The Benefits of Email Templates (and How to Use Them)

When it comes to email marketing, design can make or break your relationship with your customers. [Two-thirds of people](http://wwwimages.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/max/2015/pdfs/state-of-content-oct.pdf) would rather read something beautifully designed than something plain, and [80%](http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-creative-and-copywriting/responsive-email-design-infographic/) will delete an email immediately if it doesn’t look good on their mobile device. Ouch.On the other hand, a well-designed email can [elevate subscriber engagement](http://blog.districtwebdesign.com/marketing/email-marketing/12-email-marketing-ideas-to-boost-subscriber-engagement/), getting you higher click-through rates and sales. But creating compelling email content is difficult enough. Add in the struggle of designing an email when you’re short on time and resources, and you’ve got a monster of a project on your hands.That’s where email templates come in handy.#### What is an email template?An [email template](https://litmus.com/blog/what-is-an-email-template) is an HTML file that you use to build email campaigns. A good template will let you copy and paste content directly into the file and render well on desktop, mobile and across various email service providers. You can use the same template again and again for multiple campaigns with different content.And that’s just a basic email template. If you’re looking to elevate your email game, try a live email template. A live email template automatically populates content – your product inventory, current sales, or live sports score for example – from your website or API into the template itself. That means your template is consistently updating itself with fresh content for your subscribers, with zero additional work on your end. Pretty cool, huh?The simple act of using an email template can completely overhaul your email production process. Here are just a few of their benefits.#### The benefits of email templates**Save time**[63% of marketers](http://edmdesigner.com/blog/10-mind-blowing-email-marketing-statistics-from-2014) spend at least two hours per campaign on content and design. But on complex campaigns that require testing and approval from multiple sources, it can take even more time than that. Email templates let you plug your content into an existing template saving you the time of designing new templates for every new campaign. That means you get to spend more time creating content and less time on tedious design work.**Stay consistent**Consistency in your branding doesn’t just create a better overall experience for your subscribers, it gives them a reason to stick around longer. [63% of consumers](https://www.bopdesign.com/bop-blog/2015/10/15-crazy-branding-stats/) say they’ve engaged with disappointing branded content, and a good number of them would not give that brand another chance.Email templates give you a way to build your brand right into the template itself – your colors, logo and design aesthetic live within the template. The result is a positive, consistent brand experience that your subscribers want to interact with again and again.**Deliver personalized experiences**[94% of businesses](https://econsultancy.com/blog/62583-94-of-businesses-say-personalisation-is-critical-to-their-success) say that personalization is critical to their success. How can a reusable email template be personal? Easy. With your template already designed, all you have to do is plug in your content, including personalization.You can add basic personalization like your subscriber’s name, or you get take it to the next level with location, weather and action-based personalization. With a branded template and email content that speaks to your individual subscribers, you have a bulletproof email campaign.#### Email templates in actionHere’s an example of a basic, stripped-down template from [Zurb](http://zurb.com/playground/projects/responsive-email-templates/basic.html). If you’re just getting started with email, using a simple template like this can help you test it out.[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/movableink-blog-production/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/11184852/Screen-Shot-2016-07-11-at-1.05.16-PM.png)Looking to try something a little more advanced? Here’s an example of a live template from Sprint’s welcome email. The top portion of the email automatically pulls in customer account information, so every new customer can find what they need fast. The result is a personalized, relevant email experience.[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/movableink-blog-production/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/11194924/Pasted-image-at-2016_07_11-03_44-PM.png)#### Want to get started with email templates?If you’re looking to get started with email templates, first define the goal of your campaign. Are you promoting a sale or an event? Or are you trying to drive engagement? Let your goal shape the type of email template and content you deliver. No matter what type of template you choose, email templates can decrease your email production drastically. Try one out and see what it can do for you!