Design and copywriting for email
To make your emails as user-friendly as possible, it’s important that they’re succinct, structured simply, and that any CTAs (calls to action) are clear.
Structuring an email
You should try to get across to the recipient as soon as possible what it is you want them to do and make it as easy as possible for them to take that action. Here are some good rules to follow:
Summarise what you want them to do at the start. You can always add more detail later, but boiling it down to a couple of lines makes it easier for the recipient to understand what the email is about.
Provide a CTA above the fold if using one. This means that the button is visible when someone opens the email, without having to scroll down.
Keep your email succinct. Provide CTAs that link out to further information where possible, rather than making your email copy-heavy.
The CRM team will build the email and place imagery where it might work best. It’s worth considering image placement when sourcing images.
Example email structures
1)
[Letterbox image]
[Greeting]
[Two – three line summary]
[Short CTA]
[More detail – kept as brief as possible]
[Short CTA]
[Sign-off]
2)
[Greeting]
[Two – three line summary]
[Short CTA]
[Left aligned portrait image]
[More detail – kept as brief as possible and featured right of image]
[Short CTA]
[Sign-off]
Copywriting for email best practice
Make your email scannable by:
keeping sentences short
writing screen-sized passages, usually 1-3 sentences to a paragraph
using fixing points (things that catch the user’s eye like CTA buttons, hyperlinks)
Make your copy relatable for the reader by:
spelling out why this email is useful or relevant for them - why should they care?
speaking to the reader as an individual, not a group
Try to make sure the email will make sense to the users given where they are in the user journey.
Things to avoid
Lots of numbers/stats. Stats are a puzzle that our brains don’t deal well with. Don’t use more than one or two.
Jargon/acronyms. Use plain English instead to help everyone understand.
Multiple calls to action
Length
We don't have a set word count for Shelter emails, but they should always follow the best practice principle of 'the shorter the better'.
You should keep copy succinct and avoid unnecessary information that does not contribute directly to the purpose of the email.
We only have seconds to grab a reader’s attention, so the content needs to be as easy to digest as possible.
Related
Read our other content guides
Read our brand guidelines
Contact us
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