Is your email marketing campaign falling short of the returns you expected? Are you looking to get more out of your email marketing performance? Without question, effective use of images in email marketing can change the game for you.
Perhaps you aren’t using images in email marketing or are using them ineffectively. Good use of images makes your email stand out and more visually appealing, and delivers a stronger, clearer message.
In this article, we enumerate why you shouldn’t overlook the ability of powerful imagery in your emails and how to do it right.
The Power of Images in Email Marketing
If you’re not using images already, here’s why you should strongly consider incorporating them in your next email marketing campaign:
- Images can make your content appear authentic and your brand look more professional.
- They increase engagement.
- Images pull the reader in and make them want to take a look at the copy.
- Emails that use images have a greater impact, can help your message be understood faster, and helps your audience retain the information more easily.
Now that we know about its benefits, let’s take a look at best practices for using images in emails.
5 Quick Tips for Using Images in Email Marketing for Your Next Campaign
#1. Use High-Quality, Royalty-Free Images
Before using any image, you need to make sure that the image you’re about to use is high-quality and royalty-free.
Even if you’re sourcing your images from a site for stock photos, it’s still a good idea to review the terms of use for that particular photo.
#2. Make It Personal and Relevant
What good would a photo be if it doesn’t support the message you’re sending out?
Choose photos that reinforce your message and what you’re offering. Here are a few ways you can use personal and relevant images:
- Use beautiful and close-up product shots to bring focus to something you’re selling.
- Use photos of actual customers and employees to give your message authenticity and make your company more relatable.
- Consider illustrations or infographics if you want to highlight certain information.
#3. Pay Attention to Image Size
If you’ve ever opened an email with images that took more than a few seconds to load, then you’ll know why image size is important.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your image size below 600 pixels so they load faster. This number can change based on the image format you choose, how much text you have, and the total size of your email.
Remember: your image should not comprise more than 50% of your entire content. If you go beyond it, your message could be marked as spam.
#4. Pay Attention to the Format
Image file formats may not make a huge difference when you’re viewing them from your hard drive, but it makes a huge difference in email marketing.
Use the guide below to pick the right file format for email marketing.
JPEG
- Smaller than PNG but also lower in quality
- Faster load time
PNG
- Better quality colors and text
- Slower load time
- Ideal for images containing text
GIF
- Better than videos and smaller than PNG and JPEG
- Use in emails with a fun, light, or easygoing tone
- Super fun and people love sharing them!
#5. Make Images Work for Different Devices
Did you know that nearly half of all emails are accessed through a mobile device? That’s a potentially huge chunk of the market you could lose if images aren’t optimized for mobile consumption.
Check how your images look across different devices to make sure that they display and can be read properly before sending an email marketing message out.
Wrappin’ up
Email marketing is an essential component and marketing function for any business. Let me be clear, if you aren’t effectively utilizing email marketing you should be! By making sure that images as well as other elements are used correctly, you stand to reap its full benefits and stand out from the crowd. Effective use of images and nicely designed graphic art in email marketing can turn your boring emails into showstoppers that your subscribers will go out of their way to share with others.
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