As a Personal Stylist, I often work with clients to help them find the colours that will illuminate their faces and make them sparkle but did you also know that the colours you choose send an important message and determine not only how you, as an individual, are perceived, but also how your brand is perceived. So, today I want to talk about the importance of colour in e-mail marketing campaigns and brand image.
Colours are the first thing that someone notices about you and they are an important factor in first impressions, whether about you or your brand.
The human eye can distinguish 10 million different colours and our reaction to them is influenced by our memories (positive or negative associations), where we see colours in the natural world (for example, blue is associated with a calm, sunny sky and so is often seen in leisure and travel industries but also financial and high tech companies as it conveys stability), our culture (for example, in the occidental world, brides often wear white and so it is a symbol of purity, but in the oriental word it is the colour of mourning), and finally semantics (for example ‘green with envy’, ‘to have the blues’).
Each colour has a hidden meaning and understanding the effects each colour has on the subconscious mind will help you dress each day and for very occasion with confidence.
You can offer the best product, the best service or the best special offer, but the wrong choice of colour scheme may hinder you achieving your marketing objectives by sending out the wrong message.
Today, I want to talk about the importance of choosing colour in e-mail marketing campaigns, and how choosing the ‘right’ colour scheme can increase your e-mail conversion rate.
The first point is that colours evoke different moods, and can influence our behaviour, including our buying behaviour. The Psychology of Colours is a fascinating subject (well, it is to me!) and quite complex as colours often have positive and negative connotations. The table below gives just a brief summary for each colour.
| Colour | Positive Connotation | Negative Connotation |
| White | Purity, Innocence, Cleanliness, New beginnings, Simplicity | Coldness, Detachment, Lack of interest |
| Blue | Calm, Relaxation, Harmony, Loyalty, Reliability, Honesty, Communication | Sadness |
| Red | Love, Passion, Warmth, Dynamism, Energy, Action, stimulates the appetite | Aggressivity, Arrogance, Danger |
| Yellow | Optimism, Positivity, Warmth, Happiness, stimulates the appetite | Dishonesty, Cheating, Betrayal |
| Orange | Energy, Enthusiasm, Creativity, Communication | Frivolity, Untrustworthy |
| Green | Hope, Good luck, Calm, New beginnings, Growth, Health, Nature, Luxury | Envy, Failure |
| Purple | Mystery, Creativity, Spirituality, Wisdom, Wealth | Loneliness, Sadness, Jealousy |
| Pink | Romance, Kindness, Compassion, Sweetness | Inexperience, Naivety |
| Brown | Stability, Reliability, Tradition, Authenticity | Boring, Dull, Unexciting |
| Black | Drama, Sophistication, Power, Elegance, Luxury | Evil, Darkness, Death, Unhappiness |
So, how do we put this knowledge to use in e-mail marketing?
Here are a list of tips to help you
Select your colour scheme in function of your brand image and the emotions you want to elicit
By understanding how colours affect your customers and making use of this in your brand e-mail marketing strategy, you can optimise your e-mail conversion rate.
For example, if you are a brand associated with the health industry, green could be a good choice for your marketing campaign, whereas for a brand in the travel industry, light blue is associated with relaxing destinations, tropical beaches and tranquility.
Similarly, for a brand associated with communication, orange could be a good choice and for portraying an image of reliability and trustworthiness then a darker blue is definitely worth considering.
Don’t forget also that memory plays an important role in colour psychology and so it’s best to align your email colour scheme to your brand colours as much as possible, so as to avoid confusion and establish brand recognition .
Remember also to feature images with the relevant colour scheme.
E-mails with images are proven to drive engagement more than those without. However, not just any image will do but you should select one that fits with your overall colour scheme and elicits emotions in line with the purpose of your e-mail.
An example of a brand logo that takes into account colour psychology is that of McDonalds, as both red and yellow stimulate the appetite and the red encourages people to eat more and to act quickly and yellow makes you happy! Perfect choice for a fast-food chain!
Take into account cultural differences
You should also take account of the geographical location of your target market as cultural differences also play a role in how colours are perceived.
For example, the colour red evokes passion and love in the Occidental world and good luck in China. However, it is associated with mourning in South Africa.
Consider gender differences
When you’re considering your e-mail marketing campaign, you need to remember that gender plays a very big role in the interpretation of colour.
Women have an extra colour photopigment in their eyes and they see the colour spectrum slightly differently from men, which causes them to prefer certain colours over others.
For example, 57% of men state blue as their favourite colour, compared to 35% of women. Have a look here for more information on the role of gender in colour psychology.
By understanding these differences you can segment your email lists by country and by gender and use the preferred colour scheme for each segment thereby increasing your conversion rate.
Use a different colour for your CTA button
One of the key elements of your e-mail marketing is the ‘Call to Action’ (CTA) button, which incites customers to visit your site, buy now, sign up for a webinar…. , so bearing this in mind, your CTA button should be a colour that incites action!
An obvious choice therefore is red, but all bright colours such as yellow and orange will also attract the customer to ‘click’ ! However, avoid pale colours, such as pastels or colours that can be perceived as ‘dull’, such as brown.
Take account of Personal Preferences
Reactions to colour vary from one person to another and may even change over time (according to experience). So, an important factor is testing your colour scheme as you may find that your target audience doesn’t have the reaction you anticipated!
For more information on running a successful e-mail marketing campaign, please have a look here.
I hope you enjoyed this feature about The Importance of Colour in e-mail marketing and have a look here for more of our features.
Very interesting article about the power of colors
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it x
An interesting read thanks for sharing this.
Colour always sparks interest and not to mention something relevant that people will click yes. I get so much junk in my personal email so the ones I open are usually captivating in some way or another.
Laura xo
http://www.shehearts.net
Totally agree, Laura! An e-mail really has to capture my attention too or I will just delete it without even opening it! xo
Happy Thursday lovely!
Raindrops of Sapphire
Thank you Lorna xo
Oh havent thought about this before – deifnitely need to check it our more closely 🙂
xxx
Tina
https://styleappetite.com
Thank you Tina! It’s really interesting when you start delving into it! 🙂
This is a really great post 🙂
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
Thank you Alyssa! I’m so glad you think so 🙂
This was so interesting! Thanks for sharing it.
Gemma x
http://www.jacquardflower.uk
Glad you found it interesting Gemma xo
Love this! Colors can totally send out a message. They have power!
http://www.fashionradi.com
Totally agree Radi! I am hooked on colour psychology! 🙂
This is interesting to know especially that McDonalds logo. You wrote it so clearly and in detail, great work!
http://www.busyandfab.com
Yes, McDonald’s really got it right xoxo
What a great post! I rarely think about the colors other than whether I like them or not, and apparently I should put a lot more thought into it. I’m going to check right now and see if I can change the color of my buttons.
Ruth
Thank you for reading Ruth! I’m so glad it was helpful xo
This is such a great post! Very true – color has its own psychology! Just take McDonald’s sign! Both colors stimulate appetite – so VERY smart of them!
Happy Monday, babe!
xoxo, Vanessa
http://www.WhatWouldVWear.com
Thank you Vanessa! Yes, it was the perfect colour choice for McDonald’s 🙂
Such a great post!
xx- Nina
Thank you Nina xx
Such an interesting post!
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com
Thank you Samantha xo
These are very important tips for email marketing. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
Glad you found the tips helpful x
I think people respond to colour in images in general. And sometimes, when done right. Black can come across as chic, edgy, timeless, and minimalistic. But I do think it all depends on what tone you are going for really. And it is an individual choice as well. I love this post so much. It gives off a great take on how colours are used for so many things 🙂 http://www.bauchlefashion.com
Thank you Heather! I really appreciate the feedback xoxo
This is so interesting. I have never thought about color usage for email and marketing but it makes sense! I’m definitely going to pay more attention to it! Pinning this!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thank you Jill! I’m so glad you found it interesting xo
I never knew that women and men see colors different! How interesting!! And, it is true most men prefer the color blue.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
It’s interesting, isn’t it? Although, I think women and men see lots of things differently!!!
Color truly is so important! I recently really tried to work on the appearance of my blog newsletter because I thought it really made a difference.
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
Thank you Amy Ann! I agree it makes a difference but it’s so hard to find the time to do everything! xoxo
This is really interesting! I know that colors have a psychological effect but I never really though about how they affect my brand. I always just chose colors that I liked!
~Jessica
I never really thought about it before either, Jessica! But now I’m aware of the psychology of colours I’m paying much more attention to branding xo
This is a fascinating article. I was always interested in colour theory. I agree that different colours can envoke diffrent feelings, so it makes sense they can be used in marketing.
Thank you Ivana. I’m so glad you found the article fascinating! I really love this subject xo
I believe in the effects of colours!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
Thank you Rena! Me too! xx
Thanks for the tips darling, so useful to know!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Glad you found it helpful xoxo
this is a really great article. Thanks for sharing
The Glossychic
Wonder Cottage
Glad you enjoyed the article xo
Wow thank you so much for sharing this! This is so informative!
Glad you thought so Rach xo
Oooh color psychology is so interesting! Thanks for sharing this, babe!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Glad you found it interesting, Ashley xo
These are great tips to share! I actually use yellow/gold for marketing emails!
-Robin
Yes, I love using gold too! xo
What an insightful post! Never thought about the colors I used in my email marketing. I need to refer back to this when I do one again. Thanks so much for all this knowledge Julia!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you Kathrine! I’m glad you found it insightful xo
That’s really cool! I didn’t know it had so much meaning behind it when it came to colour!
Raindrops of Sapphire
Yes, I find it so interesting!