Email marketing is a great way to stay connected to your audience and engage them. It’s no secret people may get tired of getting emails, but when you have engaging photos, it captures their attention. To get the most engagement from your audience in your email marketing campaigns, you should consider using stock images. This comes in handy when you need professional photos and don’t have the time or resources to make it happen. Using stock photos is a good solution but they should be royalty-free and follow copyright rules.
You should have a brand guideline in place that highlights the type of imagery used for your brand and stick to it. Don’t just use any type of imagery. Your images should be crisp, clear, and convey the messaging of your brand without saying a word. Your goal should be to find unique photos that aren’t generic and can be edited to fit your brand.
As you select the photos for your email marketing campaigns, make sure you’re using real people. There’s just something unattractive about using clip art. Real people help build stronger connections and relatability among your audience. This will help viewers want to read the content attached to those images. While the idea would be to get authentic photos of people, stock photos have great pictures of real people that can be edited to represent your brand and its colors.
When putting images in your emails, make sure you’re using the right image size. You don’t want to make it difficult for your audience to open your emails so knowing the format and size of the images that will create a cohesive look and feel is key. Photos in emails should be less than 200 pixels and no wider than 600 pixels for the best effects. Before sending the email make sure you test it to see how it loads and if you need to make changes.
The right image format is also key. Many people choose to use PNG formats for everything but they are much larger than JPEG images. The only thing about JPEG images is that they are low quality, but they give you fast loading. PNG should be used when you have photos that also include text. When you have vibrant photos and logos, you want to go for the PNG version of that file for the most impact. If you choose to use a GIF, test and check to see if it works. GIFs are small and load very quickly.
Also consider your alt text in the image. Alt text helps people identify what the image is supposed to be if they can’t see it. Leaving it off isn’t a very good look for your brand, and it’s ADA compliant for the visually impaired. You’ll have all sorts of people engaging with your emails so you want to make sure everyone can engage and connect with what you have to say. Although this is an extra step when putting your images together in your email campaigns, it will be worth the time and effort.
When using images in your email, make sure they are relevant. Good, bold images should be your first choice, but even a bold photo doesn’t mean anything if it’s not supporting what you have to say or your content. All your images should make sense in a cohesive, consistent way. While you may push the envelope, make sure you push it in the right way with relevancy so your audience will understand and form deeper connections with you.
Images in your email can be very powerful when used the right way. Improving the design of your email can create synergy and engagement that converts over and over. The best thing to remember is when you’re choosing these images how to edit them the right way. Use vibrance and saturation only when needed and make sure your images aren’t distorted. You want them to look natural, even if you have to edit them to fit the image and messaging of your brand.
These tips and guidance on editing photos and how to use them to enhance your email marketing should help you engage and connect with your audience on a deeper level. It’s always important to consider the images you use for your brand, whether they are being used on a website, in email marketing, or at any other touchpoint of your brand. Images help capture your messaging and keep your brand top-of-mind, which is where you want to be.
Try the Mailchimp photo editing tool alongside professional photo editing software to see the capabilities you have at your fingertips. Using email marketing to solidify your brand and get information to your audience is still the best way to make sure your audience knows who you are and trusts what you have to deliver.
Are you ready to make a difference in the photos you present to your audience in your email marketing campaigns? Use vibrance and saturation sparingly while choosing the best effects that will have the most impact on every image you choose. Little details like changing the color of earrings or a bracelet, or maybe an item people are holding with your brand colors can make a huge difference in the presentation of your brand and imagery. Images and colors create lasting connections that will last beyond emails and continue on, making your readers want more.