Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience and drive conversions. One way to make email campaigns more engaging and effective is by using images. However, simply including images in an email is not enough to ensure that they will drive clicks and engagement. In this paper, we will discuss three tricks to get more clicks from images in your emails.
1. Use descriptive and engaging alt text
Alt text, also known as alternative text, is a short description of an image that appears when the image cannot be displayed. This can happen when an email client blocks images, or when a user is visually impaired and uses a screen reader to access the email. Despite its functional purpose, alt text also offers an opportunity to engage and entice subscribers. Here are some tips for writing effective alt text:
Be Concise: Keep your alt text short and to the point, preferably within 125 characters. While screen readers can handle longer descriptions, shorter alt text is more user-friendly and less likely to be truncated in email clients.
Use Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords in your alt text to improve search engine optimization and help users quickly understand the content of the image. However, avoid keyword stuffing, as it can negatively impact user experience and engagement.
Describe the Image Accurately: Provide a precise description of the image, highlighting its essential elements and purpose. Avoid using phrases like “image of” or “picture of” in your alt text, as email clients already indicate that an alternative text represents an image.
Create Context: Ensure that your alt text aligns with the surrounding content. This context will help users better understand the image’s role in the email and its relevance to the overall message.
Test Your Alt Text: Test your alt text in various email clients and screen readers to ensure proper rendering and understandability. This step can help identify and rectify any issues before sending the email to your subscribers.
Avoid Using Image Maps: Image maps, which divide a single image into multiple clickable areas, can cause confusion for screen readers and users with slow internet connections. Instead, use separate images with individual alt text for each clickable area.
Use Brand-Specific Language: Maintain a consistent tone and style in your alt text, reflecting your brand’s voice and messaging. This consistency can help reinforce your brand identity and create a cohesive user experience.
A/B Test Your Alt Text: Experiment with different alt text variations to determine which ones yield higher engagement rates. A/B testing can help you identify the most effective alt text styles and improve your email marketing strategy.
2. Optimize image size and format
Image optimization is the process of reducing the file size of an image without sacrificing quality. This is important for emails because large images can take a long time to load, which can frustrate users and cause them to close the email before it has fully loaded. Additionally, large images can also cause the email to be marked as spam by some email clients.
Optimizing image size and format can help to ensure that images load quickly and look great in an email. When it comes to image size, it is generally recommended to keep images below 1 MB in size. This can be achieved by using image compression tools, which reduce the file size of an image without significantly impacting its quality.
In terms of image format, JPEG is a good choice for photographs and images with a lot of color, while PNG is better for images with transparent backgrounds or text. It is also a good idea to avoid using GIFs in emails, as they can be large in file size and may not be supported by all email clients.
3. Use images to support your call-to-action
Images are a powerful tool for visually communicating the benefits of your product or service, and can be used to support your call-to-action (CTA) and drive conversions. Here are some tips for effectively using images to support your CTA:
1. Use High-Quality Images
In digital marketing, it’s true that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Digital storytelling is very impactful with images because it reflects highly on brand quality. Low-quality or pixelated images may create a bad impression and lessen perceived value for offerings. Always use high-resolution images that look visually appealing and are a representation of your brand’s aesthetic. High-quality visuals not only capture the attention of customers but also build trust, which is so key in driving customer decisions.
2. Ensure the Relevance of the Image
The images you use complementing your CTA should be relevant. The images used have to do with the action or benefit being promoted for the consumer to consider. For example, if your call-to-action is “Sign Up for a Free Trial”, adding an image of an already-satisfied customer using your product in action sends an extremely strong message. This reiterates the value proposition of your product, and it also helps potential customers visualize what benefits they will derive by acting on your CTA. Remember, it’s all about drawing the line from imagery to message as smoothly as possible.
3. Place the Image Near the CTA
When it comes to images around your CTA, placement is everything. If you place a relevant image near your CTA, this aids in creating a visual that connects and leads your audience in the direction of interest. For example, if your CTA is to “Shop Now” for a new line of athletic clothing, having a model wearing the clothing while they’re doing an athletic activity-sprinting or jumping-makes the product’s benefits come alive and into action. It not only makes an offer more interesting but also softly tells them to start clicking on that CTA.
Also, remember to include alt text for your images. Alt text- such as “Shop our newest line of high-performance athletic clothing today”-continues the messaging and supports SEO, too, making it easier for people to find you via search.
In conclusion, images can be a powerful tool in email marketing, but it’s important to use them effectively. By using descriptive and engaging alt text, optimizing image size and format, and using images to support your call-to-action, you can increase clicks and engagement in your email campaigns. Remember to always test your emails and analyze the results to see what works best for your audience.
