HTML or Plain Text Newsletters?

HTML Email

Plain Text Email

Whether to send HTML or plain text emails depends on whom you ask. Lots of marketers advise against using HTML emails, citing lower email deliverability rates with HTML, yet according to AWeber, use of HTML email has risen 25.47% in the last year.

Hmmm…what gives?

I have not conducted any kind of formal study, but I can tell you why I like HTML:

1. HTML emails are prettier. I like pretty and easy on the eyes.

2. Speaking of easy on the eyes, I think HTML emails are easier to read.

3. HTML emails allow me to “brand” my emails consistent with my website. (Take into consideration I can – and have – created my own custom email templates to match my sites. You might not be able to do that without my help, but you sure can put your logo in there, and use your color scheme.)

4. HTML lets me track clicks. That means I can see how effective my emails are and how many people click the links I provide in them. VERY valuable information.

5. HTML allows you to use bold, italics and other simple formatting to call attention to important information.

On the other hand…

Here are a few good reasons to use plain text:

1. Some people prefer plain text. (gasp! Not everyone is like me?? LOL)

2. SPAM filters don’t like emails that are HTML-only. The thinking is that only spammers would take the lazy route and not include a plain text version. (More on this in a minute.)

3. More and more people are using mobile devices to read email, and not all devices handle HTML all that gracefully.

4. Sometimes plain text is just more appropriate. A good example is when you’re sending frequent, short update-type emails. Using HTML in some of these types of scenarios is a little overkill.

5. Some people set their email programs to read everything as plain text, whether it comes that way, or not. If you’re sending HTML only, they’re going to get an email full of HTML code strewn everywhere. Not nice.

Oy. Decisions…decisions….

So, how ’bout a happy medium? How ’bout you do both? Most major mailing list services (my favorite AWeber, included) provide a way to do exactly that. On the receiving end, whichever the recipient prefers – that’s the version they’ll get. A little extra work on your part, yes…but your subscribers are worth it.

And one last thing? You don’t have to use a fancy HTML template to send an HTML email. For example, AWeber’s HTML email window looks and feels much like Microsoft Word. (As an aside, did you know that all Word docs are HTML? Yup.) Anyway – you can create both HTML and plain text versions of your emails very easily with most mailing list services.

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Related posts:

1. Tracking Conversions for Email Newsletters: Another Reason I Recommend AWeber
2. Let Your RSS Subscribers Choose: Full Text or Summary?
3. 3 Reasons to Use Double Opt-in for Your Mailing Lists (Even If You Think It’s a Pain)
4. How to Add an Opt-in Form For Your Mailing List to Your Facebook Profile
5. Your Newsletter: Do You Still Need It If You’re Blogging?

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