Keep your message short and to the point. Readers are more likely to scan an email following an F-pattern versus reading every word. First, they read horizontally across the top (title/headline). Next, they do a shorter horizontal scan lower down (subheadings, bullet points, first sentences in a paragraph). Finally, they scan vertically along the left side, looking for keywords and visually distinctive elements (links, images, highlighted text). 

Readers are spending less and less time engaging with an email. According to Litmus' 2022 Trends in Email Engagement report, the average reader spends 9 seconds engaging with an email message. 

When it comes to newsletters, having a short blurb and then linking out to a longer article is typically more effective than including walls of text in your email. However, you can always A/B test to determine if this is true for your communication.

Design an email that is appealing to your audience, that looks professional, and that meets CU brand standards. Marketing Cloud email templates streamline and optimize the process of creating and sending emails. eComm has numerous branded templates that you can utilize. However, you can also choose to create your own custom templates.

For examples of well-designed emails check out Really Good Emails.

Accessibility ensures that individuals with disabilities can access, engage with, and enjoy the same information and services as those without disabilities, with equal effectiveness and ease of use. It’s crucial to make all digital communications accessible, including emails (e.g., Marketing Cloud, Cvent) and websites (e.g., Cvent event sites). For a deeper understanding of accessible content design principles, visit our Accessibility Best Practices wiki.

Ensure the content you include in your communication is relevant to the audience receiving it. People are more likely to opt out of emails if they receive emails that aren't relevant to them.

Limit the number of links in your message to only the ones that are most relevant to your content. Generally, no more than 5-10 links per email will increase your click rate. Check out these 14 tips on writing effective email links.

The ideal call to action (CTA) length is 2-5 words. Some readers will scan an email just to find the CTA, so make it stand out from your other content (ex. buttons). Don't forget accessibility best practices when designing your buttons.

In newsletters, having unique CTAs versus all CTAs being the same (ex. Read More) is more effective and accessible.

CTA Resources

• How to Write Your CTAs to Fit Your Campaign