The do’s and don'ts of using images in your newsletters

Using images within your newsletters can be super powerful. If you’re a creative or sell a tangible thing, they are a brilliant way to showcase your work. But there are a few guidelines to utilising images so they work hard - not work against you in your newsletters.

First up: size of your images

Yes, I know that pro photographer you paid to take your photos gave you links to photos that are ‘web sized’, but they’re still too big for email. You ideally want your whole email to be under 1mb, so depending on how many images you’re including you will need to resize them. I use a couple of tools, first there’s one on my PC called ‘image resizer’ natch. I also use an online tool called Tinyjpg. There’s a free version which allows you to resize up to 20 images per day, or you can upgrade to pro for around $39 for the year.

Ensuring your images are optimised will help keep your beautiful and brilliant newsletters out of the junk box.

Layout

Ok so those portrait shots you take for Instagram reels - they’re not working for you on email. Even if you bring in a layout block with an image beside text and a button, you have to remember than on mobile this will be shown in a single column. So the block that looks fab on desktop, looks super clunky on mobile (where the majority of users read emails). Try to stick to square, or horizontal images.

Clickability

Images are PRIME clicking real estate, so don’t forget to add a link to all the images in your email. Users expect to click on that gorgeous product shot and be taken to that exact item in your web shop, or if you’re launching a new category of products - hello Christmas gift ideas - then use your links to direct to that product category.

The only exception is your company logo - users expect that clicking on your logo will bring them to your web home page.

While we are talking links - make a note to look at your analytics and see what links are being clicked on, and then use that data to optimise your future sends.

Moving images

The QUEEN of images for email - is the gif. Bring life to your newsletters and showcase a number of products, colours or styles using gifs. I use this online tool, but you can also create them in Canva, if that’s your bag. Don’t go full on with gifts, otherwise the reader might get motion sickness, but if you have a new or hero product you’d like to feature, gif it up!

Remove the image: is your message still clear?

Please please please don’t create lumps of newsletter content in canva (or your whole email, I’ve written a whole blog about it here). The message in your newsletter should still be crystal clear, without the images. Using alt text on your images will help from an accessibility perspective and as a back up if your images don’t load.

Quality

Last thing I want to talk about is the quality of your imagery. If you have nailed your iphone shoot and editing skills, all power to you. Go forth and snap. But if (like me), you’re really quite rubbish and taking photos and you’re limited to swiping to the Paris filter on Instagram, consider investing in some professional shots. If you’re a service business, a handful of brilliantly shot photos will really help when building your newsletters (and all your marketing channels).

If you are DIYing your newsletters, I hope this post has helped. And if you’d like to tap into some expert help to build a master template - with optimised images of course - I’d love to hear from you.