🧠The Art of Email Simplicity

Welcome back to the 64th edition of Nord Media

Before we get started, I’ve created 3 new guides to help people improve their marketing and business growth capabilities. Since you’re a Nord Media subscriber you’ll get them at a heavily discounted rate — Check em out below and if you have any questions or feedback please hit me up 🤙

» Creative Strategy Masterclass «
» Intro to Meta Ads «
» Email Marketing 101 «

Now let’s get to it:

On date night a few weeks ago, I took my wife to see Lion King: the Musical. 

We both grew up watching the movie, but it was refreshing to see a new take, live and in front us.

Hakuna Matata.

What a wonderful phrase. 

Two simple words whose message impacted a generation, and there’s meaning in the simplicity. 

When I write emails for clients, I always use this example, how a simple message can deeply resonate with an audience.

Audiences are no different now than they were all those years ago. 

Read on to learn why writing simple emails is the best marketing strategy.

Modern Email Design 101

Imagine spending hours perfecting every visual element of your email, carefully selecting fonts, adding gradient overlays, and implementing interactive features. 

But when you check your analytics, the engagement rates fall flat. 

Sound familiar? You're not alone. 

Many marketers fall into the trap of creating complex email designs to increase their conversions, but research doesn’t necessarily back it up.

Why Simple Designs Always Win

The most successful email campaigns are often the most basic. 

Simple designs load faster across all devices, and most importantly, keep your audience focused on your message. 

The balance between eye-catching and functional design is crucial, with load times and usability being more important than flashy design elements.

Here are 10 dos and don’ts for designing simple but effective emails:

Do's for Simple Email Design

• Use a maximum of three sections per email to keep your audience engaged

• Limit your headlines to 50-60 characters and be consistent

• Create customizable templates that can be easily mixed and matched for different campaign types

• Use negative space around pricing information to draw attention without adding more designs

• Implement a clear visual structure by making your most important element 2-3 times larger than your body text

• Write preview text that complements your subject line rather than repeat it

• Include alt text that reads like a call to action rather than just describing the image

• Create email-specific versions of your logos optimized for different email clients

• Design dark mode alternatives for your key brand colors and test them before sending

• Set up automated image compression workflows to maintain consistency in file sizes

Don'ts for Simple Email Design

• Avoid using background images in email headers because they often fail to load properly across different email clients

• Stop using more than two different border styles within the same email design

• Remove any animations that run longer than 5 seconds, as they often distract your audience away from the email content

• Eliminate hover effects on mobile designs as they create confusion and often don’t work

• Avoid using web fonts without including at least two backup system fonts

• Don't place CTAs within image-based buttons without HTML button backups

• Take out auto-playing videos or animations that can trigger spam filters

• Avoid using color combinations with less than 4.5:1 contrast ratio, even if they match your brand

• Don’t embed forms directly in emails and use landing pages instead

• Stop using sticky headers or footers in email designs as they're not universally supported

The Three Pillars of Effective Email Design

1. Clear Email Structure

Your email should guide the reader's eye naturally through the content. This means:

• Creating clear sections with the right amount of spacing

• Using consistent font styling that’s legible, especially on mobile

• Highlighting and bolding key information when needed

• Placing your most important content at the top to draw attention

2. Adjust the Margins

Use the margins on all sides to break up and format your content. An effective email design should:

• Focus on one primary message per email

• Use short and scannable paragraphs

• Break up text when switching topics 

• Make important sections (like the CTA) stand out

3. Prioritize the Mobile Experience

Most of your audience will engage with your emails on their phone and so, the email design has to work with smaller screens. This looks like:

• Single-column layouts

• Buttons and links are sized slightly larger

• Font sizes that are plain and neat

• Images that load quickly and look sharp

Less is More

When making decisions about an email’s design, always focus on how it would affect your audience’s experience. 

Follow these key principles:

Keep Your Brand Voice Clear

Your email design should work with your message, not compete with it. 

Successful email campaigns are consistent with their design and clear about their purpose.

Focus on What Works

Overdoing your design will cost you clients. Keep it simple by making your content easy to read and having a clean email layout.

Make sure that your CTAs are proven to convert and that all buttons stand out. Use bright and generous spacing to do this.

All of your links must be clearly visible and easy to click on.

Test your designs across different audiences and devices to find the most effective email format.

The Basic Email Design Guide

If you're ready to streamline your email design, start with these steps:

1. Audit Your Current Design

   a. Remove any unnecessary designs

   b. Find the purpose of each part of your email

   c. Measure load times for all device types

2. Standardize Design Rules

   a. Define a limited set of colors

   b. Don’t use more than 2 fonts

   c. Create simple templates

3. Test and Refine

   a. Test one variable at a time

   b. Monitor engagement and performance

   c. Gather feedback from your audience

Bringing It All Together

Designing an excellent email isn't about mastering complex visual styles or using every available feature. 

Instead, it's all about simplifying the presentation and letting your message shine through. 

By having a clear visual structure, taking advantage of the margins, and focusing on the mobile experience, your emails will be easier for your audience to engage with and hold onto their attention while delivering your message.

This approach breaks down email design into a system that consistently delivers results while building lasting relationships with your audience.

The most successful email marketers understand that simplicity is a competitive advantage. 

Create a framework that not only supports your current campaigns but scales effortlessly as your brand grows.

Closing Thoughts

The future of email design is all about simplicity. 

Personalizing your content can create engaging experiences for your audience without a complex design. 

The key is to let your message shine through a clean and purposeful layout.

Remember: Your email design isn't about showing off your talented marketing team, it's about creating the easiest way to clearly communicate and engage with your audience. 

When in doubt, simplify.

Don’t over complicate your marketing strategy, or your audience will get lost in the weeds. 

Focus on driving your message home. Hakuna Matata 🫡

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Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.

Sincerely,
Kody