When starting a new email campaign, one of the first big decisions you are going to have to make is choosing an email template. There are tons of free templates out there, so finding one that suits your needs shouldn’t be a problem. Just remember to choose a template that suits your target audience.

If your blog focuses on karate tournaments in your area it doesn’t really make sense to choose a template that has puppy prints in all the corners. Obviously. So, what should you look for in an email template?

Will It Work Long Term?

Your email template will be the foundation for all your email newsletters, so you want to make sure to choose one that you can use consistently. Choosing an email template is hard enough the first time, you don’t want to have to choose and re-choose every month. Stick with something simple that you can augment as you need.

Multi Platform

Think of all the ways people are checking email today: desktops at work, laptops and tablets at the coffee shop, smartphones while on the go. With so many options or checking email, you need to make sure that your email template will look good on all of them. Choose a few templates and test them out with a few different devices before you make your final decision and start your campaign. You’ll be glad you did.

Multimedia

One of the keys to a successful email marketing campaign is to vary the content of your email from time to time. This not only grabs the attention of your readers but gives you the chance to show them different aspects of your business. Make sure that whatever template you choose can handle multimedia additions like photos and videos.

Stay Consistent

Whatever template you choose should look as similar to your website as possible. It’s not always possible to have your emails look exactly like your website, but you should at least have the same color scheme and font. Image is important in any business and the more closely your newsletter resembles your website, the more professional your business will appear.

Keep Your Options Open

While the email template you choose should be able to last a long time, it’s always good to have options. The best email templates have a basic look that stays the same but allows you to change little things here and there. It’s nice to have the option to add artwork and photos to special occasions and you readers will enjoy the change of pace.

Choosing an email template that suits you and your business can be difficult. Remember that the most important thing is to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What appeals to them, what would they want to see? The right template will go a long way towards helping you build a successful email marketing campaign, and with a little creative wiggle room, the sky’s the limit.