Voodoo has performed numerous strategic A/B/C tests to determine what Email Styles, and what type of embedded links produce the best results.

Even experienced marketers assume “text-only” emails will be perceived as boring and, therefore, less likely to generate click-throughs.  Voodoo statistics from hundreds of campaigns confirm the opposite is true.  The key is keeping text-based emails brief and authentically personal, so they don’t feel like a form email.  

We tested the following three Email Styles:

Personal Email—similar to a note you’d receive from a friend.  It contains a personal-sounding subject line, merged recipient first name, text-only content, with an overall casual tone.

Semi-Personal Email—like a note you’d receive from a friend, but with a bit more “professional” graphic content.  It contains a personal-sounding subject line, merged recipient first name, text with some HTML graphic content, with an overall casual tone.

Commercial Email—like most commercial emails you receive from established companies, with some added personalization.  It contains a promotional subject line, merged recipient first name, all HTML graphic content, with an overall promotional tone.

Are text links, video play buttons or product photos more likely to encourage click-throughs?  

Statistics: Click-Throughs by Email Type and Link Type

Personal Email

43%     Text link (within body copy)
31%     Video Play Button (showing frame from video)
26%     Product Photo only

Semi-Personal Email
39%     Text link
34%     Video Play Button
27%     Product Photo

Commercial Email
37%     Video Play Button
36%     Text link
27%     Product Photo

Comment: This appears to indicate that people respond most readily when the Style and type of link are consistent.  Text-based Personal Emails would normally and naturally include a text link, while HTML-heavy Commercial Emails are expected contain a video play graphic.  

Which type of email gets the best Deliverability and Response rates

(i.e., Opens and Click-throughs to watch related videos)?

Average Deliverability Rates* (as a percentage of total sends):
97%     Personal Email
93%     Semi-Personal Email
86%     Commercial Email

*This drop in deliverability is caused by the inclusion of additional “active” HTML content/links and promotional keywords.  ISP algorithms identify this content as typically “commercial,” and therefore likely to be spam or junk.

Comment: Personal Email is the clear winner here, as “lighter” HTML content is more ISP-friendly and likely to make it all the way to the in-box of the recipient.

Average Open Rates (as a percentage of total sends):
27%     Personal Email
23%     Semi-Personal Email*
8%       Commercial Email**

*The drop for Semi-Personal Email is directly attributable to the drop in deliverability rates, as the tested subject lines were identical to their Personal Email counterparts
**The Commercial Email drop is much larger than the drop in deliverability rates and therefore indicates a greater skepticism and lack of response to email which is perceived as promotional, even when coming from an approved sender

Average Click-Through Rates (as a percentage of total opens):
11%     Personal Email
9%       Semi-Personal Email
2%       Commercial Email

Voodoo’s Conclusion:  Keep it Personal!

Our statistics make it clear that the most effective way to communicate is the one that feels the most personal, i.e., a Personal Email with a Text Link to your video.  The Personal Email produces the highest Deliverability, Open and Click-Through rates.  What’s more, using this style of email, using a simple Text Link to your video is likely to produce 12% higher click-through than the next-best option. 

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