This document provides tips and templates for creating effective 30-minute emails. It discusses preparing images and branding, developing content for different email types like welcome, promotional, event and newsletter emails. It also recommends resources for finding content and provides examples of content to include in different email types like calls to action, discounts, and links. The document emphasizes planning ahead, experimenting with different email types, and using reporting to improve future emails.

2. 30-Minute Email Recipes
Jill Bastian
Training and Education
@VR4SmallBiz

3. Agenda
• Getting started – Mise en Place
• Images
• Branding
• Content
• Mix Together – types of emails to create
• Resources
• Q&A

4. Mise en Place (Say What?)
• What is the purpose of your email?
• When are you sending it?
• Content – what are you including, what do
you have and what do you still need?
• Mailing list (s)
• Images cropped and ready
• Links copied

5. Images
• Logo – just a logo or banner image?
• No wider than 600 pixels
• Images in body – no more than 200 pixels
wide
• Social icons – 40 px square
• CTA button- 40 px high

6. Image tips
• Never use just an
image for important
content like
headlines, dates or
calls to action.
• Avoid using one big
image - This can
result in one big
empty email when
the images are off!

7. Branding
• Important! Readers need to know they have
the right email
• Logo or banner at top – Pixlr.com or
Canva.com
• Use alt text here – add company name + URL
• Cohesive look from website to email
• Colorzilla can help (Firefox and Chrome)

8. Content
• What type of email are you sending?
• Write in plain text editor!
• Gather info on:
– Products/Services being promoted
– Announcements
– Articles/blogs being shared
– Contact info
– URLs
– Other info you’re sharing (Recipe, something
humorous, etc.)

9. Content ideas –Search:
• Quora.com
• Slideshare (not just for sharing)
• Favorite blogs
• Current news
• Twitter/Facebook trends
• Visual.ly
• Pinterest
• Alltop.com

10. Email Types
 Welcome Email
 Promotional Email
 Event Email
 Newsletter

11. Welcome Email
Warm greeting
Branded
Links to important info
how-tos
Downloads/White papers
Help site*
Blog
Offers*
Donations*
Short to moderate length

14. Promotional Email
Branded
Product or service featured
Discount *
Images of featured product
CTA
Short!

15. Promo

16. Event Email
Branded – your logo + event (if applicable)
Engaging images
Date and location – important!
Early Bird/Invite/Last minute
Links to location + map*
Plan multiple
Short but informational

19. Newsletter
Company or Newsletter logo
Articles + links to read
Images for each article
Videos
Contact details
Donate/sign up button*
Something fun
Generally longer

20. Newsletter

21. NPOs And Service Oriented Businesses
You can do all of these emails types!
• Different CTA – Buy Now! Becomes Donate
Today or Book Appointment
• Similar content – images, links, text

22. Promo/Newsl
etter

23. Promo

24. Newsletter

25. Learn From Your Email
Reporting
tells you
how
interested
your
readers
are in your
email and
content.

26. Summary
• Collect email pieces before you start. You can
create an email in a short amount of time if
you plan ahead.
• Mix up what you send. Experiment with
sending different email types.
• Find content in new and different places.
• Check your reporting to see how it went.

27. Resources
• Buttons.VerticalResponse.com
• Colorzilla.com
• Quora.com
• Slideshare.net
• Visual.ly
• Alltop.com
• Pixlr.com
• Canva.com

28. Resources
• VerticalResponse blog –
verticalresponse.com/blog
– 6 Design Tips to Make Your Email Newsletter Visually
Appealing
– 4 Emails Your Service-Based Business Should Send
– You’re Invited: 6 Components of a Successful Event
Email
– 3 Emails You Should Be Sending But Aren’t
• Guides
– 8 Components of an Effective Email
– 6 Ideas to Refresh Your Email Marketing