What are some best practices for optimizing your images and graphics for email delivery and engagement?

Images and graphics can enhance your newsletter content by adding visual appeal, conveying information, and creating a brand identity. But how do you use them effectively and avoid common pitfalls? In this article, we will share some best practices for optimizing your images and graphics for email delivery and engagement.

1 Choose relevant and high-quality images

The first step is to choose images and graphics that are relevant to your newsletter topic and audience. Avoid using generic or irrelevant images that do not support your message or purpose. Also, make sure that your images and graphics are high-quality and clear. Avoid using blurry, pixelated, or distorted images that can damage your credibility and professionalism. You can use free or paid online tools to resize, crop, compress, and edit your images and graphics.

Add your perspective

James Creech

Co-Founder @ Measure Studio 📈 AI-Powered Social Media Insights
(edited)
Report contribution
Generative AI tools are a great way to produce quick, cost-effective images for your newsletter. I use PromptHunt.com because it generates much more polished results than I'm able to get out of DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney on my own.

Like

2 Optimize your images and graphics for email

The second step in optimizing your email delivery and performance is to ensure that your images and graphics are compatible with email clients. To do this, use web-friendly formats such as JPEG, PNG, or GIF, and reduce the file size of your images and graphics as much as possible without compromising the quality. Additionally, you can use responsive design techniques like CSS media queries, fluid images, or HTML attributes to make your images and graphics adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. Finally, use alt text and captions to provide alternative text for your images and graphics in case they do not load or are blocked by the email client. This will not only improve the accessibility and SEO of your newsletter, but also help ensure that your images and graphics are displayed correctly.

Add your perspective

James Creech

Co-Founder @ Measure Studio 📈 AI-Powered Social Media Insights
(edited)
Report contribution
Newsletter tools like Beehiiv and Substack give you tools to view how your email will be formatted on web and mobile, so you can make sure your images will look great every time.

Like

3 Balance your images and graphics with text

The third step in creating a successful newsletter is to ensure a good balance between images and graphics and text. Images and graphics can be used to illustrate, emphasize, or explain your text, but should not be used to repeat or contradict it. It is important to use images and graphics sparingly and strategically, as too many can distract or confuse readers and make the newsletter look cluttered or spammy. Additionally, the images and graphics should match the tone and style of the text, such as being formal and professional if the text is formal and professional. By following these tips, you can create a newsletter that is readable, informative, and engaging.

Add your perspective

Lyssa Leigh Jackson

Program Manager @LinkedIn | 📗 Learning Leader & Experience Designer | 🎤 Be Brand You Podcast Host | 💚 Learning’s 30 Under 30
(edited)
Report contribution
While it can be tempting to pack your emails with graphics and GIFs, it's important to remember that SPAM filters primarily evaluate the text-based content of your emails to determine if they are junk or not. That means if your email content is less than about 50% text, you are way more likely to end up in your reader's SPAM folders. Many creators stick with text-only emails that feel more like personal messages and avoid looking like a marketing message, while others use design and images to draw people in and keep them engaged. Ultimately, do what is best for your audience and use a tool like https://www.mail-tester.com to check for and avoid SPAM characteristics in your emails before you send.

Like
James Creech

Co-Founder @ Measure Studio 📈 AI-Powered Social Media Insights
(edited)
Report contribution
Too many images can be overwhelming, so don't overdo it. Your visuals should help break up sections and add to the overall quality of your writing, not take away from it.

Like

4 Test your images and graphics before sending

Before sending your newsletter to your subscribers, it is important to test your images and graphics. This can help you identify and fix any issues or errors that can affect your newsletter delivery and performance. You can use email testing tools to preview your newsletter in different email clients, devices, and browsers. Additionally, you can send a test email to yourself and some trusted contacts to get honest feedback on your newsletter design and content. Furthermore, you can use email analytics tools to track and measure your email metrics, such as open rate, click rate, bounce rate, and conversion rate. This will help you evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your images and graphics on your newsletter performance and engagement.

Add your perspective

James Creech

Co-Founder @ Measure Studio 📈 AI-Powered Social Media Insights
(edited)
Report contribution
I always generate a few mockups of each visual and show them to friends and colleagues with a good design eye for feedback. And don't forget to send a test email before you press publish!

Like

What are some best practices for optimizing your images and graphics for email delivery and engagement?

1

2

3

4

1 Choose relevant and high-quality images

2 Optimize your images and graphics for email

3 Balance your images and graphics with text

4 Test your images and graphics before sending

Creator Economy

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Creator Economy

More relevant reading

What are some best practices for optimizing your images and graphics for email delivery and engagement?

1

2

3

4

1 Choose relevant and high-quality images

2 Optimize your images and graphics for email

3 Balance your images and graphics with text

4 Test your images and graphics before sending

Creator Economy

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills