Monthly Archives

May 2018

Mail Designer 365 1.2.3 Update Guide

By Mail Designer 365 Blog
Hey designers, we’ve got another brand new, exciting update for you – version 1.2.3 has landed! With this update we’re introducing our new-look layout blocks, as well as a few new members to the layout block family. You can also expect further fixes and even more stability improvements in this version.

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GDPR Damage Control: How to Rebuild Your Email Lists

By Mail Designer 365 Newsletter Academy, Mail Designer 365 Newsletter Academy, Mail Designer 365 Newsletter Academy

It was inevitable, something we all saw coming. Following months of updating data protection and privacy policy, and not to mention frantically sending out opt in campaigns, GDPR came, saw and, well... conquered. As a result, many of you have probably seen a significant drop in your email subscribers, but don't worry, there's still hope! Here are some tips and tricks to help get you back on track and rebuild your email lists.

Out with the old and in with the new

In some ways, GDPR has actually done you all a favour. It's a known fact that quantity does not equal quality, and having a large list of email subscribers isn't necessarily a good thing for your email marketing campaigns. In fact, it can almost be quite detrimental if a large proportion of your list is made up of inactive, disengaged subscribers. Inactive subscribers negatively impact upon your open rates and click-through rates and prevent you from seeing how effective your email campaign really is. In removing such subscribers from your lists, you'll have an email list made up of customers who want to receive your emails and are much more likely to actively engage. Great news, right?

With this in mind, you can now go forward with a more positive outlook. Focus your efforts on gaining new, interested email subscribers who have actively chosen to opt in to receiving your content.

Promotion is key

The first way to ensure people will sign up to your email lists is by promoting your email newsletter wherever you can. There are many opportunities to do this, but one of the most effective ways is to include a prominent sign up box on your website or blog. If a potential customer is already looking through your website or reading your blog, they're most likely interested in your content. Make the most of this opportunity by pointing out your newsletter as a way for them to stay in touch with you. This cooking blog has a prominent sign up box in the sidebar, prompting readers to subscribe for even more content.

Include a sign up box on your website or blog

If you don't have a blog, make one!

A blog is a great way for you to show your customers what kind of content they can expect from your business. It is also another way for you to promote your product or service without having to invest too much time, energy, or money. The more engaging your blog content is, the more likely your readers are to want to sign up. You can encourage blog visitors to subscribe to your email list to receive updates whenever you publish a new blog post. This is enticing, as they will already know that the content they will receive emails about will be of interest to them and won't be spam. 1Life make sure their subscribers will never miss out on a new blog post:

Create a blog to get customers interested in your content

Use social media

Social media is a quick and instant way to communicate shorter blasts of information to your customers. It's possible that many of your social media followers may not be aware of the fact you have an email newsletter. Take this chance to inform them that more detailed news about your business, promotions, or releases is available in your email newsletter. It's likely that many of your followers will take interest, because, again, they are following you for your interesting content. Check out this example from Hydrogen, which could have been made even better with a link!

Use social media to promote your email newsletter

Upload older newsletters to your website

Just like with the blog, by uploading previous newsletters, you're showing potential subscribers what they are in store for if they sign up to receive your newsletter. Although you may be concerned that making your newsletter available online might deter people from subscribing, it's actually a lot more effort for them to have to search for it online than it is to conveniently receive it in your inbox. You can also choose to not post your latest newsletters until the next one is sent out. It's a good idea to show that you include exclusive special offers, promotions, and current news to generate FOMO (fear of missing out) and push customers to subscribe. reallygoodemails.com have an archive of their old newsletters to encourage new customers to sign up:

Archive older newsletters so customers know what to expect when they sign up

With these tips in mind, it should be easy for you to get back up on your feet after the initial GDPR shock. As the saying goes, keep calm and carry on and you should be fine!

Until next time!

Your Mail Designer 365 Team

Give Mail Designer 365 a try today for free...

Mail Designer 365 helps you create stylish, professional HTML emails on your Mac. Download for free to see what you can achieve.

 

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How GDPR Opt-In Campaigns Could Reduce Email Volume by up to 50%

By Mail Designer 365 Blog

The big day is almost upon us... Tomorrow, after months of planning and preparation, the EU General Data Protection Regulation will finally be enforced upon businesses across the world. We're sure that most, if not all of you, have been overwhelmed with masses of email opt in campaigns from businesses willing you to stay subscribed to their newsletters and keep receiving updates (guilty ?.)

To find out how effective these opt in campaigns really are, and, in particular, what their impact would be on the average person who has signed up to multiple email newsletters over the years, we decided to carry out some research of our own...

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How the Latest Gmail Update Will Impact Your Email Marketing Campaigns

By Mail Designer 365 Blog
As one of the giants of the email world, it’s safe to say that whenever Gmail announces an update, email marketers are left nervously anticipating what’s to come and what it means for their marketing strategy. Recent studies show that there are over 1 billion active Gmail users worldwide - making it the second most popular email client in the world. With this in mind, whenever Google makes a change to their service, it’s bound to make an impact on the way your emails are sent, received and read - right?

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5 Ways You Can Create Sizzling Memorial Day Email Campaigns

By Uncategorized

For your American customers, May means it's almost time for Memorial Day. This holiday gives consumers a three day weekend, and there's nothing quite like a long weekend to get business booming!

Before you fire up the grill, or pour yourself a drink, check out our 5 tips for creating a sizzling Memorial Weekend email campaign.

Go stars and stripes crazy

As this is a super patriotic holiday, you should do your best to try and represent this in your email design. This makes the theme of your email clear from the get go, as well as making things a bit more fun and interesting for your email subscribers. Try to incorporate red, white and blue into your color scheme, and bonus points for you if you can include some American flag imagery in there, too!

In this example, Ralph Lauren have got their color scheme down to a T and the inclusion of the stars and stripes flag is a great way to get the theme across to customers.

The stars and stripes in this Ralph Lauren email are super patriotic

Use a sense of urgency

As one of the oldest tricks in the marketing playbook, the sense of urgency is always a good way to engage your customers into participating with your sale or special offer. As the Memorial Day holiday is only spread across a couple of days, it provides your business with the perfect opportunity to have a quick-fire sale or event.

This bright design from Aldo definitely creates a sense of urgency with its "Today only" graphic. Try something similar in your designs to get customers rushing to check out your sale.

Including the "ends tonight" line adds a sense of urgency to this email

Inspire subscribers to make the most of their time off

Remember your email campaign does not have to begin on Memorial Day weekend, you can get started right away! Encourage your subscribers to start planning their backyard BBQ in advance, or suggest fun activities to do at home over the family weekend.

There's loads of ways to get involved and it doesn't have to be a themed sale. Get creative and it will pay off. Your customers will definitely thank you for the inspiration! Check out this example made with Mail Designer 365.

Give your customers ideas for things to do to celebrate the holiday

Use a summery theme

For many of your customers, Memorial Day weekend is the start of their summer. The weather is getting warmer and many of them will not have to go to school or work. Your subscribers will have summer and sun on the brain, so the more you highlight this in your email campaign using a summery theme, the more likely they are to click.

This cute and summery design from Revolve is a clever way to inspire your customers to start shopping for the summer.

This packing theme from Revolve gets customers in the mood for a vacation

Don't forget what the day is all about

As with all holidays and special occasions, it's easy to forget the true meaning of the celebration. It's good to include a reference to what the day is all about. This will not only make your business come across more genuine, it's also a sign of respect to your customers who may have lost loved ones fighting in the military. You could do this by inserting a short but heartfelt message or by hosting a special event and donating to a veteran's charity.

This design from Alex and Ani has got the balance just right. We love the patriotic heart!

A heartfelt design saying thanks to American troops for all they've done

Tip: Don't forget to segment your email lists for this one! It may seem obvious, but it is important you only send your Memorial Campaign out to your US customers.

Until next time!

Your Mail Designer 365 Team

Give Mail Designer 365 a try today for free...

Mail Designer 365 helps you create stylish, professional HTML emails on your Mac. Download for free to see what you can achieve.

 

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Types of color schemes and how they affect your email design

By Uncategorized

Research shows that it takes just 0.05 seconds for a web page to make an impression on the average person; whether this is a good or bad impression is up to you. The visual appearance of your email is crucial in determining how readers will respond to your campaign. Here's how you can effectively use color schemes to optimise your email designs...

Monochromatic color schemes

A monochromatic design is made up of the different shades of just one main color. It's particularly effective if it highlights something within your email design and indicates a clear theme. Try this out for colors which are seasonal (e.g. red at Christmas or orange at Halloween) or for targeted product promotion.

This example from Morphe is highly effective. Not only does the hot pink stand out to readers, it also does a great job of promoting their lipgloss of the same color:

Monochromatic color schemes are a brilliant way to highlight the vibrant, colorful nature of your product.

Complementary color schemes

Complementary color schemes are made up of colors which are directly opposite each other in the color wheel. Some complementary pairing examples are red and blue, yellow and purple, and pink and green.

These colors create a strong contrast, but, when pulled off correctly, can add something special to your design. For example, this design from Cotton On utilises a complementary color scheme by clashing red and teal together to create an interesting effect for their otherwise ordinary sale advertisement.

Use a vibrant complementary color scheme to bring an otherwise simple design to life.

Achromatic color schemes

For a particularly sleek and serious design, you should consider using an achromatic color scheme. This refers to color schemes made up of shades of black and white. In terms of branding, this is a sleek and stylish option for those of you striving to maintain a more sophisticated look in your emails.

Hudson Jeans are looking chic as ever in this achromatic welcome email. This design does a great job of introducing subscribers to the fashionable nature of the brand and remaining interesting at the same time.

Achromatic color schemes add an element of style and edge - particularly for fashion brands.

Analagous color schemes

An analagous color scheme is made up of one main color and then the two colors either side of it on the color wheel. For example, red paired with deep orange and hot pink or blue paired with indigo and turquoise. This is a great color scheme to try out on a more standard design like a transactional email, where you don't want to be too experimental.

This brand have created a soft, yet effective color scheme for this design. The red paired with pink and orange is a nice way to incorporate color without going overboard.

An analogous color scheme is a subtle yet stylish way to introduce different colors into your email designs.

We hope you take these color schemes into consideration for your next email campaign. Together with an understanding of seasonal trends and the effect of different colors, this is a great way to make sure your email design is effective as possible.

Until next time!

Your Mail Designer 365 Team

Give Mail Designer 365 a try today for free...

Mail Designer 365 helps you create stylish, professional HTML emails on your Mac. Download for free to see what you can achieve.

 

Try for free
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