• by Kevin George , Op-Ed Contributor, March 15, 2017

Some 31% of marketers affirm that they use their mobile device to open at least half of the emails. This implies that emails should be easily readable on mobile screens.

With human attention span sinking to as low as 3-4 seconds, it is important to help your subscribers get to the point quickly instead of having them beat around the bush.

Your subscribers are simply scanning your emails. That’s exactly how minimalist emails help. Short copy limited to what is necessary is the key element of a minimalist email design. It works on the principle of white space that makes it easy to read and understand the message in the email.

Imagine Two Emails…

Email #1 has logo, headline, 3 crisp sentences, call-to-action and unsubscribe button; and

Email #2 has logo, headline, sub-headline, a long comprehensive copy, image supporting the copy, closing text, call-to-action and detailed disclaimer with unsubscribe button

Which email offered you a clear message that appealed more to you?

It’s obviously the first one, right? That’s the charm of minimalist emails. You can easily scan through the entire email quickly and understand what it wants to say.

Why the Minimalist Email Design Trend?

As mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular with each passing day, email marketers have started thinking beyond responsive emails. Minimalistic emails are in nowadays, and emails are becoming simpler, shorter and more visually rich. Here are the reasons why:

1. They help to achieve what an email is meant to achieve
2. They grab subscriber attention
3. They keep the subscriber’s focus where it should be
4. They eventually help convert the subscriber into a lead

How to Create a Minimalist Email

Once you start thinking like a minimalist, this type of email design will become easy for you.

We are happy to share some tips that can help you embrace this email style.

1. Set off on your email designing task with a white background.
2. Keep your paragraphs short with an easy-to-read font that contrasts from the background.
3. Write two interesting lines followed by a “Read More” link to bring more subscribers to your landing page or blog or any Web site resource.
4. To have more white space in your email, avoid lines or other design elements to add breaks in the email.
5. Minimalism is about the prudent use of illustrative elements in a way that can add value to your emails.
6. Strike a balance in your emails with consistent placement of logo, an enticing photo or illustration, a few succinct lines that explain the purpose of the email and drive subscriber action, concluded by the main CTA.
7. You can also try out plain text with flat designs in your emails.
8. Apply the 5-second test. Ask people/coworkers/friends to look at the email for 5 seconds and then question them about everything they remember about it. Did they talk about the action you wanted the subscribers to take? If yes, your email is a winner.
9. Get on your thinking hats and come up with something unique that can help you to remove clutter from the email design.
10. Last but not least, TEST your emails whether they are driving the desired results and keep exploring new options.

How Your Brand Can Cash In On Minimalist Email Design?

As a brand, you can create an impressive newsletter with a minimalist email design that has -- a prominent logo, interesting image illustration, and engaging copy set in ample white space to enable readability.

The email should just end with a CTA button in perfect contrast with the background color of the email.

However, there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to email design. See what works best for your brand and go for minimalist email designs in such a way that there is no compromise on what you wish to convey. Ultimately, your audience should get the right message that you want to reach out with.

Wrapping Up

Minimalist email designs have gained a lot of momentum in the recent times and many brands are employing it in their marketing campaigns.

Have you tried it yet? Share your experiences with us and let us know whether it’s working for you or not.