Wednesday, October 14, 2009
MIME Email Messages - Something for Everyone
MIME email messages combine text, html, and other components such as images and documents. Most email messages sent are MIME messages. With Relevant Tools it is easy to create a MIME messages. Click on Messages and then click on Create a New Message.
Enter in the name of your message. This is the name that you will use to select the message when you mail it out. By default the from name and from email address will inserted from your account but you can change it if need be. Then enter the subject of the email. Enter the text portion of your email or upload a text file. If you upload a text file it must be an actual text file with a .txt extension - not a Word document. You can then enter your html or upload an html file.
After you create your message you should ALWAYS test it. Send a copy to yourself and others. Email can look different through different email programs on different computers. If possible in addition to testing with your own email program test through a web based email program as well.
Here is the html version of the email. It is easy to create an email message in Relevant Tools. There are many ways to create an email message. Today we will look at MIME messages which typically have a text portion and an HTML portion. The receiving email program chooses which version to use, text or HTML, but both versions are seen by spam filters.
This is the HTML version of the message. There are advantages to html. You can make your message visually interesting and engage your reader with the use of fonts and colors. Make it tasteful - don't get carried away with anything. You can have links to make it easy for your customers to learn more and contact you and you can have images to convey information.
Here is the text version of the email. The format is plain text but there are advantages to plain text. The text will be seen by the spam filters. Text may have better deliverability than HTML depending on the content and format of your message.
Having both text and html makes the message consistent with the email messages created in programs such as Outlook or Mail that create MIME messages by default.
Enter in the name of your message. This is the name that you will use to select the message when you mail it out. By default the from name and from email address will inserted from your account but you can change it if need be. Then enter the subject of the email. Enter the text portion of your email or upload a text file. If you upload a text file it must be an actual text file with a .txt extension - not a Word document. You can then enter your html or upload an html file.
After you create your message you should ALWAYS test it. Send a copy to yourself and others. Email can look different through different email programs on different computers. If possible in addition to testing with your own email program test through a web based email program as well.
Here is the html version of the email. It is easy to create an email message in Relevant Tools. There are many ways to create an email message. Today we will look at MIME messages which typically have a text portion and an HTML portion. The receiving email program chooses which version to use, text or HTML, but both versions are seen by spam filters.
This is the HTML version of the message. There are advantages to html. You can make your message visually interesting and engage your reader with the use of fonts and colors. Make it tasteful - don't get carried away with anything. You can have links to make it easy for your customers to learn more and contact you and you can have images to convey information.
Here is the text version of the email. The format is plain text but there are advantages to plain text. The text will be seen by the spam filters. Text may have better deliverability than HTML depending on the content and format of your message.
Having both text and html makes the message consistent with the email messages created in programs such as Outlook or Mail that create MIME messages by default.
Labels: email format, emIL messages
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Not all HTML is Created Equal
When it comes to sending html email messages you need to be aware of how your html has been implemented. Most people sending html mailings are not likely to be coding their html by hand. Instead you may be using a program that generates the html for you. This could be a web page design program or your regular word processing program.
The type of html that is generated depends on when the version of your program was released and the type of program that you are using. Older programs will use tables for formating and alignment and will specify fonts and text styles in line with the content. Newer programs may use CSS, cascading style sheets, for formating and alignment in addition to fonts and text styles.
For web pages CSS has may benefits but they may not be available yet for html email. Web based mail programs in particular may throw away the CSS in your email leaving your message naked and ugly. Other email clients may have problems rendering the CSS properly, especially when there are CSS issues involving cross platform compatibility. The tests used on a web page to determine which style sheet to use for the particular platform may not work for the email client resulting in malformed email that does not convey the image you desire.
Word processing programs are known for generating very messy and lengthy html that may not display well on different computers. The other issue associated with lengthly html is that it is one of the many flags used by spam filters to determine if your email message should be permitted to pass through the filters and be delivered to your intended recipients.
Check the program that you are using to create your messages and see if you have some options to turn off CSS and control the type of html generated so that you have clean html that is effective in email messages.
The type of html that is generated depends on when the version of your program was released and the type of program that you are using. Older programs will use tables for formating and alignment and will specify fonts and text styles in line with the content. Newer programs may use CSS, cascading style sheets, for formating and alignment in addition to fonts and text styles.
For web pages CSS has may benefits but they may not be available yet for html email. Web based mail programs in particular may throw away the CSS in your email leaving your message naked and ugly. Other email clients may have problems rendering the CSS properly, especially when there are CSS issues involving cross platform compatibility. The tests used on a web page to determine which style sheet to use for the particular platform may not work for the email client resulting in malformed email that does not convey the image you desire.
Word processing programs are known for generating very messy and lengthy html that may not display well on different computers. The other issue associated with lengthly html is that it is one of the many flags used by spam filters to determine if your email message should be permitted to pass through the filters and be delivered to your intended recipients.
Check the program that you are using to create your messages and see if you have some options to turn off CSS and control the type of html generated so that you have clean html that is effective in email messages.
Labels: email format
