So much for polished and professional, huh? Unless the majority of your subscribers opted-in to Apple’s recent Mail Privacy Protection Update (and only ever open emails from the app), HTML can help you keep tabs on opens and performance metrics more accurately and more easily than ever.ĭo keep in mind that with more functionality and flexibility comes more opportunity for error, and HTML emails can display in frustratingly different ways.Įver had things look real wacky on your mobile device? Yeah, we’ve all been there.Īnd unlike plain text, incorrectly formatted code can break an email, leaving behind a jumbled mess rather than your intended message. The format permits senders to gain insight on their audience by embedding tracking pixels: Snippets of code that log email open rates, click-throughs, and so on. īut what HTML lacks in accessibility, it makes up for in data. It might surprise you that even Gmail didn’t support HTML content until 2016. Plain text is also universally accessible, whereas HTML is not. Plain text’s ASCII delivery system, on the other hand, means no code, no display instructions, only vibes… The first difference is obvious: Since HTML emails contain markup code and CSS capabilities, they provide senders with endless styling options and the ability to build off a brand image. But no matter which you choose, there are several distinctions you want to be aware of before pressing send… What’s the difference between html email and plain text email? What I’m trying to say here is, HTML is everywhere.Īnd with infinitely more avenues for getting creative, it’s no surprise most marketers have gone all-in. Though minimally-designed messages with higher text-to-image ratios get labeled “hybrid emails” or even just “plain text”, they’re still HTML-based since they contain formatting instructions. But did you know most “regular” emails are HTML too? We’re all used to fancy graphics and bold call-to-actions by now. Obvious examples exist everywhere in marketing campaigns. ![]() And unlike plain text, HTML emails contain information that informs the recipient’s device how to display it. Short for HyperText Markup Language, HTML is the standard language used to display web pages (although email HTML works a little differently!). Simply put, HTML emails contain everything their counterparts cannot: Styling, colors, standout CTAs, images and multimedia content, hyperlinks… you get it. HTML emails are what most think of when they picture “email” today, especially branded ones. So plain text presents a peculiar challenge: The fact that your copy is the only thing under your control.Ĭall it an exercise in letting go, I suppose. Consequently, one man’s message in black 12-point Courier typeface could be another man’s indigo 8-point Inconsolata, since the device decides how the font should display rather than the email. Specifically, they use a type of text encoding called ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), something all email-based exchanges relied on back in the day.Īnd here’s the thing: ASCII comes devoid of any instructions telling the receiving device how to format a message, meaning senders have no control over the email end product. So again, the only thing plain text emails contain is plain ol’ text. To get a sense of what a plain text message looks like, check out this ToysRUs email below: Heck, you can’t even include hyperlinks - all external links require a full URL to function. No fancy fonts, colors, CTA buttons, images, or any other embedded multimedia. Plain text emails are exactly what they sound like: Emails made up of only plain text. I’ve also tapped a few experts to share their words of wisdom on the matter.īut before we get into the good stuff, let’s get clear on some key definitions… What is a plain text email? So in this article, I’ll be digging into the benefits of both plain text and HTML emails as well as their respective best practices. As you’ll see, when - and how - you should use these mediums depends on your audience, message, and objective. Of course, there are benefits to plain text emails and instances where things are best kept simple. Add to that some oft-cited data about plain text’s engagement excellence, and you might start thinking HTML is on its way out.īut as with many email marketing predictions, it’s not so black and white. ![]() ![]() Several experts predicted plain text would gain popularity as an email trend in 2022.
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