10 Things to be Aware of Before You Hit Send

1. Mobile optimization

With so many of us checking our emails on the go, it's crucial to make sure your campaign also looks good and makes sense on mobile devices.

Sending emails which aren't mobile optimized can risk you excluding a large proportion of your target audience. You spent so much time working on your campaign so you want to be sure the content can be enjoyed by all your readers.

For the mobile version of the design, it's best practice to check the following:

• Font size: If the text is too small it can be difficult for mobile users to read
• Layout: Does the layout make sense for mobile? Generally, a one-column layout is easier to scroll through
• Image optimization: Many readers using smartphones may be viewing your email using mobile data. Always make sure your images are size-optimized so they can be downloaded faster on the go
• Target links: Where possible, use mobile-specific target links (e.g. "Open in the app" or "Download on the App Store") for a more personalized feel

This post by Campaign Monitor contains more specific design tips for mobile responsive emails.

2. Links and call-to-actions

Generally, your email is just a stepping stone to take the recipient to another destination. For this reason, it's important to test that your links and call-to-actions are all working properly before you hit send.

As well as checking the functionality of your links, you should also check you have set up all the required tracking elements for the post-campaign analytics. For example, you should check your Google Analytics campaign URLs have been set up correctly so you can track website traffic generated by your email campaigns.

Find out how to set up Google Analytics campaign URLs here.

3. Spelling and grammar

Typos and grammatical errors have no place in your email campaigns! Don't forget to run a quick spell check before you send your email to customers in order to avoid any embarrassing mistakes.

4. Email size

Depending on the type of content you include, HTML emails can end up being bigger than expected. In some email clients, this can lead to problems, such as the email not being delivered or being clipped.

For example, it's a well known fact that Gmail clips emails which exceed the 102 KB size limit. This is less than ideal, as it can lead to important aspects of your email (i.e. the unsubscribe link and disclaimer) being cut off.

For this reason, you should keep an eye on how much content you're adding to your email design and double check the size before you export it.

Here are some practical tips on reducing HTML email size.

5. Unsubscribe link and other placeholders

Email marketing 101: The unsubscribe link is a must-have element in all your promotional emails. Without this, you run the risk of being blacklisted or receiving a fine - so it's important you check that you have included it in the email.

As well as an unsubscribe link, you may also want to include other placeholders for personalization, such as customer name or current date, etc. If you do so, be sure to double check they are correct and working as expected before hitting send. There's nothing more awkward for you and your customers than receiving a "Dear (NAME)" email!

6. Subject line and preview text

Your subject line and preview text are both two really important aspects of your campaign as they create the first impression your recipients will see in their inbox.

In particular the preview text can often go forgotten but this is generally a great opportunity to include a sneak preview of your campaign to tempt more of your target audience to open the email.

When testing your subject line, you should also remember to look out for optimal length. A subject line that is too long could be cut off in the inbox and become less effective.

7. Fallback fonts

While many stylish web fonts are available to use in email designs, you should always ensure that you have one or more fallback fonts set up in case your recipient can view your first choice font.

Fallback fonts are used as a substitute for when your original font choice can't be shown to the recipient - i.e. if they have not installed the font on their device. Here, your best bet is to use an email-safe font, such as Arial or Times New Roman as  a reliable back up.

Find out more about email-safe fonts.

8. Alt text

One hidden gem that often gets forgotten by marketers is alt text for images. If an image can't be rendered for whatever reason (e.g. the recipient is on the go and can't download them or they are being blocked by the email client), the alt text will be shown in its place.

Utilise alt text to describe the purpose of the original image so that your email design still makes sense if images can't be displayed. This is especially useful for describing image elements like buttons or badges that the recipient needs to click.

9. Accessibility

Alt texts also play a huge part in making your emails more accessible. In particular, if you have recipients with visual impairments or reading difficulties, the alt text will be read by the screen reader device to help them understand the email better.

In addition, there are also other measures you can take to make your emails more accessible. For example, choosing an appropriate color scheme, setting up a plain text version of your email, and using a clear font.

Find more tips for sending accessible emails here.

10. Disclaimer

Lastly, you should always remember to check over your email disclaimer before sending any email. Typically, this section of your email contains all the most important legal information, including your company's contact details and any relevant copyright information.

Double check that your contact details are all up to date and any links to your website, imprint or privacy policy are also included.

Get more tips on writing email disclaimers in this guide.

Useful Preflight Checking Tools for Your Email Templates

Mail Designer 365 offers a range of useful tools which you can use to thoroughly test and perfect your email templates before sending or exporting. Here are our top 5 picks...

1. Smartphone editor and preview

When you build your email design in Mail Designer 365, a mobile responsive version is automatically generated. You can edit the mobile version separately and set up mobile-specific text styles and mobile only content which is optimized for smaller screens.

Preview your mobile design on the latest devices using the smartphone preview tool:

Create mobile optimized content and preview designs on the latest devices.

2. Image optimization

Use the image optimization tool in order to keep the size of your images and your overall email down.

To access this tool, click on an image, then select "Edit link and background" > "Optimize image". Here you can choose to optimize selected images or all images.

Choose Smart Mode and Mail Designer 365 will run a quick check of your design and then automatically suggest the best image format to save space without compromising on quality:

Optimize images to keep the size of your newsletter as low as possible

3. Preflight test

Mail Designer 365's built in preflight test checks your email through and flags issues such as broken links, email-safe fonts,  and spelling and grammar problems.

In addition, you will also receive a warning if your email is close to exceeding the 102 KB limit.

The preflight check tool looks over your email and flags any major issues

4. Inbox preview tool

To test out different subject line variants and put together an effective snippet text, take advantage of the inbox preview tool:

Use the inbox preview tool in Mail Designer 365 for a live preview of your subject line and snippet

5. Testmail service

Finally, try Mail Designer 365's Testmail service to preview your email in your inbox and test with different email clients. Here's how it works...

Send a test version of your email via the Mail Designer 365 Testmail service

We hope you have found this list of preflight tips useful and will consider them when finishing up your next email campaign.

Mail Designer 365 provides you with all the tools you need to create flawless templates that look great on all devices. Don't have Mail Designer 365 plan yet? Try the app today free!

As one of the largest global industries, the leisure and entertainment sector encompasses a wide range of businesses. Email marketing within the leisure sector is often a good way to directly share news and promotions with your existing customers, as well as enticing new customers to check out your business for the first time.

With the recreational sector slowly picking back up in many places and the peak summer season already in full swing, now is a great time to start rejuvenating the email strategy for your leisure business.

In this post, we're sharing our top email marketing tips for the leisure and entertainment sector, as well as some of our favorite email campaign examples.

Jump to:

• Which businesses are in the leisure industry?
• Which types of emails are useful in the leisure sector?
• What to include in emails for the leisure sector?
• Email examples from the leisure and entertainment sector
• Creating email templates for the leisure sector

Which businesses belong to the leisure and entertainment sector?

The leisure and entertainment industry covers most activities which consumers and tourists like to participate in during their free time, such as:

• Gyms, swimming pools and other indoor sports facilities
• Museums and art galleries
• Sports clubs
• Zoos
• Theaters, cinemas and music venues
• Nightclubs and bars
• Theme parks and water parks
• Cycle hire and other outdoor activities
• Bowling alleys and arcades
• Casinos and bingo halls
• Spas and wellness centers

Which types of emails are useful in the leisure and entertainment sector?

Due to the diverse nature of the leisure sector, there are many different types of emails you can send to help improve communication with customers and up footfall for your business.

Some examples include:

• Booking confirmation emails
• Announcements (i.e. for new exhibits, attractions, shows etc.)
• Event invitations
• Deals and promotions
• Seasonal offers
• News and essential information (e.g. health & safety or opening hours)
• Feedback request emails

What to include in emails for the leisure and entertainment sector?

Exciting graphics

The main aim of your email is generally to excite your readers and motivate them to visit your business. One great way of achieving this is by including bold and exciting graphics in your design to show potential customers what you have in store for them.

Use an exciting hero image to set the scene in your email and pair this with other smaller images to show off key features and benefits of your attraction.

Tip: The vast layout block selection in Mail Designer 365 contains a wide range of options to help you dynamically display images within your design.

Exclusive offers

Another highly effective way of using email as a way to encourage customers to choose your business is by sharing offers and promotions. Particularly during peak holiday season, families and holidaymakers will be keen to find the best activities for the best price.

Including offers like 2 for 1 or discounted entry and free gifts or refreshments will help sway undecided customers towards your business.

Central call-to-actions

Every email has a core purpose. In order to help achieve the goal of your email, you should use clear and prominent call-to-actions (CTAs) to point readers in the right direction.

Whether it's an "add to calendar" prompt for an upcoming booking, a shortcut to your online booking portal, or a link to your website for more information, it's important to make the CTA a central aspect of your email.

As well as using a sensible and direct link, you should also consider using a clear, bold typeface and a vibrant color which stands out from the rest of the design:

Testimonials

Particularly for new customers and first time visitors to your business, testimonials can play a key role. Sharing positive comments and feedback from past customers helps you to boost your business's reputation and put yourself on the map for potential new customers.

Include testimonials, customer quotes and star ratings in a clearly visible section of your email design. If you have TripAdvisor or Yelp reviews to share, this is also a great idea.

Tip: Consider setting up an automated feedback request email for customers who have visited your business. This way, you'll increase your chances of obtaining more positive reviews.

Up-sell opportunities

If customers have booked in advance online, you could also consider creating an automated up-sell email. This type of email works well if you have added bonuses to offer, such as:

• Package upgrades,
• beverage add ons,
• fast track entry,
• comfort or premier seating,
• etc.

Build up excitement in advance of the booking by listing attractive bonuses which they can easily add on.

Tip: Including a time-limited promotion to discount these add-ons in advance is a highly effective way to generate more revenue by creating a sense of urgency.

Contact information

Finally, in all of your emails, you should also include all of your essential contact information. This is particularly useful for customers who may have specific needs and questions about your business.

Tip: Use the direct Tel and Mailto links in Mail Designer 365 to make the contact process even easier.

Best practice email examples from the leisure sector

The Gym Group

This colorful email design by The Gym Group includes motivational imagery as well as an enticing promotion and central CTA button:

Legoland

Family fun is the focus of this email campaign by Legoland, which is made clear thanks to the powerful use of images. The lego brick CTAs are also a great added touch.

ATG Tickets

This email by ATG Tickets includes detailed reviews and testimonials about the play. This is bound to entice more customers and make them keen to secure tickets.

Showcasing photos taken from the performance also helps generate excitement and give prospective guests a sneak peek of what to expect.

Cineworld

This newsletter by Cineworld is an exciting and informative overview of the movies they have coming up. Again, the prominent CTAs here make it really easy for customers to book tickets or find out more about a certain movie.

Science Museum London

This informative email by the Science Museum takes visitors through all they need to know about the museum's reopening, as well as exciting upcoming events.

A sense of urgency is also generated through including an up-sell snippet for their priority booking service.

Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood Bowl take the excitement to the next level with this bold email promotion. The strong headline and CTA button make the message loud and clear and help encourage customers to take advantage of the deal while they can.

Madame Tussauds

This Father's Day campaign by Madame Tussauds is a good example of how to get your business involved with seasonal events and trends.

The distinct red information box for their covid guidelines is also a good move in order to help visitors get prepared and know what to expect on the day.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery uses a clean and fresh email design to stylishly present their upcoming events to readers:

Creating email templates for the leisure sector in Mail Designer 365

We hope you're inspired and ready to start revamping your email strategy.

In need of some more inspiration? Mail Designer 365 offers a diverse collection of HTML email templates - perfect for a bold promotion or a stylish email newsletter for your business.

You can try out all of these tips and Design Ideas in Mail Designer 365. Download the app for free today and see what you can create.

When planning your summer email strategy, it's always important to consider any upcoming seasonal events, as these can serve as a great way to get creative content ideas and campaign inspiration.

With Father's Day around the corner, your business has the perfect opportunity to get started putting together an exciting campaign. In this guide, we're showcasing some of our favourite Father's Day email campaigns and sharing our top tips on what to include in your own Father's Day emails.

Jump to:

• What is Father's Day and when does it take place?
• Best practice tips for Father's Day emails
• Father's Day email campaign examples
• Creating a Father's Day email template

What is Father's Day and when Does it Take Place?

Father's Day is a widely celebrated international event, recognising the important role played by the fathers and father figures in our lives.

Father's Day generally falls around May / June but has different dates depending on the country you live in. The most common date for Father's Day is the third Sunday in June, which is when Father's Day is celebrated in the UK, USA, Japan, France, and Canada (just to name a few!)

In some majority Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, Father's Day is celebrated on St. Joseph's Day (March 19th) who is known as the patron saint of fathers. In Germany, Father's Day is celebrated on Ascension Thursday, which is also a national holiday.

Tips for Father's Day Email Campaigns

Check out these tips on how to create the very best email campaigns for Father's Day..

Father's Day Email Campaign Examples

Creating a Father's Day Email Template in Mail Designer 365

Mail Designer 365 has all the essential tools you need to create awesome email templates for Father's Day. Alongside a vast collection of ready-made HTML email templates, Mail Designer 365 also offers a great range of design tools so you can create custom email templates for your business.

Happy Father's Day email template - exclusively available in Mail Designer 365

With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, many of you will be planning a promotion or special event to celebrate with your customers. In this article, we're sharing some of our favorite Memorial Day email campaigns, plus a few exclusive tips on how to recreate some of these awesome styles in Mail Designer 365.

When is Memorial Day?

Traditionally, Memorial Day always falls on the last Monday in May. The holiday honors and remembers fallen US military personell and will be celebrated this year on May 31st.

Memorial Day takes place on the last Monday in May and honors fallen military personell.

The long weekend gives businesses a chance to hold special events, and also means customers have more time to shop; encouraging many businesses to hold a sale or promotion.

Our Favorite Memorial Day Email Campaign Examples

Bed Bath & Beyond

This stars & stripes themed design is super on point for a Memorial Day email campaign and the 3D text effect in the promotional box gets readers all geared up for a great deal.

Make it in Mail Designer 365:

You'll find a star shape among the options in our "Contents" library. You can adjust the size, fill and outline to suit your design.

Then, recreate the sketched headline effect by overlaying "solid" and "outline" styles from the Londrina web font family and mimicking the 3D effect by applying a thick, contrasting shadow to the bottom layer.

Vans

Vans also focus their design efforts on a traditional red, white and blue theme. The strong headlines and prominent CTA (call-to-action) buttons really help set the scene for the patriotic occasion.

Anthropologie 

This cute nautical design has us dreaming of a summer vacation. Since Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer, it's a great theme to use in your campaign to promote a seasonal sale or new product range.

Michael Kors

Michael Kors are turning up the heat for Memorial Day with this pool-themed email campaign. The water effect headline adds something new to the design and helps draw readers' attention straight to the sale.

Make it in Mail Designer 365

You can recreate this dazzling water effect headline using the Blend Modes feature in Mail Designer 365. Choose a thick, heavy-weighted typeface such as Helvetica or Arial Black, overlay this with an image of your choice (tip: we found this water image in the Unsplash library) and apply the Blend Mask "Source Atop" to fill your text with the image.

Use Mail Designer 365 Blend Modes to recreate this wonderful water effect headline.

Billabong

Surf's up! In this email campaign, Billabong use Memorial Day as the perfect opportunity to show off a new summer range. The red, white and blue color scheme creates a clear connection to the holiday and a huge feature image helps set the scene.

Kate Spade

This minimalist design by Kate Spade keeps things basic and incorporates a chic, boxy layout to stylishly showcase their very best Memorial Day offers. A splash of color also helps divert readers' attention to the exciting sales headline.

Make it in Mail Designer 365

Copy Kate's on-trend boxy layout in your email designs with one of our combi layout blocks. Drag in the layout block from the "Contents" menu, resize and fill with your star products, then add text, buttons and eye-catchers to excite your readers.

Your Memorial Day email campaign made easy

Start off the summer the right way with an exciting Memorial Day email campaign. Get inspired and recreate our favorite styles in Mail Designer 365, or explore our range of creative tools to come up with a brand new idea.

For more tips on creating an email marketing campaign for Memorial Day, check out this post.

Until next time,
Your Mail Designer 365 Team