13 Parts of an email you need to boost opens, clicks & sales

By Phil Norris January 4, 2024

Struggling to deliver your e-mail concepts to life? You’re not alone, with two in five email marketers admitting they discover it laborious creating efficient content material.

However it doesn’t should be a problem.

When you perceive the anatomy of an e-mail, content material creation turns into a repeatable course of: nail every part and also you’re assured to construct one thing that feels seamless and interesting.

Learn on to study in regards to the totally different components of an e-mail (plus examples of how every ought to look), damaged down into three sections:

• Inbox: These components assist recipients determine whether or not or to not open an e-mail.
• E mail physique: Comprising the majority of your e-mail, these parts are your alternative to construct your model, interact your viewers, and drive motion.
• Footer: Accommodates key components that encourage social sharing and guarantee your campaigns adjust to e-mail advertising and marketing rules like GDPR.

Let’s get into it…

The anatomy of an e-mail

We’ve visualized all the important thing parts of a advertising and marketing e-mail:

In fact, not each e-mail you ship ought to look precisely like that.

The construction of your e-mail needs to be knowledgeable by the kind of message you’re sending and the aim(s) you’re attempting to realize. A e-newsletter will inevitably look totally different to a product suggestions e-mail or a welcome series.

Nonetheless, you’ll wish to embody most, if not all, of those fundamental components within the overwhelming majority of your advertising and marketing emails…

Inbox

These are all the weather that present up in a recipient’s inbox earlier than they click on in your e-mail.

As such, they play an important position in boosting your open charge.

Figuring out emblem

What’s it?

Because of an e-mail commonplace referred to as Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), manufacturers can now show their logos alongside their emails throughout the inbox.

Massive inbox suppliers like Apple, Google, and Yahoo assist BIMI, however there are additionally a lot that don’t — most notably Outlook.

Loads of manufacturers are but to undertake BIMI. That’s truly a good factor for e-mail entrepreneurs, as a result of when you do implement it, your emails will stand out within the inbox — similar to Experian and IKEA do right here:

Why is it vital?

Firstly, your figuring out emblem makes your emails extra seen in a crowded inbox.

This could have a huge impact in your email marketing metrics, with research discovering that the inclusion of a emblem utilizing BIMI requirements elevated:

Including an figuring out emblem can be a belief issue, as a result of the e-mail should cross DMARC authentication for the emblem to look.

So it reassures your viewers that you might be who you say you might be.

“From” identify

What’s it?

The “from” identify, often known as the “sender” identify, is the identify from which your emails are despatched.

Most senders merely use their model identify:

However it may be:

• Your identify, or the identify of somebody inside your group, like your CEO
• The identify of the services or products folks have signed as much as study

It doesn’t actually matter which method you’re taking, offered your “from” identify is immediately recognizable to your viewers.

Why is it vital?

Everyone knows e-mail topic strains are a key influencer in whether or not or not recipients open our emails.

However the “from” identify performs an enormous position, too.

In truth, 42% of recipients say they have a look at it first when making up their minds about opening emails, versus 34% who test the topic line and 24% who learn the preview textual content.

As such, it’s value split-testing your “from” identify early on in your campaigns to see which yields the very best open charges.

Topic line

What’s it?

Topic strains are the daring copy that seems within the recipient’s inbox, alongside your “from” identify:

As such, they’re successfully the “headline” of your e-mail, briefly summing up what the e-mail is about and (hopefully) giving your viewers a cause to click on.

Whereas they will theoretically be as much as 988 characters lengthy, the overwhelming majority of topic strains are far shorter — usually round 60 characters.

Why is it vital?

The topic line is arguably the only greatest issue dictating whether or not or not folks open your emails.

Certainly, almost half of recipients determine to open emails based mostly solely on the topic line.

Once more, you’ll wish to split-test topic strains to raised perceive what your viewers likes. For example, are they extra more likely to click on topic strains containing:

• A number of emojis
• A query
• Their first identify

👉 Learn extra: 14 email subject line best practices to get more opens

What’s it?

The e-mail pre-header — often known as the “preview” or “abstract” textual content — is a brief line of copy that seems alongside or beneath the topic line. Its precise location and size rely on the recipient’s mailbox supplier and whether or not or not they’re viewing on cell or desktop.

No matter you name it, the pre-header’s “job” is to bolster the topic line. Which may contain:

• Offering additional particulars about what’s within the e-mail
• Explaining the phrases of a promotion
• Persuading the recipient to act now

Hold your pre-header textual content to 50 – 100 characters to make sure it seems in full throughout the widest vary of gadget sorts and e-mail purchasers.

Why is it vital?

Easy: your pre-header textual content is one among solely 4 parts of an e-mail that present up within the inbox.

So it’s one of many few instruments you should use to enhance open charges.

👉 Learn extra: How to get better open rates with email pre-headers

E mail physique

Congratulations, you’ve persuaded somebody to open your e-mail!

Now it’s time to make use of the e-mail physique to dazzle them together with your finest content material, promotions, and merchandise.

Make it rely by incorporating all of those components:

Emblem

What’s it?

An email-friendly model of your model emblem.

Place it on the high of each advertising and marketing e-mail you ship:

That approach, it’ll be one of many first issues folks see once they click on via from the inbox, which helps enhance model recall.

Whereas there aren’t any particular measurement restrictions on your emblem, it needs to be giant sufficient to be noticeable, with out completely dominating the highest of your advertising and marketing emails.

Certain, you need folks to note it. However you additionally need their eyes to be drawn down towards the opposite parts of your e-mail physique.

Why is it vital?

Including your emblem to the highest of your emails helps familiarize your viewers together with your model.

It additionally makes your consumer journey really feel extra seamless: if somebody clicks via from an e-mail to your web site, they’ll see the identical model emblem on the high of the landing page.

Foremost headline

What’s it?

The primary headline is a outstanding chunk of textual content added someplace close to the highest of a advertising and marketing e-mail, usually beneath the model emblem.

It’s nearly at all times both an identical to, or a transforming of, the e-mail topic line:

Once more, there aren’t any particular design restrictions round your foremost headline: it’s merely a matter of what appears finest in your e-mail.

Why is it vital?

Give it some thought: 

For those who clicked an e-mail with a topic line promising 50% off, you’d anticipate to see some outstanding messaging confirming that the low cost exists, and possibly explaining the kinds of merchandise it applies to.

For those who couldn’t discover that info immediately, you would possibly really feel misled. In truth, there’s probability you’d head straight again to your inbox.

As such, the primary headline has two foremost objectives:

• Reiterating to the recipient why they opened the e-mail within the first place
• Compelling them to scroll deeper into your e-mail physique to study extra

Picture

What’s it?

Okay, so what a picture is.

Most advertising and marketing emails comprise a minimum of one picture, and most embody a number of.

There are numerous kinds of pictures in emails. They embody “hero” pictures on the high of the e-mail, generally incorporating the primary headline…

…in addition to product pictures showcasing your high sellers or finest offers…

…and thumbnails or icons highlighting your newest items of content material:

Why is it vital?

Pictures add visible pleasure to your emails, encouraging recipients to stay round longer.

In addition they assist to convey some kinds of info extra succinctly than textual content alone, permitting you to chop down the phrase rely. That’s vital as a result of most individuals don’t wish to be hit with a wall of copy when opening your emails.

They usually be sure that your finest merchandise and promotions stand out.

All of which explains why e-mail campaigns together with pictures generate 42% higher click-through rates.

Copy

What’s it?

Once more, you in all probability don’t want us to inform you what “copy” means, nevertheless it’s value explaining within the context of email marketing.

The quantity of copy you write will fluctuate relying on the kind of e-mail you’re sending.

For those who’re launching a sale or another promotion, your complete e-mail would possibly solely comprise a dozen-or-so phrases:

Whereas when you’re sending an email newsletter or discussing the options of a brand new product, your e-mail would possibly incorporate a number of sections, every with just a few phrases — or perhaps a full sentence or two — of introductory copy:

Why is it vital?

Whereas an image would possibly inform a thousand phrases, there are some stuff you merely can’t clarify via imagery alone.

From headlines to physique copy to calls-to-action (CTAs), somewhat sensible copywriting can interact your viewers, educate them, and compel them to do one thing (like clicking a hyperlink).

Name to Motion (CTA)

What’s it?

Chances are high you’re not sending advertising and marketing emails simply so your clients have one thing enjoyable to learn.

Extra seemingly, you will have a selected aim in thoughts for every e-mail you ship, like encouraging recipients to purchase a selected product or join a course.

CTAs are your strategy to persuade your viewers to carry out your required “motion”.

Emails usually function a number of calls to motion. Some are easy textual content hyperlinks, whereas others are devoted CTA buttons:

Why is it vital?

Calls to motion are vital as a result of with out them, you’re basically asking your viewers to guess what you need them to do subsequent.

On condition that all of us obtain tons of of emails a day, most individuals gained’t take the time to determine it out — they’ll merely head again to their inbox and neglect all about your e-mail.

👉 Learn extra: 10 CTA best practices to get more email subscribers

You’ve crafted a profitable topic line and designed an attractive e-mail physique stuffed with snappy copy and crowd pleasing imagery.

However there’s nonetheless work to do, as a result of the footer part accommodates a number of the most vital info in your e-mail.

You should definitely embody all this good things in your e-mail footer:

Signature

What’s it?

An e-mail signature accommodates a bunch of details about the sender, reminiscent of their:

• Title
• Job title
• Social media hyperlinks
• Contact particulars
• Headshot

E mail signatures are (far) extra widespread on this planet of gross sales outreach, however some manufacturers use them of their email marketing campaigns — particularly when sending messages from the proprietor or founder:

Why is it vital?

Maybe the most important advantage of including a signature to your advertising and marketing emails is that it humanizes your model.

As a result of, as people, we’re extra more likely to really feel related to an individual than to a faceless company entity.

Social hyperlinks

What’s it?

The footer part usually accommodates a bunch of hyperlinks to the model’s social profiles, usually within the type of social media icons:

Why is it vital?

Including social hyperlinks to emails is all about closing the gaps between your totally different advertising and marketing channels.

In a perfect world, each particular person in your mailing record would additionally comply with all of your social accounts. That approach, they’re extra more likely to construct a connection together with your model and see the content material and affords you share.

Plus, the extra usually they arrive into contact together with your messaging, the extra seemingly they’re to consider you once they’re prepared to purchase.

Bodily deal with

What’s it?

Prefer it sounds: the bodily deal with of what you are promoting. Or, if that’s not doable, another like:

• A PO field
• A bodily mailing deal with equipped by a third-party enterprise supplier
• A digital mailbox

Why is it vital?

Together with a bodily deal with in your advertising and marketing emails is a requirement of the US CAN-SPAM anti-spam act. So when you’re sending emails to folks within the US and also you don’t embody a bodily deal with, you’re breaking the legislation.

That’s a giant deal given that every separate e-mail violating the act is topic to a effective of as much as $50,120.

(Different international locations have their very own anti-spam legal guidelines, so be sure you test the native necessities for all markets coated by your e-mail record.)

Past this, including a postal deal with helps exhibit that you just’re a authentic enterprise. And a few content material filters even block emails that don’t comprise an deal with, so together with one may boost your email deliverability.

👉 Learn extra: How to include a physical address in your emails without revealing where you live

Unsubscribe hyperlink

What’s it?

The unsubscribe hyperlink permits recipients to choose out of your advertising and marketing record in the event that they not wish to obtain emails from you.

Which could sound like a unhealthy factor from a advertising and marketing perspective.

However have a look at the positives: if somebody by no means interacts together with your emails and has no intention of shopping for from you, why would you need them to remain subscribed? They’re solely damaging your metrics.

Why is it vital?

That is one other e-mail element ruled by CAN-SPAM (and different nationwide advertising and marketing legal guidelines).

Particularly, the act requires that every one manufacturers give subscribers a transparent and apparent strategy to choose out of receiving advertising and marketing emails.

Not solely that, however from February 1st 2024, Google and Yahoo are implementing new pointers that pressure “bulk senders” — outlined as anybody sending 5,000+ emails per day — to allow one-click unsubscribes.

Anybody that doesn’t comply dangers getting their complete group suspended from sending any emails (not simply advertising and marketing emails).

So it’s in your pursuits to comply with the foundations!

Optimize the totally different parts of an e-mail with AWeber 

As you may see, plenty of particular person components go into constructing high-performing advertising and marketing emails.

Thankfully, AWeber makes it fast and simple to nail each a type of components:

• Create emails with no technical expertise utilizing our intuitive drag-and-drop builder
• Add lovely visuals with built-in entry to Canva, one of many world’s hottest graphic design instruments
• Use our AI email writer to craft profitable topic strains, pre-headers, headlines, physique copy, and CTAs
• Split-test your emails to study what textual content, ideas, and pictures carry out finest

And that’s only for starters.
Put all our e-mail design instruments to the take a look at by signing up for a free AWeber account today!