In this era, the attention of users diverts fast; 65% of customers prefer to be contacted by brands via email. Designing attractive emails helps in capturing and maintaining the user’s interest. However, visual design does not mean adding images to an email but incorporating visual elements that add value to your email campaign.
You have to use visuals in a way that makes your email memorable. Emails with attractive images boost engagement rate. It improves open rate by 30.27% and CTR by 2.78%. Likewise, emails with videos can increase CTR by 200-300%. To achieve the best results, consider utilizing lazy-loading techniques. Customers are bombarded with an extreme amount of information; brands must try to employ a strategy.
In this article, we’ll learn how to use visuals in email marketing and the types of visuals used. Also, learn why you need visuals in email marketing.
How to use visuals in Email Marketing
Email clients often disable images in emails to block spam or unnecessary content. Hence, don’t rely solely on images to convey your message. Try to find a perfect balance between text and images. The average ratio is 60% text and 40% visual content, while others prefer an 80:20 ratio. According to Venngage research, half of marketers think of visual marketing as an important part of their marketing. The format of using visuals in email has grown
Using visual content in emails helps in capturing attention, conveying messages clearly, and improving engagement. It enhances the readability of the website.
Types of visuals you can use
Here are some types of visuals you can use in email marketing
- Image: High-quality images, such as product page, lifestyle image, etc, are used to highlight your products and services. According to a report, emails with images have an open rate of 30.27% and CTR of 2.78% while emails without images witnessed a 10% drop in open rate (21.9%) and CTR of 1.13%.
- GIFs: GIFs are good for showcasing product features, or how-to-steps, or to add humour in your content. It also helps in capturing users’ attention and keeping them engaged. According to a study, 58% of marketers use GIFs, and 43% reported their email performance has improved.
- Infographic: It explains complex data, insights in a way that is engaging and easy to understand. Also, they are 30% more likely to be read than plain text. You can use infographics to highlight production comparison, step-by-step instructions. Make them visually appealing, clear, and add an element of your brand’s personality, such as color theme, typography, etc.
- User-Generated Content: Use user-generated content to build trust and authenticity in your email. You can share images, testimony, and reviews from customers can help create an element of social proof. It helps in convincing your audience why your brand is worth choosing. Seeing genuine and positive experiences of customers helps in attracting potential customers.
- Background Image: Adding a background image can help enhance the overall aesthetics of your email. It is a subtle design element that complements your content.
- Countdown Timers: Countdown timers help in creating a sense of urgency, and they can be used for limited-time offers.
- QR Code: QR code can link receipts to specific landing pages, apps, etc, when scanned. It helps in bridging the gap between offline and online worlds.
Some of the other visuals that you can use are emojis, location-based visuals, personalized visuals, interactive elements, videos, social media posts, etc. Depending on your goal, you can select an appropriate visual element.
Why you need visuals in Email Marketing
Visuals in email can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your email marketing campaign. Here are some of the reasons why visuals are needed in email marketing
- Engagement: Visuals such as images, videos, etc, help in grabbing the attention of the users. It enhances the open rate, click-through rate, and overall engagement.
- Brand Recall: Visual elements such as logo, brand colors, unique design style, etc, help in building brand identity. Consistent visual branding in emails helps in remembering the brand.
- Emotional Connection: Visual storytelling through videos or images can help in evoking emotions and connecting with recipients on a deeper level. It builds brand loyalty and helps in customer retention.
- Shareability: Visual content is more shareable on social media and other platforms. If your email contains compelling visuals, users are more likely to share it.
- User Experience: Emails that are visually appealing and well-designed help in providing a smooth and nice user experience. It leads to customer satisfaction.
- Message: Visuals help in clarifying your message and make it understandable. Product image or infographics can help in visually demonstrating features, benefits, etc, that help recipients to grasp your message.
When you use visuals in email marketing, it’s important to optimize them for various screens and devices. Always consider the context and purpose of your email to choose the most appropriate type of visual content. Lumia 360 provides digital solutions to small and medium enterprises that boost their online presence and success. To know more about our solutions, email info@lumia360.com or call 514-668-5599.
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