I don’t mean to dim your summer glow, but let’s face it — the holidays are just around the corner.
Before you know it, you’ll be adding a holiday-themed touch to your business, merchandise, communications, and even your house.
This is typically when a lot of our customers ask us if and/or when they should consider using a different email template.
We hear this question so much that we’ve decided to share our thoughts in blog post form.
Let’s get to it!
Variety is the spice of life
A little variety is always a good thing, but for the most part, you want your emails to reflect your brand and the personality of your business.
The colors you use, the types of images you include, and the style of writing you employ should all consistently reflect your business. Your readers will come to expect and appreciate that consistency as their relationship with your business grows.
If you’ve attended our Virtual Workshops for Retailers, you’ve learned about the benefits of pre-designing a reusable template to save you time.
That being said, there will be times when switching it up a bit is beneficial for the message you’re sending.
Before you ditch your reusable template…
Don’t forget about the seven essential elements of email design.
You still want to incorporate your brand colors, logo, website URL, and social buttons — just as you would with your reusable template.
You should also include a clear call-to-action and be sure to add your contact information, hours, etc. in the footer section.
Now, let’s look at five times when you might want to switch up your email template:
1. When you want to say ‘Thank You’
Saying thank you to your customers or supporters is a great time to choose a different template.
For a thank you message, focus on simplicity. Cut out the other topics you discuss in your typical mailings and really focus on your message of gratitude.
We have several Thank You email templates for you to choose from. Simply do a search for ‘thank you’ templates in your account and voila!
Here’s a look at how a monthly newsletter can differ from a thank you message, from The Residencies.
2. When you’re celebrating a milestone
Did you just hit a 5, 10, or 25 year anniversary? Did your organization hit a major milestone? You should celebrate!
Choose a template that will draw attention to your accomplishment and generate a sense of goodwill from your readers. You may get congratulatory feedback from them, so be ready to bask in the flattery for a bit. Or, you may want to commemorate something that your customers did. Either way, this is a good time for a different look.
Here’s how extendYoga chose a different template to celebrate their 1-year anniversary:
3. When you’re feeling festive
National retail holidays are a great time to change up the look and feel of your email template for something more festive and colorful.
This is one of the few times when it’s okay to go along with the suggested color scheme of the template in place of your typical brand colors. Make sure your brand is still coming through from your logo, images, and writing style.
Mother Earth Pillows moved away from their signature green hue in celebration of a St. Patrick’s Day special:
4. When you’re making an announcement
When it’s time to make a major announcement, use a different template for impact. We have lots of templates you can use to announce anything from new shop hours to a second branch opening or a website re-launch.
Simply search for ‘Announcements’ to find available templates or create your own.
Here’s a look at Fruitlands Museum and their typical mailing versus a renewal notice:
5. When you’re looking for feedback
As it is said, “Feedback is a gift” and there comes a time in every small business owner’s career when they’re going to need to get some to make improvements or adjustments.
In that case, it’s also a good time to choose a template that will inspire feedback from your customers, volunteers, or donors.
Choose a template that will invite subscribers to click to take a brief online survey and another one that you can use to send to those who responded.
Take a look at how Rains Lucia Stern sends a quick message to ask for feedback after holding an event:
Is it time for you to make a change?
Consistency is important to your brand. But if the time is right, a new look can engage your readers and drive action for your business.
Keep the five occasions above in mind the next time you’re itching for a change.
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