Plain Text & HTML Email Newsletters - A Powerful Marketing One, Two Punch

One thing I don't see very often anymore are plain text based emails. It seems everyone who is leveraging email marketing rather do so with a beautiful, image laden html based emails. I am of course not an exception to the rule although with every campaign I send I send out both plain text and html email to my subscribers. Why you ask? It seems like the diplomatic thing to do. I want to accommodate those that prefer to receive them and for some very practical reasons.

If you aren't already sending both you might want to re-consider sending both options for the following reasons:

1. With the proliferation of the smart phones people are reading email on things other than computers in increasing numbers. Mobile devices don't all render html emails correctly so it gives the opportunity for your marketing message to still be received.
2. Plain text emails can't be tracked. Which means learning how many people opened, read and clicked on links within your email won't be known, bummer.


Two simple reasons why plain text and html newsletters make a powerful punch together when email marketing.

P.S.
When designing both keep the content the same because there are filters out there (Spam Assassin) that will scan both messages and if they aren't consistent you could be penalized.