Deliverability Basics: Part I

Creating your HTML eMail for Optimum Member Engagement: Best Practices

• Member signed up for that specific type of communication either via membership portal or email preference center

• Subject line is consistent with the email's content

• Preheader asks to add the domain or IP address to the member's safelist or whitelist for future delivery

• Preheader links to an online version of the email

• Keep the most relevant content above the fold meaning the recipient will see the most important aspect of the email without needing to scroll down

• Take the time to create either a separate mobile version or code the HTML email using responsive design techniques

• Don't put entire articles in your eNewsletter if possible. You could use abbreviated articles that link "Read More" to where the content lives on your website. If the content doesn't exist on your website, use abbreviated articles towards the top of your eNewsletter that jump to the remainder of the article further down

• Make good use of images and strive for 70% text - 30% image ratio

• Make use of Alt tags for images in the event the member has graphics disabled by default in their eMail client

• You can link images or text to your presence on social media platforms, but know that some emails linking to social media get filtered to spam folders, like .edu domains

To learn more about overcoming filtering obstacles check out the webinar Deliverability Basics.