A common question asked when you first set out to write an email newsletter is whether it should be a plain text email or HTML (web page style). This is an important consideration since your choice impacts on how many people read your newsletter and how they respond to it. Let's look at the obvious pros and cons of each format.
HTML Emails
THE GOOD
- Interactive - active elements can be inserted into emails limited only by what email clients can handle. May include movies, games, surveys or any active content.
- Metrics - Code can be placed into emails to provide detailed statistics on whether your email newsletters are read, for how long and which links are clicked and followed.
- Formatting can be controlled to the finest details including fonts, spacing, and design.
THE BAD
- Creating HTML emails take a lot of time and technical proficiency.
- Not everyone has an HTML capable email client in which case you will be excluding some people.
- Your basic message may be lost by the excessive content and "eye candy".
- The range of options available in HTML are extensive and can lead to what I call "TMOS" - Too Many Options Syndrome, which is the antithesis of the concept "KISS" - Keep It Simple Stupid. TMOS can stop you from functioning efficiently because you are bogged down with how many things you could do, you end up doing nothing.
Plain Text Emails
THE GOOD
- Easier to create - just type words.
- Less chance of formatting problems making the email display incorrectly.
- Less chance of a spam filter blocking the mail.
- Message will be easily digested by the reader provided you write it well.
- No distractions from graphics or over stimulation from too much content competing for attention.
- You sell with words, the most powerful sales tool available on the web if used correctly.
THE BAD
- Harder to capture statistics.
- Hyperlinks may not be active (most text based email clients convert HTTP links to clickable but some still don't).
- Limited to text to convey your message.
- No multimedia can be included.
Why Do You Have a Newsletter?
Let's cut to the chase here. Why do you have a newsletter? If you are running an Internet Business your newsletter functions as a customer retention tool, sending out periodic reminders to pull your prospects/customers back to your site. Newsletters themselves also function as a direct sales tool. It doesn't matter if you are selling affiliate products, your own products, a service or information, your newsletter is meant to do one thing - illicit a response from its audience.
In order for your newsletter readers to feel compelled enough to take action your newsletter must clearly state it's message AND create enough of a pull, usually via emotional tugging, to get the reader to do something. The same rules that apply to websites and copywriting apply to newsletters except you have even less time to convince your reader to do something.
Newsletters fall into the domain of email, the most popular web activity. Email is mainstream, it has penetration and people of all ages and backgrounds know how to use it. Consequently the learning curve is a little higher and your readership knows how to at least complete the basic functions with email. This means that they are quite capable of giving each email about 1 seconds worth of attention before clicking that delete button. That's not a lot of time to convince them that your email is worth reading.
Should I use Plain Text or HTML Newsletters?
In my opinion, plain text should be your choice for email newsletter format. Why? Because of the numbers. Email newsletters are a form of direct response marketing and in direct response marketing the numbers matter.
From the point of view of a small Busin
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