Businesses can use email marketing to reach out to their target audience and convert them. Imagery is one of the most effective ways to add visual interest to email campaigns. But simply tagging images on an email doesn’t mean that they will get clicks and reactions. We are going to explore 3 ways to make your images click in your emails, in this paper.
1. Add detailed and engaging alt text.
Alternative text or alt text is a description of a picture displayed when the picture is unavailable. This may occur when an email client blocks images, or a user is blind and reading the email using a screen reader. Even if it’s strictly functional, alt text also provides a chance to hook and attract subscribers. Some advice for writing alt text:
Be concise: Keep your alt text short and to the point (ideally under 125 characters). Screen readers can read long descriptions, but alt text is easier to use and less likely to be trimmed off in email apps.
Keywords: Include keyword phrases in your alt text to optimize it for search engines and ensure that people can easily understand what the image is about. But be careful about keyword stuffing, as it will hurt the user experience and interest.
Description of the Image: Be as specific as possible in describing the image, including its basic features and function. Never use words such as “image of” or “picture of” in your alt text, because email clients already tell you that the other text is an image.
Build context: Make sure that your alt text fits the content around it. This will enable users to better grasp the image’s place in the email and its purpose in the message.
Test Your Alt Text: Make sure your alt text is rendered and readable across multiple email clients and screen readers. It will allow you to catch issues and fix them before sending it to your recipients.
Refrain from Image Maps: Image maps, which split up a picture into several clickable sections, confuse screen readers and users on low-speed networks. Rather, you can create separate images with different alt text for each clickable area.
Be Brand Specific: Try to keep your alt text consistent with your brand’s tone and message. This consistency can help cement your brand presence and establish a consistent user experience.
A/B Test Your Alt Text: Try out different alt text variants to see which one has a better response rate. With A/B testing, you can pinpoint the best alt text styles and optimize your email marketing efforts.
2. Optimize image size and format
Image optimisation is the way of reducing an image’s file size without sacrificing quality. This is critical for emails since large images take forever to load, so users can get frustrated and simply delete the email before it has loaded. In addition, large images will cause some email programs to filter the email as spam.
By optimizing image size and format, you’ll be able to make images run fast and appear great in an email. When it comes to image size, we generally suggest keeping images under 1 MB in size. We can do this by applying image compression techniques, which decreases an image’s file size without affecting its quality.
As for image formats, JPEG is preferred for photographs and images containing many colors, while PNG is recommended for transparent backgrounds or text. You should also steer clear of GIFs when sending emails, because they can be huge files and might not be supported by all email software.
3. Use images to reinforce your CTA.
Images are an excellent way to present your product/service’s advantages in a visual way and serve as a basis for your CTA and conversions. Following are some tips for using images to complement your CTA:
a. Use High-Quality Images
When it comes to digital marketing, yes, you don’t make a second impression. Digital storytelling uses images to a great degree because they convey brand quality. Picture-perfect or jpeg pictures are likely to send the wrong message and detract from offerings. Be sure to choose high-resolution images that are visually compelling and represent your brand’s style. Good images do not just draw customers but they build trust, which is very crucial for customer behavior.
b. Make sure the Image Is Intuitive.
Your CTA images should reflect that. These images should relate to the action or value being advertised for the consumer to take note of. For instance, if your call to action is “Sign Up for a Free Trial”, then including a photo of a satisfied customer trying out your product is a very powerful push. This reinforces the proposition of your product, but also helps potential buyers visualize what benefits they’ll experience by clicking on your CTA. It’s about dragging the distinction from image to message as naturally as possible, remember.
c. Put the Image Around the CTA.
Placement is everything when it comes to images surrounding your CTA. If you attach a suitable image to your CTA, this helps establish a visual anchor and draw your audience towards the desired target. If, for instance, your CTA is “Shop Now” for a new collection of sport gear, having a model wearing the gear while running or jumping in an exercise action brings the product’s value into play. Not only does it make a particular offer attractive but also quietly encourages them to begin clicking on that CTA.
Also, make sure you add alt text to your photos. Alt text- like “Buy our latest line of athletic apparel today”- keeps the communication going, but is also SEO-friendly, enabling people to reach you through searches.
Conclusion:
To sum it up, images are an excellent element of email marketing but be sure to make use of them effectively. The descriptive and eye-catching alt text, maximizing image size and quality, and adding images to your CTA can bring in more clicks and reactions for your email campaigns. You should never stop experimenting with emails and seeing what works best for your readers.
