This is a guest contribution by Nick Rojas
In 2015, more people used mobile devices than desktop computers to check their emails. In fact, 53% of emails were opened on mobile devices, and this number has probably increased over the last two years. Why? People tend to use desktop computers while at work, but the U.S. workforce is going mobile. More people are beginning to work remotely from home or a co-working space, which means they rely on either their laptops, tablets, or smartphones to keep them connected.
What does this mean for marketers? If you’re creating an email marketing campaign, it’s crucial that you consider how the email will look and how effective it will be on mobile devices.
Here are some tips to help you master the art of mobile-friendly email marketing campaigns:
Three Lines That Matter
Every word of copy that you write for an email marketing campaign matters. But according to Entrepreneur, there are three lines of copy that matter the most: the “from” field, subject line, and first line of the email. The “from” field should contain the name of a real person unless the campaign is for a recognizable brand. For the subject line, keep it short and sweet. Research has shown that mobile users respond well to subject lines that are between six to ten words and personalized with their first names. Finally, make sure the first line of your email is intriguing and leaves recipients wanting more. If they’re looking at your email on their smartphone, they will see the first line of text in the preview before they even click on the email. Give them a reason to click to see more by making this first line strong.
Call to Actions
What action do you want the recipients to take after reading your email? Whether you want people to sign up for an event, buy something, or read a new blog article, it’s important to clearly state your intentions. Be sure to move the call to action to the top of the email so readers can quickly see what you are asking them to do. To ensure that mobile users can click on the CTA, it’s recommended that you make the button at least 44 x 44 pixels.
Readable Text
There’s nothing more frustrating than having to zoom in on an email so you can read the microscopic text. Don’t punish your readers for wanting to see what you have to say—make it easy for them to read your copy. It’s best to use 16-point font for the copy in the body of your email, and 22-point font for headers.
Small Images
You may think it’s more effective to use large images that grab the reader’s attention, but that’s not necessarily true. Mobile device users want to quickly scan an email to see if they are interested, and if the email fails to load within a few seconds, they may delete it out of frustration. What would cause an email to load slowly? Large images. If you’re only adding one image to the email, it’s fine to use a slightly larger one. But, if you’re adding 5-10 images in one email, make sure that each of them is under 2 kb.
Follow these tips and you will be able to reach the large majority of people who use their mobile devices to check emails from friends, family members, and brands!
Nick Rojas wears many hats — business consultant, serial entrepreneur, business and technology journalist. For the past 20 years, this self-taught marketing strategy has worked with small to medium sized businesses offering his personal brand of expertise. His latest adventure includes working with Brilliance.
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