EmailAn email (or electronic mail) is a method of exchanging communications through the internet. It is one of the most used features on the web and the number one mean... or electronic mail is a common method of communication that many people use. Companies, institutes and individuals use email to send messages for various different reasons. An email has various parts and components that are important to make note of. This is known as the anatomy of an email. 

In this article, we will discuss what the anatomy of an email means. We will also talk about the parts of the email and how best to go about creating your email campaigns. We will also talk about some ways brands have done well with well-written emails.

What Is Anatomy Of An Email?

The anatomy of an email is made up of three components: the header, the body and the signature. The envelope usually contains the recipient’s and sender’s email addresses. It also has the subject of the email as well as the date. The body of the message contains the actual material and content. The signature of the message is a text block that ends your email. This can include the name of the sender as well as their contact information. 

These sections can also be labelled as convincing a customer to read your email, convincing them to require your service and product and finally convincing them to purchase, perform a certain action or say goodbye.

Benefits And Importance

There are quite a few reasons why you should structure your email well. This comes from understanding how the anatomy of an email benefits you and your business. Here are some benefits of writing an anatomically sound email:

• A well-structured email helps you to avoid any misunderstandings.

• It sends a clear and complete message to your readers.

• Besides that, you can save time if you know exactly how to write an email.

• A good email helps to enhance the credibility of your business. 

• It also helps to build your brand image as people will associate your brand with good email skills.

• A well-written email even helps to create and maintain good relationships with your customers or readers.

• Besides that, you can build goodwill and send an accurate message to your readers.

Parts Of An Email

As discussed earlier, there are three main parts: the message envelope, the message body and the message signature. In these parts, there are several subcategories like the header or salutation of an email. We will discuss each part in detail below.

• Message Envelope: The envelope in an email is not an actual envelope but rather the information displayed when someone receives an envelope in their inbox. In the envelope content, you can see the name of the sender as well as the subject line. Most may also show the logo of the sender and a short preview of the content. All email clients will also show the content in a different manner. Some may display less or more of the preview text. 

• Message Body: This contains the hero content of the email. You can find your header here which includes your recipient, sender, subject line, and date. This part of the body sets the tone for the rest of your email. Next comes your salutation. It should be polite but also friendly and upbeat. Apart from the header you now have your actual content. This is also called the hero content. This includes the main message of your email. The last component of the body is the CTAA CTA is a phrase or word designed to get an immediate response from the reader. As the name suggests, it's usually something that involves a precise action performed by... or the call to action. This is a very important part of your email where you ask your reader to do a certain action. It could be something like a “read more” or “sign up” button/link. 

• Message Signature: Last up is the email signature. This includes the name of the sender along with their designation. It can be just a specific individual or the sign of the company at large. You can then close the email with a thank you and sign off.

The Anatomy Of An Email Strategy

When writing an email, it is important to understand the anatomy of an email. If you think about what makes up an email you have the envelope and then the actual content of the email. Among these parts, there are various breakdowns that you can take note of while writing your email.

• The Envelope: The envelope of an email mainly consists of 4 parts: The subject line, the preview content, the sender’s logo and the date. With regard to the subject line, you need to persuade the reader to open your email with a single sentence. Next up is the preview content. For this part, some email clients may or may not support it. It may appear below or after the subject line. This is the second piece of information that can grab a reader’s attention. After that is the logo. Many companies don’t add their logo to their email annotations. This adds a form of legitimacy to your brand. It also helps a client to recognise your brand and your emails better. And last is the date and time. There are certain days and times in the week that a person will open your email. 

• The Content: This next part consists of 3 components: the header, the hero content and the footer. You will find that the header of the email is always before the actual information. This includes the information of the sender and receiver. Besides that, it also has the date and subject line. Next is the hero content or the body. This includes the main message and information that you would like to pass on to your readers. You should keep the email specific rather than talking about many different topics. Last is the footer. It includes a link to unsubscribe or a legal disclaimer.

Pros And Cons

Here are some pros of emails:

• Emails are cheap. The cost of an email doesn’t change even if you send it to someone far away. 

• Emails are fast and convenient. You can send someone an email and they will receive it within minutes depending on their connections. Also, it is easy to store your message as a draft before sending it. You can also send emails to many people at a time.

• Emails are permanent documents. You can have a strong record of all your email replies and messages. This includes the information of when the email was sent and received. 

Here are some cons of emails:

• Emails can be considered spam. 

• There can also be some viruses that are shared through email. 

• Besides that, there are issues with storing the data. 

• Also, there may be issues with protecting your data.

Tips

When it comes to the anatomy of an email, it is important to make sure you follow certain rules of thumb. Here are some great tips and tricks for you to take note of while writing an email.

• Date and Time: A popular time to send an email is on a weekday rather than at weekends. Besides that, you should stick to a mid-day email rather than too early in the morning or late at night. Besides that, an email sent on Friday evening might be ignored since it is closer to the weekend.

• Envelope Subject: This is much similar to a pitch. In this, you convey exactly what your email’s message is about.

• Body Content: You should keep your sentences short and readable. This makes your content more digestible rather than chunks of information. You should also create a sense of urgency, talk about a specific pain point and then keep their attention. Besides that, you should try to keep it to around 100-200 words maximum.

• Body Footer: This includes any add-ons that you would have to put in due to legal requirements. You can also have a copyright notice or a posting email address.

Best Practices

While writing an email, there are some things you can keep in mind. These are some of the best practices for navigating the anatomy of an email.

• Message Envelope: An important thing to take note of here is that the message envelope is the place where a user will first decide whether they should open your email or not. And so, it is important that the subject is catchy and appealing.

• Body Header: When writing your header, make sure you stay on brand. Also, keep it versatile with each campaign. Besides that, you should keep it short, sweet and informative.

• Body Subject: When writing your subject line there are certain things you should keep in mind. The subject is an important part of your email. It should convey your message in a concise and interesting manner. Besides that, you should avoid getting into the realm of clickbait.

• Body Salutation: The salutation is how you open or welcomes your reader. Keep in mind that your tone of greeting differs for each individual you send it to. For business emails, you can go with Dear Sir/Madam. If you have a relationship with the person you can also use Hello or Good morning/evening/night.

• Body Content: You can also use this space to promote a product or service or send a timely update to your customers. It should be short and not like a novel.

• Body CTA: You should use catchy and fun phrases that will entice a reader into learning more or taking an action.

• Message Closings: This includes phrases like ‘Thank you’, or ‘Regards’. You can also use ‘Sincerely’. Some people might also use ‘Best’.

• Message Signature: It may be better to use an individual member’s sign as it adds a personal touch to the email. 

Top Anatomy Of An Email Examples

If you’re looking for some great examples of email marketing, then here are 3 some good examples.

• BuzzSumo: This company uses simple and minimal visuals and designs to promote the engagement data on their Reddit platform. This also brings your attention to a “Subscribe Now”. In addition, the graphic also illustrates a partnership between Reddit and BuzzSumo. 

• 1800 Flowers.com: This next business uses a transactional email approach. You have your CTA, order details and an appealing body of content. Besides that, there is also a clear subject line that gives you a clear idea of what the email is about.

• Air Asia: Here is another brand that sent an email to a customer after their flight. The email has a clear and conversational subject line. The whole email takes a conversational standpoint. After a customer answers the survey. They are then led to a landing page. Over here the customer can then add any additional feedback, suggestions, complaints, or compliments.

In Conclusion

The anatomy of an email is important to understand. This is because there are various parts to an email that when put together in a good way make for a well-structured message. It is made up of 3 parts: the header, the body and the signature. Besides that, you have the envelope that people view in their inboxes.

These parts are important to convince a reader to open the email, and next convince them to keep reading the email. And then, you need to convince them to take an action or make a purchase. 

There are many reasons why having a structured and well-written email is important to your business. First, it helps reduce misunderstandings and paints a clear picture of your messaging. Second, it also gives your customers a chance to understand your brand which builds your brand image. And last, it makes your brand credible and trustworthy.

How did this article help you? What are some other successful ways to structure your emails? Let us know in the comments section below.