There is a lot of debate over which email format is better, text or html.  Text supporters site small files and less chances of filtering.  HTML supporters site better layouts and superior conversions.  Like most things, there are pros and cons to both.  Truly superior email marketing campaigns don’t make a choice for recipients, they let recipients choose their preference.  Great email marketing is provided in both text and HTML formats.

This sounds complicated but many good email service providers automate the process.  Subscribers can update their preferences to text or HTML.  Two versions of the same email are created and when the email is sent, the email service provider delivers the version a recipient selected.

It does take a little more time but it’s a sound investment.  It allows you to reap the advantages of both formats.  Recipients that can receive more dynamic HTML messages are free to do so.  The people whose SPAM filters block HTML or whose email program can’t display images or code, have the option of getting a text version.

Providing recipients with an option for text or HTML emails caters to the audience’s preference and ensures that you can deliver your communications in the most effective way.

An email marketing campaign is a series of emails.  Don’t try to fit too much into a single communication.  Focus on one small offer or one small topic.  The other things you want to cover should be laid out in other communications in the campaign.  Each email in an email marketing campaign should have a singular focus and should add up to a targetted focus.

For instance, when writing 20 Tactics of Effective Email Marketing (which was originally an email campaign), each tactic is an email.  There is a singular focus and detail given for each tactic.  Some common mistakes that are made would be:

• Listing all 20 topics in an email with no description or explanation as to what they mean.
• Breaking them into small of 2 or 3 chunks and writing a sentence or two on each topic.
• Doing them individually but with little content and placing promotions or offers all around the tactic.

Keep each email focused and with a solid campaign it will add up to a focused series.  Keeping focused makes sure that the audience can follow the campaign which generates credibility.  That credibility can be leveraged when a solicitation is made or they encounter a situation that fits your expertise.