Using images in your emails is a great way to engage readers and bring in donations. Images can showcase your impact in a newsletter email or serve as an emotional call to action in a donation email. Depending on the kind of email campaign you are creating, different types of images can have different effects. 

Stay on brand

Make sure that all images you use are in line with your organization’s values and goals. If you are able to use pictures with your logo or incorporate your color scheme into your images, readers will be more likely to remember you and associate the image with your message. It’s great if you’re able to take original photos, but stock photos can also work, so long as they fit into your theme. 

Use an email template

Different email servers will display emails differently, and images will also look different on mobile devices. Inserting images into a premade email template will help to ensure that readers see your email the way that you intended. You can also add a “view as webpage” link to your emails to allow your readers to see the email how you designed it, in case their email server causes problems. 

Pay attention to size

If your image file is too large, it might take too long to load in the email. Large images might put you in danger of being sent to your readers’ spam folders. Also pay attention to the type of file that your image is saved as-- JPEGs take up less space than PNGs and are ideal for photographs, but PNGs provide clearer quality for graphics, logos, and images that include text. 

Avoid overcrowding your emails

Images can add depth to your emails, but too many images can overwhelm your readers and cause them to lose sight of your message. According to a study by Constant Contact, emails with 3 or fewer images have the highest clickthrough rates. Make sure that your emails are concise, and have a good balance between text and images to keep your readers engaged.

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