If you must use a graphic header, make it count.

Graphic headers are a necessary evil in HTML email design. On the one hand, they add an element of visual interest and enable you

to highlight a key selling point. Handled improperly, however, they do little more than push vital selling copy down the page, all for

what most email clients (with images turned off) will see as a white box. Keep headers as narrow as possible.

TIP 01

Sell the content, not the company.

Even if a company is a thought leader in its space, littering mention of the brand throughout the email is a big mistake. The

company name or brand is not the message (or at least, it shouldn’t be.) The reason people will register for any Webinar is because they believe the information presented will be of value.

Keep the branding to a minimum.

TIP 02

Avoid first and third person where possible.

One of the simplest ways to make your email resonate with your audience is to talk to the reader directly, in the second person (as

in: “you’ll learn …”, “you’ll hear …”) Conversely, describing the content in the third person, for example: “[Presenter Name] will outline 9 ideas that email marketers must add to their arsenal,”

sounds much more impersonal. Phrased as such, the content reads like a meeting agenda, not an invitation to act.

TIP 03

Use bullet points to call out key selling points at a glance.

Studies show that emails often get read at a mere glance, usually in the preview pane. One of the most effective ways to ensure

that key messages are highlighted is to break the copy into bullet points that spell out learning benefits individually. If those same benefits are lumped together en masse into one paragraph, most

readers will ignore them.

TIP 04

Offer concrete benefits, not vague generalities.

All that matters in a Webinar invitation is to convince the reader that investing 45 minutes or so of his/her time will be worthwhile. To do so requires describing the benefits of attending – what the attendee will learn, see, hear – in specific, concrete terms. Copy should answer these key questions: Why should I attend? How

will I or my company benefit? What specifically will I learn?

TIP 05

Avoid gratuitous social inks and other navigation.

A Webinar invitation has one goal: getting the reader to register for the event. Presenting any opportunity to do otherwise is a

distraction from the primary call to action, and almost guaranteed to lower response. Avoid any kind of top navigation, a footer with

contact information, links back to the main Website, and social sharing links. All detract from the primary goal of your invitation.

TIP 06

Buttons are calls to action; not post-its.

Buttons are useful devices in email design. They reinforce the primary call to action, add visual interest, serve to break up the

copy, and are easier to click for mobile users. What they’re not is billboards. Button text should be a) short, b) specific and c)

action-oriented. Your best option: “Register Now.”

TIP 07

Spear Marketing Group is a full-service demand generation agency that helps B2B technology companies generate, nurture, and

convert leads to revenue. Services include email marketing, event promotion, SEO/SEM, content syndication, lead nurturing, digital

advertising, social media, and content development. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.spearmarketing.com

Additional resources:

Recorded Podcast: Secrets to Webinar Success

White Paper: Top 10 Tips for Webinar Invitation Success

Blog Post: Design Choices & More Sink Webinar Invitation