of bad formatting. If you click on the “zero transformers” at the bottom left, head over to formatting, and go ahead and minify it, then, we can see in the bottom left now that it dropped 38%, from 122 kilobytes to 76. Now, this email is almost definitely not going to get clipped down. By turning that on, we can save ourselves from potentially not letting our subscribers see our full message. If you want to see the minified version, you can click on “source” next to “preview”. There is all the spacing, any unnecessary new lines, any HTML comments that aren’t MSO comments, all get stripped out. You're good to grab this code and send it off. This email is now safe, and it's going to fall under that Gmail limit. <a href="https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/poolside-fm-for-mac-out-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://files.reallygoodemails.com/blogContentImages/29cf400a6c7d49b0af10b8a5d8b3e7e5"></a> Matt Helbig: Another 80’s themed image here. Avi Goldman: Again with that consistency. Matt Helbig: Nice, they're just going again with these really large headlines with that type. I like how big this App Store button is. Usually, you see it sort of tucked away at the bottom, but I like that being the main CTA. For some reason, it's more fun or on-brand for me, than just a “download now” CTA. Avi Goldman: It feels integrated with the Apple system, it’s using their CTA as your CTA.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Again, a fun little GIF driving into that “App Store” CTA. Avi Goldman: A small thing that I liked that they did here is near the bottom, when they say, “Follow us on Insta”, they've got the link bolded, there’s a color change, and it’s underlined so it’s really clear that that's a link. We as the industry will sometimes hide links, the unsubscribe link, or something like that, and that can sometimes bleed over into link fatality. Having that small, that secondary CTA, of following them on Instagram, but still making it clear that you can click there, I think is nice.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: When I try to create links, I always think about if someone clicks this, will they be surprised? When I land on a page, I don't like being surprised. This is very clear that this is a link, it’s going to their Instagram, and this is their handle. Even though it's a small thing, I think it does help you eliminate that confusion of knowing when you click on something exactly where you're going to land. Tell me why I'm clicking this link and where I'm going to go.&nbsp; Then, you've also launched <a href="https://emailresourc.es/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Email Resources</a>, which is a very comprehensive list of email resources. What made you want to put all this together?&nbsp; Avi Goldman: With Email Resources, the name kind of explains what it is, right? It's a list of resources focused on email. What it was, is that I had a big spreadsheet myself of email resources that I’ve collected, it was probably 100+ resources, and I have people asking me for recommendations and suggestions all the time. I figured why not share the list directly? I figured it would be a great place for adult people to find the tools that will do the job that they have, and also learn about categories of tools that they might not have known existed. If you don't know that there are minifiers, discovery is a big thing.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: This is my favorite one right here, I think. Avi Goldman: I agree that's marked as a favorite. Definitely top three.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: I know we're always looking to send someone a link with all the resources that we've collected or looked at over the years. This is a lot of work and thank you for putting this together because it's a very comprehensive guide, especially for someone starting with email development or design or copywriting, or marketing. Even when I go through, I'm still finding out cool new things to try out and learn from. Thanks for putting this together.&nbsp; Avi Goldman: My absolute pleasure.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Where can we find you online?&nbsp; Avi Goldman: You can find me on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/theavigoldman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@theavigoldman</a>. You can also check out the Parcel account, which is <a href="https://twitter.com/useparcel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@useparcel</a>. I'm in the <a href="https://email.geeks.chat/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Email Geeks Slack</a> as AGoldman so if you've got any questions or you want to just chat, hit me up on any of those platforms.&nbsp; Matt Helbig: Thanks for joining us this week. A big fan of these emails and a big fan of this tool. Avi Goldman: Thanks, Matt.

If an email is sent and no one added alt text, does it reach the inbox? Descriptive alt text is just one thing to keep in mind to serve up accessible emails. We talk mixtapes and Macintosh with Avi Goldman, founder of Parcel and curator of Email Resources, putting these e-commerce emails to the accessibility test in Parcel’s interface.

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