Thanks for providing that! Taking a look at it, the following shows that you do have a good eye for general email layout and design:
Dark mode compatibility:
Starting with dark coloration makes it much easier for email apps to present the email in dark mode, without making too drastic of changes to the email's colors.
Color-coding articles / sections:
Using the different colors to denote the individual sections of the newsletter does help with your particular setup, and brings some variety to the predominantly black-and-red design.
Using tables for consistent formatting:
Laying out the sessions in a data table format helps it look very clean, and maintains that structure in mobile formatting.
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Some areas I think could be improved are:
Outer background image sizing: The background image doesn't really work for me for this type of newsletter. If it were a very short e-blast for an update, or to encourage people to visit a site, then I think it could work. However, for longer-form newsletters like this, I think it may be better to have a solid black background or an image with a smaller, more cleanly repeated texture. Make sure to check out this article for additional advice on using custom images for backgrounds.
Email width and length:
Regarding the above, that’d also be a lot of black background, which is why I think the next improvement could be widening your email's overall width via the section editor. This would have the additional benefit of the email appearing shorter in desktop email clients, as well as for its shareable webpage version.
I think the content itself is good, and doesn't overstay its welcome by making the email unnecessarily long. However, the appearance of being shorter by simply widening the email 50-100 more pixels could go a long way.
Non-specific calls-to-action:
My third critique is on the number and function of the Register Now buttons for each tourney's section. While I get the desire to really push those calls-to-action, it does add a significant amount of bulk to the email, especially when they all go to the same Tourneys webpage on your site.
I would recommend trimming out the buttons at the top of each section, and having the remaining ones go to the specific pages for each tourney. You can still have CTAs to navigate to your main tourneys page of course, but having each section's go to their relevant, specific tourney page would do a lot to clean it up, and make sure your contacts are getting directed where they expect to go.
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With those few design changes, I think you could see marked improvements in engagement with your email. But, as mentioned earlier, you already have a good eye for your email's layout and coloration, which goes a long way toward readability.
The only other suggestion I'd have, which isn't regarding design, would be to consider self-authentication for your emails' deliverability. While the ccsend rewrite is good for those using free domains like Gmail, iCloud, etc., those with their own custom domains will benefit from self-authentication. Due to the more technical aspects of setting this up, you will likely need to work with your webmaster, or website builder's support, if available. If you'd like further insight on this, make sure to check out our Email Authentication FAQ, or speak with our Delivery team directly.
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