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Creating effective, great-looking HTML emails can be tricky when you consider today's rendering challenges and concerns such as dark mode and accessibility.

So, it's understandable that many marketers long to return to the days of plain text emails as a simpler alternative.

There's a nostalgia around plain text emails. They take us back to an easier time when writing an email was just that—writing, and nothing else. However, that nostalgia can often tip over into romanticizing the effectiveness of that form of email, which has been largely supplanted by HTML emails for lots of good reasons, including performance.

B2B marketers are arguably the most susceptible to being seduced by the allure of plain-text emails. So, let's discuss the times those emails are appropriate, along with some design best-practices.

Five Best Use Cases for Plain Text

Plain text emails are appropriate for a fairly narrow group of email types and situations. In all other instances, you're probably much better off crafting an HTML email for your message.

That said, it's worth acknowledging that most all-text emails are technically HTML emails coded to look like plain text emails. That allows for the inclusion of tracking pixelsl so opens can be tracked, and the use of hyperlinked text, which looks much friendlier than raw URLs, especially if UTM parameters are included.

Here are five situations when using plain-text emails can make good sense.

1. When sending or triggering emails on behalf of a sales rep

Although these are bulk emails typically sent by marketing automation platforms, using a plain text format gives them the feel of personal emails. That helps maintain the illusion that they are actually one-to-one emails sent by a person.

2. When there's a crisis

Whether it's a public relations disaster, a natural disaster, or some other kind of crisis, a plain text email conveys transparency and urgency. It says, "We didn't have time to send a pretty email. We wanted to get you the facts as soon as possible." It also says, "We're not hiding behind fancy formatting or images. Focus on what we're saying with our words."

Plain text is a common approach for all kinds of crisis messaging, which is why it has been used heavily for emails communicating the impacts of COVID-19.

3. When communicating major news

Plain text is effective for important corporate news announcements, such as news about acquisitions or mergers. It's especially appropriate when the news is coming from your CEO, president, or another senior executive, because it conveys the feeling of a personal email.

4. When sending legally required updates and service-related customer notifications

Annual terms and conditions notifications, privacy disclosures, planned platform downtime announcements, and notifications about a delayed order would fit in this category.

5. When the content is text-heavy

Plain text can be best for content that requires an unusually lengthy explanation, or text that is editorial or instructional in nature, such as an article or interview.

Four Best-Practices for Plain Text Emails

Because they're just text, plain text emails can appear simple—deceptively so. Using the following best-practices will help you get better results.

1. Don't completely abandon your brand name in the From line

Because plain text emails are so often sent on behalf of sales reps or senior executives, many brands make the mistake of using those people's names as the sender name. That's a problem because many recipients are unlikely to know the name of your executives or their sales rep, especially early in a relationship.

So, using their name as your sender name risks spam complaints and ignored emails.

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When and How to Use Plain-Text Email in Marketing: Use Cases, Design Best-Practices

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Chad S. White

Chad S. White is the head of research for Oracle Digital Experience Agency and author of four editions of Email Marketing Rules, as well as nearly 4,000 posts and articles about digital and email marketing.

LinkedIn: Chad S. White

Mastodon: @chadswhite

Twitter/X: @chadswhite