Issue #148 All About Email

Hi, friend. 👋

Welcome to Issue #148 of All About Email!

Last week, we delved into upcoming updates to the world’s most popular inbox, Apple Mail.

This week, I'm sharing my second guest post of the summer from my good friend and fellow email geek, Emily Ryan.

Does size really matter? Yes, friend, it sure does. And we’re talking about it here today. Font size in email design that is (among a few other important tips).

Let’s go! 👇

Guest Author - Emily Ryan

Now, on to the good stuff! 🎉

A friend recently sent me a non-profit fundraising email that they loved. The design was nice and sophisticated, except for one thing: the font size was probably 12px. 

🗣️ It got us into a conversation about the right email font size.

They loved how this email looked, so I replied about why their font size was way too small and how this could majorly impact subscribers' actual reading of the email. 

💡 So, let’s dive into that and a few important email design tips to consider so that your email will get read. We’ll take a look at:

1. Font size in emails

2. Large buttons

3. White space

First, font size matters. 

In the email marketing world, we often hear that emails should use a 16px font size or higher. And for good reason. 

We want people to be able to read your email as easily as possible.

⏱️ Subscribers tend to skim emails (the average reading time is only 10 seconds), so when an email is super easy to read, it’s more likely to be read.

Often, I hear clients say that 16 or 19px font size feels big and strange, and I agree. It can feel big when you’re creating your email.

But I promise you, it’s SO much easier for the reader than something 12 or 14px font size. 

👓 Check out some emails on your phone and see what feels good to you. I bet the emails with a larger font size are easier to read.

(And let’s face it, we’re not getting younger…keep the font big!)

Secondly, large buttons convert better.

📲 I want you to consider viewing an email on your phone. If your finger can comfortably tap a button, it’s a good size.

If you have to zoom in to click a button, it’s way too small. Make it clickable. 

These days, big brands use a lot of padding on their buttons to make them stand out and easily clickable.

After all, the goal is usually to get that click to your website.

Here are a few email examples with large buttons that I love - here, here and here.

🌈 Also, make sure your buttons are a contrasting colour so they stand out. This is the most important part of your email. Make it big and bold.

Consider A/B testing your button colour and CTA, too! It’s fascinating to see which colour buttons get more clicks. 

Lastly, whitespace is your best friend. 

🧑‍🚀 To make your email super easy to read, you need space between your elements:

• Space above and below your buttons

• Spacing below your headline

Whitespace is so essential to a great email (or black space if your email background is black…). 

Here is a great example of using whitespace between your elements.

🤓 How clean and easy is this to read? Notice the amount of space after the main hero image and spacing before the buttons. 

Again, it may feel strange when you’re designing your email, but it will be much easier for your reader.

The moral of the email story is to make your email easily digestible for your subscribers by using:

1. A large font size

2. A large button

3. And tons of spacing between elements. 

😌 The easier it is for someone to skim your email and find that button, the more likely they are to click on your link. 

For more email tips, subscribe to my Sunday “9 Things” link round 👉 here. 👈

That’s it for this week 👋

A big thank you to Emily for guest authoring this week’s newsletter. Throughout the summer, we will have regular guest authors:

• Robin Adams

• Lindsey Carroll (Issue #146)

• Vicky Smith

• Elizabeth Jacobi

• Larissa Uredi

⏭️ Next week is all about Google Ads for email. 🤢

Email Marketing News & Tips

This week's excellent and insightful Email News & Tips:

• Sun-safe Emails - Why Your Email Needs Sunscreen: An Intro to SPF, DKIM, & DMARC. (Lauren Meyer)

• BIMI Certified? - If you’re using Entrust for your BIMI VMC…🚨 (Word to the Wise)

• Creative Copywriting - 5 timeless principles for crafting razor-sharp marketing copy. (Action Rocket)

• Figma to Email - Export accessible, mobile-optimized email code from Figma. (Email Love)

• Step by Step - How to Create an Email Marketing Plan in 7 Steps. (Twilio SendGrid)

• Coffee or Tea? - How to build a Moring Brew style newsletter business. (Newsletter Operator)

• Spotlight - Jennifer Nespola Lantz. (Spam Resource)

• A11y - Tools to help you create accessible content. (Action Rocket)

If you have a question about this email or email marketing, reply, and I will answer you as soon as possible.

I hope you have a great week! 👋