Creating coherent branding for your company is a crucial component of any successful digital marketing strategy. Establishing a consistent and authentic voice for your company helps give customers a clear idea of who you are on a more personal level.
Effective branding is a cost-efficient way to allow customers an opportunity to identify with your company. The better your customers feel they know you, the more likely they are to continue to choose your business.
When people hear “digital branding”, the initial association nowadays might be with a social media-focused aesthetic. However, email marketing should not be overlooked and is a great channel for communication and raising brand awareness.
Email branding when utilized correctly can be used to increase engagement and revenue by setting you apart from the competition. All you need to do is find your own authentic voice and this article will get you on the path to learning the language of email branding.
What is email branding?
To begin, let’s clarify exactly what email branding is. The basic principle of branding in marketing is the same whether it is being applied to a company’s products, website, social media presence, or emails.
The goal of branding is to make it instantly clear to your audience what you do and why. Branding at its finest will also formulate an immediate connection between the user and your company by appealing to the audience’s emotions.
This can be achieved in your emails by implementing things like unique copywriting, imagery, and design. There are endless possibilities when it comes to formulating your business’s unique personality. Keep in mind, though, that this personality should be one that people are happy to hear from and wish to interact with.
Another critical component of email branding is to be concise. In a sea of emails, you need to ensure that yours are attention-grabbing. Even at a quick glance, readers should be able to understand exactly what your message is. Remember, the subject line is your friend!
In short, ideal email branding should be clear, authentic, and evoke a response from the reader.
Why email branding is essential for your business
Now that you know what email branding is, you may be wondering how it can benefit your business.
For one, upping your email game is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your customers. Increasing engagement without breaking the bank is a win-win, particularly if you are a small business.
Email is not only free but is one of the easiest ways to contact a wide range of people with the click of a button. Expanding your reach is important for both retaining existing customers as well as acquiring new ones.
Keep in mind that you want the recipients of these emails to get a good impression of you, especially if it is their first. Not only is email branding used to improve business, but when done poorly, may end up being at an expense.
Users often make quick judgments about businesses based on branding alone and changing people’s minds is much harder once they are made up.
While social media may be an ever-growing focal point in the digital marketing world, Forbes reported that consistent brand presentation across all platforms showed an increased revenue of 23%. This means consistent branding across email campaigns is a crucial piece of this puzzle.
In fact, in the same article, Forbes also reported that email marketing has a median ROI of 122%, which is over four times higher than social media, direct mail, and paid search, which is nothing to scoff at!
Compelling email branding will not only generate sales but also build a sense of credibility around the company, and 67% of consumers say that they need to trust the brand that they are purchasing from.
Trust is created between customers and businesses, not only based on the quality of the product but when a connection is formed based on an authentic and relatable narrative surrounding a company. Bridging the gap between consumers and the brands that they choose begins with relatability and personalization, for which email branding is perfect.
Consumers that identify with your brand will be loyal ones. You want your customers to look forward to hearing from you. One survey found that 60% of customers wanted to receive email updates and promotions from brands they love.
Top 5 elements of email branding
The many elements that contribute to developing your email branding strategy may seem overwhelming at first. But not to worry, we have compiled some of the top things to consider, especially when getting started.
1. Subject line
Remember, the subject line is the first component of your email that will reach readers. This is your first chance to sway users one way or another and could be the reason for either opening your email, or passing it by.
People receive countless spam emails on a daily basis, which is why your subject line is so important. You need to attract attention while giving the reader the first taste of your overall tone.
Try to find a happy medium of simplicity and creativity. Also, make sure that the subject line and email content are connected by using the same tone throughout. You do not want to confuse your readers with inconsistencies right off the bat.
2. Color palette and logo
This part should be simple. The color palette in your emails should reflect colors that are already present in either your logo or on your website. Make sure that your logo placement is clearly visible by placing it at the top of the email, so users know exactly who is contacting them.
Color may seem like a minor detail, but it is important to customers. Emotions are directly linked to certain colors, to the point that as much as 85% of consumers base their purchasing decisions on colors associated with the product.
Starbucks’ forest green is recognizable to consumers without them even realizing it, which is why they use it for their email branding.
3. Establish consistency
In addition to the color palette and logo placement, you should establish visual and content consistency throughout your emails. It is very important to remember brand identity when considering the tone and imagery you will use in your emails.
Remember once again, simplicity and consistency are the most important ingredients when it comes to making decisions about something like font choice. If you already have a specific font on your website, it would be preferable to use this same font as a baseline for your email branding.
You can also play with different fonts for drawing attention to things like calls to action or special events. While it might be tempting to get extra funky with the fonts, remember that too many fonts can make an email confusing and hard to read.
The use of images in your emails is also a good way to break up the text. Large blocks of text can be daunting for readers so try to keep your emails image-heavy. The most important copy in your emails will be CTA (call to action) and perhaps a catchy phrase depending on the tone.
Email Signature
The lasting impression that readers will get from your emails is with your email signature, which is why using one is so important. This is your chance to add any details that you wish to leave your readers with.
Depending on the tone of your email your signature could include contact details, social media links, or promotions to name just a few. Wisestamp has endless email signature templates to choose from, ensuring you will find exactly what suits your specific needs.
How to create a branded email template
- Determine your audience and tone
While your tone should remain largely the same throughout your emails, each specific email should have a clear goal in mind. Are you targeting first-time buyers or current customers? Personalization is the first step in email branding.
- Write your content
Once you decide on the goal of your email, you will need to write a clear, direct copy to explain the purpose of the email. Generally, your tone should be friendly, and don’t forget your CTA!
- Design
This is where the visuals come in. Choose fonts, banners, images, and logo placement. Doing this from scratch can be difficult and many marketing platforms have built-in templates that you can use.
- Test
You will learn as you go! Trial and error is the best way to find out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to branded emails.
To end things
No matter what business you’re in, email branding can be used as an effective method of communicating with users. These tips will help you build an email branding strategy to fully utilize this email branding.
Good luck, and happy emailing!
