25 practical tips for email campaigns that get results
Getting email marketing right takes more than a good subject line. The design, copy, layout and technical details all need to work together if you want people to actually open, read and click through. These 25 tips cover everything from layout basics to calls to action, visual design to mobile optimisation.
At Opace, our online marketing agency services bring together email, SEO and social channels for businesses throughout the UK.
Getting the foundations right
1. Keep within 600px width
Stick to a maximum width of 600px for your email layout. This is the standard that works reliably across the widest range of email clients, from Outlook to Gmail to Apple Mail. Going wider risks horizontal scrolling or content being cut off, particularly in preview panes where first impressions matter most. A tighter width also forces you to be disciplined with your layout, which almost always results in a cleaner, more readable email.
2. Use a simple column structure
Keep your layout to two or three content columns at most. Anything more than that becomes cramped at 600px and difficult to read, especially on smaller screens. A well-structured two-column layout with images on one side and text on the other gives you plenty of room to communicate your message without cluttering the design. If your content naturally breaks into sections, stack them vertically rather than trying to squeeze everything side by side.
3. Use standard HTML fonts
Email clients handle fonts very differently from web browsers. Stick with web-safe fonts such as Arial, Verdana, Georgia and Times New Roman. While some modern email clients now support web fonts, the fallback experience across Outlook and older clients is unpredictable. Using standard fonts means your typography looks consistent for every recipient, which matters when you are relying on text to carry your message.
4. Do not use background images in HTML
Most email clients, including Outlook, strip out CSS background images entirely. If your design depends on a background image for context or readability, a significant number of your recipients will see a broken layout. Use solid background colours applied directly to HTML table cells instead. It is less flexible, but it is reliable, and reliability beats creativity in email marketing.
Calls to action
5. Place your calls to action near the top
Your recipients make snap decisions about whether your email is worth their time. The call to action needs to be visible within the first scroll, ideally above the fold. If the reader has to scroll past three paragraphs of introduction before they find a button, most of them will have moved on. Put the primary CTA where it cannot be missed.
6. Make CTAs bold and visually distinct
Calls to action need to look clickable. Use bright, contrasting colours that stand out from the rest of the email. Buttons work better than text links because they are easier to spot and easier to tap on mobile. Keep the text on the button short and action-oriented: “Get your free quote”, “See the full range”, “Book a call”. If your CTA blends into the surrounding design, it is not doing its job.
7. Repeat CTAs throughout the email
Do not rely on a single call to action at the top or bottom. Place the same CTA (or a variation of it) at multiple points throughout the email so that wherever the reader’s attention lands, they can take action without scrolling back. This is especially important for longer emails where the reader might engage with a section halfway down and want to act immediately.
Writing effective copy
8. Write informative, quality copy
Write content that earns the reader’s time. Be informative, be direct and focus on what the product or service actually gives the reader. Put your most important points and keywords early in each section. Anything that reads like generic marketing patter will either get ignored or flagged as spam.
Build a narrative across your email. Start with the key benefit, add supporting detail, and finish with a clear next step. If you are running a campaign series across multiple emails, treat each one as a chapter that builds on the last, giving readers a reason to open the next one.
9. Design for F-pattern reading
Eye-tracking research by usability expert Jakob Nielsen has consistently shown that people read web content (including emails) in an F-shaped pattern. They scan across the top, then down the left side, picking out headings, bold text and the first few words of each line. Design your email with this in mind: put the most important content in the top-left area, use clear headings to break up sections, and bold the words that matter most.
10. Keep each email focused on one topic
Resist the temptation to pack too many different messages into a single email. If you try to promote three separate products, announce an event and share a blog post all in the same send, none of those messages gets the attention it deserves. Limit yourself to one main topic per email. If you have multiple things to promote, spread them across separate sends spaced out over a few days.
11. Keep it brief and scannable
People scan emails; they rarely read them start to finish. Keep paragraphs short, use bullet points where they help, and cut any text that does not directly support your message. If the full detail lives on a landing page, do not duplicate it in the email. Give the reader enough to understand the offer, then send them to the page to learn more.
Images and visuals
12. Design emails that work without images
A large number of email clients, including Outlook and Gmail, block images by default on first open. Your recipient sees only text and a row of empty placeholder boxes. If your call to action is embedded in an image, it disappears entirely. Design your email so that the text-only version still makes sense, still conveys your message, and still includes a readable call to action. Think of images as an enhancement, not a requirement.
13. Place images on the left, text on the right
Eye-tracking studies consistently show that readers are drawn to images before text. By placing your image on the left-hand side of the email, you catch the reader’s eye first, then guide their attention naturally across to the headline and body copy on the right. This follows the way most Western readers scan content and gives your visuals maximum impact.
14. Use photographs of real people
Stock graphics and product shots have their place, but visuals featuring real people generate far more engagement. If the person in the image is making eye contact with the viewer, or looking towards the call to action, the reader pays more attention. Wherever possible, use genuine photography over generic illustrations.
15. Use animation sparingly
Animated GIFs can grab attention, but they come with trade-offs. File sizes increase quickly, loading times suffer, and some email clients (particularly Outlook) only display the first frame. If you want to use animation, keep it to a simple two-frame loop with a small file size. Think of it as a subtle accent, not the centrepiece of the design.
16. Create strong, header-style banners
Treat the top section of your email the way you would treat a website hero banner. A large, clean header area with a clear message, a readable headline and a prominent call to action gives readers an immediate reason to stay. If the header looks polished and purposeful, the rest of the email benefits from that first impression.
17. Use large typography for impact
When you do not have the right image to lead with, large, well-set typography can do the heavy lifting instead. A bold headline set in a large font size, paired with a clear call to action button, can be just as effective as a photograph. In some cases it is more effective, because text loads instantly regardless of email client settings.
Branding and trust
18. Make the sender immediately recognisable
When your email arrives, the first thing the recipient looks at is who it is from. If they do not recognise the sender, they are far more likely to delete it or mark it as spam. Include your logo prominently at the top of the email so that recipients can see at a glance that this is from a brand they know and trust.
19. Keep branding consistent with your website
Your email and your website should feel like they come from the same company. Carry over the colour scheme, typography, logo placement and general design style so that the transition from email to landing page feels natural for the reader. If the email uses one set of colours and the website looks completely different, you lose the visual trust you built in the inbox.
20. Include direct contact details
Some recipients will want to get in touch immediately rather than following a link. Include a visible phone number and email address in the footer (and ideally near the top too). If your social media presence is relevant to the campaign, include those links as well, but only if they add something useful for the reader.
Technical best practice
21. Treat your email like a landing page
An email is not a brochure; it is a conversion tool. Design it with the same discipline you would apply to a landing page. Every element should either support the message or drive the reader towards the call to action. Strip out anything decorative that does not serve that purpose. Keep the layout clean, the copy tight, and the path from “I opened this” to “I clicked through” as short as possible.
22. Optimise images and file sizes
Large image files cause emails to load slowly, especially on mobile. Compress all images before including them, reduce JPEG quality to the minimum that still looks acceptable, and keep the total email file size as low as you can. An email that takes several seconds to load on a phone is an email that gets closed before it is read.
23. Design for mobile and tablet
More than half of all emails are now opened on a mobile device. If your email is not readable on a phone screen, you are losing the majority of your audience before they reach the first line of text. Use a single-column layout or ensure your multi-column layout stacks cleanly on narrow screens. Make buttons large enough to tap with a thumb. Test on real devices before sending.
24. Keep borders and decorative elements simple
On a website, you can use CSS for rounded corners, shadows, gradients and layered borders. In an email, these techniques are unreliable across clients. Stick to simple, solid borders and flat colour blocks. Any decorative detail that relies on advanced CSS is likely to break in at least one major email client, and a broken design undermines the professionalism of your message.
25. Always include a “View in Browser” link
No matter how carefully you build your email, some clients will still render it badly. A “View in Browser” link at the top of the email gives the reader a reliable fallback. If the formatting has gone wrong in their inbox, they can open the email in a browser window where it will display exactly as intended. It is a small detail, but it catches the recipients who would otherwise give up and delete.
Getting it right
Good email campaigns are a balance of clean design, clear copy and reliable technical execution. The most effective emails tend to be the simplest: a focused message, a strong call to action and a layout that works on every device and email client. Start with these fundamentals, test your results, and refine from there.
Image credit – JASE Group LLC
