Slim, trim, clean, and snappy – that’s the way to go when crafting email messages. Excess baggage and bulky verbiage just won’t cut it. Too many drawbacks. Chunky emails drive away readers in droves. Really, who’s got time to navigate the clutter?
That, of course, assumes the mega-message reaches the inbox. Truth be told, many a high-bulk email never gets close – the excess content often gets it flagged as junk. And into the spam folder, it drops. Instant oblivion.
Clearly, a streamlined email is the optimum form. Less risk of red flagging; less risk of reader retreat. Amazingly, it’s a relatively simple matter to keep your message well within the bulk limit. Here’s how —
First, utilize reasonable paragraph restraint. These important text blocks should be kept relatively short. Common sense must prevail here. Currently, there is no word count guideline or handy formula designating paragraph length. Stop signs won’t pop up automatically. Paragraph measurement is purely a judgment call. But fear not. In most cases, marketers will recognize any overspill.
Since effective paragraphs operate under the restricted verbiage principle, every word must be worth its weight in gold. Therefore, effective verbiage captures your intended message with incomparable precision. And don’t forget to include the keywords you’ve worked so hard to establish.
Helpful in establishing the slim, trim look are bullet points. These quickie-lines summarize and highlight primary focal points. Thus, they draw immediate attention to the crux of your message.
In keeping with your commitment to de-clutter, make sure you go light on the images. An overabundance of graphics can detract from your core message. But even more critically, image excess often triggers the dreaded spam detectors.
If you have questions or comments about optimizing email messaging, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.