How to design newsletters in 2021
Did you know that the concept of email marketing has been around for more than 40 years? That’s right!
Newsletters not only offer the opportunity to win and retain new customers but also to stand out and be remembered. For your inspiration, we will therefore show you the most important newsletter design trends for 2021 and tell you how you can integrate them into your campaigns.
The 8+ most important email newsletter design trends 2021
It is not easy to foresee the marketing trends of the future. However, some interesting trends have already emerged in 2020, which we would like to present to you. Say goodbye to boring and monotonous e-mails – time to knock your readers off their chairs!
Pantone color of the year 2021: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating
With this color ensemble, the Pantone Color Institute clearly shows where the journey in 2021 is headed.
Strength, hope, and resilience: with the two trend colors PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating you convey and reinforce optimistic messages in 2021.
Source: Dexigner
Especially after a year like 2020, in which mankind longs for clarity and wants to draw hope, give this warming color combination new strength and courage. With the bright and cheerful Illuminating and the solid Ultimate Gray you create a design that is not only practical and robust but also gives confidence at the same time.
Customize this design in VistaCreate Editor
For more trendy colors and color combinations, check out VistaCreate’s Colors project.
Dark mode: this is what you should pay attention to in 2021
Almost everyone uses it: dark mode. You should therefore ensure that your e-mail designs are also compatible with dark mode and are presented in a visually “clean” way for all readers.
What exactly is a dark mode?
The dark mode, which has been introduced in 2019, simply puts the given color scheme in a different way and ensures that e.g. B. the background of the newsletter is black instead of white. This minimizes the influence of blue light — which is harmful to the eyes — and makes the text easier to read and scan.
So that your mailings are also well received in dark mode, we recommend designing your newsletters for both light and dark mode. With little additional work, you can ensure that all passages are easy to read and that there are no optical discrepancies.
Most of the popular email marketing platforms allow you to check in advance how the newsletter works on different devices and in the respective mode.
Edit this design in VistaCreate
Minimalistic design & plain text emails send clear messages
An important trend in email design that we observed more intensely as early as 2020 is the tendency towards minimalist mailings and email templates. But minimalist design is also becoming more and more popular in print media and in web design, which is why we are sure that minimalism will also be one of the top newsletter design trends in 2021.
It is best to test it for yourself and convince yourself of the increased open and response rates by reducing your design to just a few building blocks.
Also, did you know that plain text emails often drive engagement? Because the reader is not overwhelmed by dozens of elements, you create a personal atmosphere and thus increase customer loyalty. A great example of this is marketing expert Neil Patel. With short and casual text mailings and a maximum of a handful of links, his email sum up how he can offer the reader even more added value.
When you consider the intensity of the noise on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, it becomes clearer that the best place to communicate with potential customers is via their inboxes.
Neil Patel
Our tip: A picture or an attractive graphic in the correct graphic format in the newsletter is the ideal eye-catcher and attracts additional attention.
An unconventional email layout — this is how you stand out in 2021
As you probably know, emails typically follow a conventional column layout with stacked elements: email header, introductory text, product image, and description, call to action, and, at the bottom, the email footer. Something like that, add or remove a bit.
As early as 2020, it was shown here that there is another way. For example, with a broken grid layout you have the ability to give the illusion of rhythm and movement. Take a look at this email header design from VistaCreate:
Bold typography: emphasize key ideas
Highlight what is important! As with blog posts and other longer texts, the reader is tempted to scan the text in advance. This is completely normal and happens automatically, which is why it is all the more important to make the added value of the text visible at first glance. What is the text about and, above all, what does it bring to the reader?
In addition to headings and colored highlights, bold text modules in email headings also help. Used skillfully, they serve as an ideal eye-catcher and particularly emphasize individual keywords.
Tip: You can use email headers from VistaCreate both as a header image and also as banners and even footers:
For more alive newsletters: animations
Did you know that our brain processes visual content up to 60,000 times faster than text? We think this is a good reason to try this trend out for yourself.
What you should keep in mind, however: GIFs are often not played automatically in Outlook and other e-mail programs. You should therefore test beforehand with your e-mail software how the newsletter and the animations it contains are displayed in the various programs.
Even a little bit of movement in the form of an animated text or an animation about the new product is sure to attract attention and help your reader to see at first glance what the newsletter is about.
Videos: effective newsletter design trend for boosting customer loyalty
In addition to animations, embedded videos are also a great way to spice up your newsletters in 2021. These often not only ensure more clicks but also stronger customer loyalty.
3 little video inspirations for your next newsletter
- Present your product, service, or offer.
- Give insights behind the scenes – ideal as part of a launch campaign.
- Tell your readers an industry tip in the newsletter.
Our insider tip: Increase the open rate of your newsletters by up to 19% by adding the word “video” to the subject line of the email.
Customize this email header in VistaCreate
Abstract and organic shapes are the major trend in 2021
We are confident: 2021 will be the year of organic and abstract forms. With the help of dynamic elements such as curved lines, running splashes of color and without sharp edges, your newsletters appear much softer and more inviting.
Give it a try yourself and highlight, for example, a product photo or a specific section of text with nature-inspired stickers or design objects. We can almost guarantee that your newsletter will be an eye-catcher!
More swing and depth with 3D images in the newsletter
With appealing and clear 3D images you will definitely be in trend in 2021 and give your emails more depth in no time at all. The perfect strategy for introducing your product or service!
With the help of email software with an integrated drag & drop editor, you can easily add the 3D images you have made yourself using VistaCreate to your newsletter template.
Our tip: When integrating 3D effects, it is best to concentrate only on a single style so as not to overwhelm your readers.
Customize this email header in VistaCreate
Conclusion: email marketing will be even more exciting in 2021!
In email marketing, small things can often make a big change, and we speak from experience. So use the new inspiration and spice up your newsletters in the coming year in order to win even more customers through email marketing.
However, if you already feel a tingling sensation in your hands and want to get started, please keep the following in mind: Not every email client can display every type of element. Test in advance your new ideas to see what your emails will look like in the various email platforms and clients.
