We’ve become so acclimatized to email marketing that we – the public – are rarely impressed by merely adequate promotional emailing strategies anymore. We might open the emails that seem as though they’re presenting something useful, but we’ve long since stopped being dazzled. It’s like a long, satisfactory relationship where the spark died long ago.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. We can still be won over! A bold, brilliant and creative email marketing strategy can be the figurative dose of Viagra that we’ve so desperately needed! The moment is right!
Use of creative images can be either a fantastic boon or a horrible failure, depending upon how those images are incorporated into the email. Remember, emails aren’t web pages – they aren’t as forgiving, they can be ignored and the contents can be arbitrarily blocked. When you use images, you have to make sure that they have been composed in such a way as to facilitate the absorption of the critical message. If the image cannot be displayed, your efforts may largely have been for naught. But the rewards, if the layout is done properly, can be fantastic.
Images Tell Stories
Stories don’t have to come in narrative “Once upon a time” form – they can exist almost entirely in pictures. A photographic or graphic story can be even more engaging than a story delivered in copy format, since we’re used to reading tons of slogans, disclaimers, calls-to-action, anyway. A beautiful and evocative series of images can delineate brand, product and service message quite effectively if well composed.
Take for example Jetsetter’s campaign. This organization routinely uses stunning photographs to illustrate the luxury of their services, and those photos are almost all they need.
Fonts, Glorious Fonts
If you have become sick of basic, typographic program-derived fonts, why not go out on a limb and try a unique handwriting font? This little touch can give the campaign an enormous dose of personalization and warmth. Hey, handwritten letters have always been – and will always be – more valued than typewritten ones. Bic, the writing instrument juggernaut, has recently announced that it’s sourcing handwriting samples from willing contributors in order to develop the first universal handwriting typeface.
Color Matters
Time to break out the color wheel! Use of color heightens the visual impact of a graphic message, and knowing how to choose the right colors for your scheme is a valuable skill.
- Primary colors – The colors that are incorporated into your brand logo, and the ones that are likely to be used most prominently.
- Secondary colors – Colors that are used sparingly to complement the colors that you’ve selected as your primary colors. These might be used in small design elements throughout the email, and mainly serve to illuminate brand colors.
- Tertiary colors – Colors that you don’t use, except during seasonal or holiday promotions.
The infographic trend has capitalized all three strategies: image display, font design and use of striking colors. All in all, there are so many avenues to be explored with regard to visually stunning email marketing, it may be impossible to delineate them all in a coherent fashion. However, once you’ve flung off the shackle of timid and boring email composition, you may come up with something truly groundbreaking!
