A good creative email is one that surprises the reader. However, inserting the surprise component into an email is an action that requires the utmost attention, as one too many elements can overload the communication.

Drawing attention is always good, but in the right dose. And before planning creative strategies to engage the recipient, you need to look at the buyer persona and everything that concerns them: their behavior, preferences, repulsion triggers, etc.

The better you know your consumer, the more assertive the communication will be and the better the surprise effect in the email will be as a result.

But where do you start writing an irresistible email?

Before planning a creative email

First of all, you can only reach your readers if your email is in their inbox, right?

Did you know that a mailing list with at least 3% bounces is blocked by anti-spam filters?

And it doesn’t matter how big your base is. If there are undelivered messages, the whole campaign suffers and you simply don’t reach the recipient’s inbox.

But don’t worry, there is a way to remove all the bounces from your lists: email verification cleans the bases, optimizing the delivery of emails to the inbox.

Now we can start thinking about creative emails!

Creative email: it all starts with the subject line

You open your email, and of all the ones that appear on the screen, you choose which one to open first, and then the next, and the next. Isn’t that how it happens?

The subject line is crucial for the user to open the email and move on with the communication you want to convey. It’s like storytelling, in which the subject line is the beginning of the story.

To do this, you need to create copy that is attractive enough. And that’s when creating good email names makes all the difference. But that’s not all.

Good subject line copy should be incomplete. This is because the intention is that the reader’s reasoning will only be completed after opening the email.

Here are some examples of “incomplete copy”

• You can’t imagine what’s stopping you from being fluent in English
• 5 products you can’t live without on sale
• Wine lovers will love this pairing
• Get inspired by these decorating ideas

These headlines are just a few examples of how to use subject lines that arouse the reader’s curiosity. This way, they feel compelled to continue reading the email.

And don’t forget the preheader, which is that bit of text that appears just after the subject line.

It should complement the subject line so that it persuades the reader to open the email.

Important

• Customize whenever possible. Personalization is a mental trigger that can lead the reader to a feeling of belonging.

When someone calls your name, your reaction is to look, right? Personalization works in this direction.

• Pay attention to sending times. Opt for “broken” times to avoid your email going out of sight on the user’s screen. If the sending time is 10 a.m., fire it off at 10:02 a.m., for example.

After opening the email

Your subject line and preheader have done a good job and sent the reader inside the email. Now, you need to keep them interested in the message and, more than that, you need to convert them into taking the desired action.

Just to remind you, the copy must respect the stage of the funnel in which your lead is inserted:

• Top: generalized communication about the problem, not mentioning the product or service.
• Middle: educational content about the problem, already considering the product or service as a solution to the problem.
• Bottom: content aimed at conversion.

Talking about creative copy, the core of the email is the part of the communication that has the function of “talking” to the reader.

In other words, when the user feels involved in what is being said, they remain interested until the decisive moment of conversion.

And this involvement, which has already begun in the subject line of the email, must continue. To do this, you can use mental triggers, which we cover in more detail here.

The 7 principles of design applied to creative email

Graphic design has 7 fundamental principles that govern attractive visual compositions. Let’s see what they are and how to make them our allies when designing creative email marketing.

Balance

It can be symmetrical, asymmetrical or radial. The first element is not very useful for the topic we are discussing.

Asymmetrical balance, on the other hand, can be the key to a different layout that surprises the reader. The very name “asymmetrical” is a provocation for the unusual, don’t you think?

And radial balance is that which creates harmony between all the elements of a composition, whether they are in the focal center or not.

Contrast

Contrast is often used to visually highlight CTA buttons. But this type of composition can also be used to capture the reader’s attention, using:

• Round shapes containing angles.
• Delicate textures in contrast to rougher visual structures.
• Positive surfaces as opposed to negative spaces.

In short, you can use any email structure that has an opponent. Include this in your emails and surprise the lead!

Emphasis

The principle of emphasis is the amplification of the contrast we’ve just seen. It means a contrast to what is common. In other words, the opposite raised to the highest level. For example: a color detail in a black and white photo.

Movement

Movement and attention have a lot in common, don’t you think? That’s why gifs and videos are so successful in communication pieces. Use them whenever possible, but remember to keep your layout light to avoid being blocked by anti-spam filters.

Just to remind you, the maximum limit is 500Kb per email. If necessary, work with image compression.

Repetition

Here, visual organization dictates the rules. The brain is more attracted to structured compositional elements than to chaotic or disorganized configurations.

Interleaving colors, fonts and graphics is an example of an attractive setting for anyone’s eyes.

Hierarchy

What will the lead see first in the composition? And what will be the second most important thing? And what should be seen last?

Hierarchy, which is widely used in the placement of H1, H2 titles, etc., is also used in colors and in the density of visual elements.

Harmonia

Which combinations bring good feelings to your audience? These combinations will form a visual unit, which in turn will represent the layout as a whole.

Conclusion

A creative email is the combination of copy and design planned together. There is no ready-made formula for creativity in emails, and everything depends on the behavior of the persona, the product/service, the stage of the funnel, among other factors that will directly influence the communication of the piece.

That’s why it’s recommended not only to keep up with market movements (which is being done in the email marketing sector), but also to observe socio-cultural trends, which can determine changes in lead behavior.

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