Scannable - Email Marketing

What Does "Scannable" Mean in Email Marketing?

In the context of email marketing, "scannable" refers to the ease with which recipients can quickly glance through and grasp the key points of your email. Given the limited attention span of most readers, making your emails scannable helps ensure that your message is understood even if the reader spends just a few seconds on it.

Why is Scannability Important?

Scannability is crucial because it directly impacts your email engagement rates. If an email is difficult to read, recipients are more likely to delete it or, worse, mark it as spam. Scannable emails improve readability, making it more likely that your audience will digest the key information and respond to your call-to-action (CTA).

How to Make an Email Scannable?

Several strategies can make your emails more scannable:

Use Headers and Subheaders: Break your content into sections with clear headings.
Bullet Points and Lists: These make information easy to digest.
Short Paragraphs: Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences.
Highlight Key Information: Use bold, italics, or different colors to emphasize crucial points.
Whitespace: Use whitespace to give your content room to breathe.

Examples of Scannable Content

Here are a few examples of how to make content more scannable:
Before:
"We are excited to announce that our new product line will be launching next month. This product line includes various items that we believe will be very popular among our customers. We hope that you will be as excited as we are about this new launch."
After:

Exciting News!
Our new product line launches next month. Here’s what to expect:

Variety of new items
High popularity among customers
Join us in the excitement!

Tools to Improve Scannability

Several email marketing tools and plugins can help you create more scannable content:

Grammarly: Helps you write concise and clear content.
Hemingway Editor: Highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common errors.
Litmus: Allows you to preview your email design across different devices.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the best intentions, it's easy to make mistakes that reduce scannability:

Overloading with Information: Keep your emails focused on one primary message.
Ignoring Mobile Optimization: Ensure your email looks good on mobile devices.
Lack of Visual Hierarchy: Use headers, subheaders, and bullet points to create a visual flow.

Conclusion

Making your emails scannable is a vital aspect of effective email marketing. By ensuring your emails are easy to read and understand at a glance, you increase the likelihood that your recipients will engage with your content and take the desired action. Use the strategies and tools mentioned above to enhance the scannability of your emails and see a positive impact on your engagement rates.