Drive Results with Impactful Email Design
Now that you've set your goals and have a clear expectation of what you're working towards, it's time for Week 2 of Constant Contact's Ready, Set, Send Challenge! This week, we're turning our attention to the ins-and-outs of crafting the perfect email. A well-written and designed email can make all the difference in engaging with your audience and driving the results you want. Watch the video below, and then share an email you created – either in the past, or a brand new email with BrandKit, to earn your badge and get feedback from our community and coaches.
I’m Aaron Wesley Means, founder of ACTIVATE Business Solutions, based in Asheville, North Carolina. For more than 12 years, ACTIVATE has served clients of all shapes and sizes from local to national, has trained thousands of businesses through seminars, webinars, and conferences, and is a recurring award-winning solution provider.
In this week’s Ready. Set. Send Challenge, we will tackle a true cornerstone of successful marketing: your emails. The inbox is easily the most powerful and visible strategy in your marketing lineup, so it has to be great! What does that mean? Designing the perfect email starts with the basics of a great subject line, stellar branding, and a handful of critical components ranging from a featured image, font size, a call to action, or social media integrations. Be sure to plug in for Week 2 of Ready, Set, Send for a breakdown of how to execute the perfect email.
The 7 Essential Design Elements
Behind most successful projects, careful planning keeps everything on track and makes sure the results have impact (we love using the word ‘impact’). Crafting an effective email campaign is no different. Check out our 7-step checklist below and try implementing the strategies that make sense to rise above the inbox clutter.
- Header: This is your From address, your Reply-to address, and your Subject line. These three elements work together to build trust and get those opens. So make sure the email is coming from an expected address - whether it’s your company name or an individual person - then hook your audience with an email subject worthy of being opened! Don’t be afraid to get creative, use a play on words, include any recent trends, or seasonal identifiers. This is also a great spot to release your inner child and include emojis.
- Preheader: You’ll want to stand out from the rest with a preheader that’s unique, eye-catching, and intriguing. The preheader and the subject of the email are like the perfect couple. They have to work hand in hand, but one needs to be funnier for the relationship to last. Choose which one has the spice, but know they both equally contribute to the success of the overall email message.
- Your Brand’s logo & color: To continue to build trust with your subscribers, your emails should match your brand or aesthetic. So make sure to include your logo front and center, and leverage the same colors you are using across your website, socials, or store. Leverage our BrandKit tool to save yourself time and create consistency across all your campaigns.
- Image: Ask yourself if it makes sense to include an image in your email. More often than not, it always makes sense to do this. Include a photo, GIF, or video that caters to your audience best! Did you know, that if you are crafting images in Canva, you can save them directly to your Constant Contact image library to help save you time?
- Text: You don’t need to be a Nobel-prize winning author to compose the perfect email. Be yourself – and write what your recipients would expect to read from you, or your brand. The goal is simply to convey the main reason for your message.
- Call to action: After determining what the reason for sending your email is, ask yourself: “What would I like my audience to get out of this email?” Is it to click a link to your website, schedule an appointment, or discover something new? Including a call to action button directs your audience to the next step!
- Footer: Think of your footer like your signature. You want to include any necessary information to ensure recipients can continue to engage with you or your company, whether it’s your socials, your website, or contact details!
🗒 Feeling overwhelmed? Download our PDF cheat sheet on The Anatomy of a Perfect Email to design the perfect email faster.
How well do you know Constant Contact's hack to better emails? Take the quiz!
You can spend hours crafting the perfect communications, or you can use Constant Contact tools to cheat your way to more opens, more clicks, and more time saved. Click to see if you know these shortcuts:
- How do you get branded emails in an instant?
Click to see moreUse the BrandKit feature under Tools to ensure consistent application of your brand. BrandKit acts like a library for your logo, colors and even images, and applies them to our special Layout Templates.
To take advantage of BrandKit, enter your URL or upload colors and images, make any tweaks you want, then click Create choose Email, and choose Layout templates. Your aesthetic will be instantly added to emails.
- How do you optimize your subject lines?
Click to see moreThere are several easy ways to make your subject lines pop. When editing your subject line in Constant Contact, check out the “recommend subject line” options to see if AI has any better ideas.
To really catch a subscriber’s attention, click on the Personalize button to include a subscriber’s first name. Adding emojis might also do the trick.
Finally, when you’re scheduling your email, check that A/B Test toggle under Campaign Info and try testing one subject line against another.
- How can I make an impression with images?
Click to see more
We recommend using the free graphic design tool Canva to craft crisp, bold, and eye-catching images. Once you're satisfied with your creations, you can save your graphics, photos, and more directly to your Constant Contact library, making it easy to incorporate them into your emails.
Have a lot of Instagram-worthy photos on your phone? Download our mobile app, and save those photos directly to your image library.
- How can I save myself time writing if I don’t know what to say?
Click to see moreUse the AI Content Generator in the email editor toolbar to turn your ideas into a full-fledged email. If you’ve already used BrandKit, it will automatically pick up your voice and tone from your website.
Your Assignment:
- Use BrandKit to upload your assets, either by scanning your website or manually adding your logo/color/images.
- Review the 7 Essential Design Elements from the Anatomy of a Perfect Email handout.
- Want extra credit? Challenge yourself to try something new, like using a new pre-built block layout or including a new image that best captures the message of your email.
- Build an email using your assets and the tips outlined in the handout and share it with the Community using the permanent URL. Not sending an email this week? Take a screenshot of your draft and include it in your reply. We'd love to see your hard work and what you’ve learned!
How you’ll earn your badge:
Resources:
- Handout: Anatomy of a Perfect Email
- Blog: Email Design Best Practices
- Community: Creating Your First Email
TL;DR
Design the perfect email by following the 7 Essential Design Elements from the Anatomy of a Perfect Email handout and dip your toes into BrandKit. Watch the video, follow the tips, and crank out those emails for greater inbox visibility, improved open rates, and increased click rates galore!
Not yet a Constant Contact customer but want to start creating beautiful-looking emails? Start a free trial.
We’re excited to see what cool templates you come up with!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. |  |
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Hi @JenniferS7,
Thanks for sharing! I really like a lot of it! I especially like in the first link, below the big image, you have two sections side-by-side. They're different colors, but then you added a blue divider bar below it so it looks like the right section is closing around the left section. I dunno, it just works for me!
You might already be aware of this, but on your second link, the image with the mechanic says "April is Care Care Month" instead of "Car Care Month."
Otherwise, I think you're in a pretty good spot! How has the engagement been? Do you get a lot of clicks on your links?
Content Manager Elevate your marketing with Constant Contact's Professional Design Services! From eye-catching email templates to custom branding and social media graphics, our professional design services are tailored to boost your business's impact and engagement. |  |
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@SheilaE816 got it! thank you for sharing your draft concept! This is a really lovely email aesthetically!
Your Logo is clear but could be larger, your branding is solid in color and styling. Your featured image is terrific and warm and inviting and communicates that the message is from you to them.
Suggestions:
Consider increasing the font size to make sure they can read it on a mobile device.
Make your call to action clearer, even if it means re-stating what the button says like this: "Click Below to Join our Facebook Group to access the livestream and submit your questions!"
Your footer has the social buttons, great job, but you could put more info there - your business name, contact info, maybe even a tag line or mini-bio about you.
Overall you are on the right path, way to go!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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@user258116 great, can't wait to see it!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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Hey @ScottR0223 thank you for sharing your email! There are some strong points and some areas of opportunity for you here. First, you have the logo and I see that you have a brand scheme in play, but not sure if the extra yellow is really a great angle for you. Your website is so much cleaner with the white space, you may want to work that back into the aesthetics. I would also link your logo to your website and all images to something relevant online, a page on your site
I love the clean and easy layout of the email, very nice. Your headline statement does start to explain the purpose of your email, but it's missing a strong featured image. Your three images do a nice job of taking the place of that though, but at the same time the call to action isn't clear stated again below and there isn't a corresponding button. You can actually have contact us/call now be a button that either opens to a website page with a form or dials your phone number direct!
Good job in the footer having some of your company details there, but spread it out a little with som space and breathing room and add social media icons.
I think you are for sure on the right path here, just some adjustments and you'll dial it into gear!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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@user625032 Great email! Love the visual nature. And guess what? My wife and I know Plato's Closet and have been customers! I like that your subject line and pre-header are fun but direct. The reader doesn't need to even open to get the gist of how awesome this sale is, and how long it lasts. Nice. I like the branding scheme and the featured image is super - fun and warm and translates all the things a prospective buyer would want to feel shopping with you. Your description and call to action are on the way to being rock solid, but I think you may want to add an actual button the matches. ie: "Click Here to Get them Before They're Gone!" etc.
I can't see the bottom of the email but I'm sure there are a few other great pieces of content, and in your footer be sure to have all your contact info, social buttons, and things that make it easy for the reader to know where you are and how to follow you online, and how to contact you.
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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@JeannineE8 Some great things to like about this email! I don't know your subject line or pre-header text, so make sure they are eye catching and irresistible. Your branding seems great and solid and your featured image is great and communicates the right message with your headline. I like that you have the class options listed so clearly and each with their own button, but I might suggest having a few less of them and instead having a "view more" option which opens to the whole list of class dates. I see you have that at the bottom, so I'm nitpicking here, but maybe just move it up to reduce the scrolling. You also may consider an actual over-arching call to action like "Click Below to Register for the right class for you!" etc. Your footer is strong with a nice company description and some quick links (I can't quite read the actual content easily since the thumbnail is small but I get the gist of it). Don't forget to add your social media buttons with a note for them to follow/stay connected to your brand online. Happy Halloween 🎃 and High Five!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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@tjstrauss you've done a nice job on this! Branding is solid and consistent, your featured image is attractive and fun and sets the tone for the email content. I would add some clear call to actions that have matching buttons. Shop now is a good action but maybe use some language and then add buttons. You can also decide to trim the length down on this by having less products OR stacking them together into a grid and having the click open to the product(s) that way.
I like the footer with the squares representing what you offer, the branding below and the social buttons along with a final call to action. Add in some details about your company, location, contact info and you will be rocking and rolling. Great work!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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@user208121 Got it - very nice visually attractive, photo-centric email. I can't see the subject line but as long as it's clever or enticing good to go. Your featured image is great and the point of your email is clear. Your button matches your call to action but perhaps add some more text to this - explanation about what the course is, and then written instructions to "register now below!" then the button. Your footer isn't visible but make sure you have the best contact info and social buttons and you are on the right path!
Aaron Wesley Means ACTIVATE Business Solutions Help others find this post by giving it kudos. Note: I am not a Constant Contact employee. | |
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Thank you for the feedback 
Hey @ScottR0223! Awesome! It looks like that URL isn't working properly, can you try linking again?
Abigail St Jean Community Program ManagerHelp others find this post by giving it kudos. | |
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