Marketing with Mike Volpe

Email marketing is a powerful tool, when used correctly.  But below is an example of not using email marketing correctly.  Please, please, please, don't use large images in email.  Why?  Because the majority of the time, people won't see your images. Outlook and Gmail block images.  Devices like Blackberries usually don't download them.

Large images are not appropriate for email.  (It is OK to use a small image as part of your email, but not the entire email.)

Want an example? See below.  This is an invitation from the AdClub for an event.  Except I have no idea what event, when or where it is, or if I want to go by looking at the email in my inbox.  Sure, I could click on the link... but the extra 5 seconds that takes makes it less likely I will do it (don't we all have too much email to process?).

Note: I love the folks at the AdClub.  They throw some great events.  I feel bad about picking on their email, but hopefully the additional exposure of the event will make them forgive me.

What do you think?  Do you use images or text in email?

Update: Here is another email with only images, and what it looks like on my iphone:

I had an opportunity to do a guest webinar with Greg Cangialosi from Blue Sky Factory today about "Building Your Brand With Blogging and Email Marketing".  We discussed inbound marketing and outbound marketing, how email fits into inbound marketing, the importance of content in marketing today, how to create content, optimize content, promote content, as well as some conversion tips and how to use email to drive sales and as part of your blog.

Listen to the MP3 audio and follow along on the slides below.