Using different color palettes in marketing has been a standard for many years. Every color is different and has its own meaning; you can write the same email twice and color code it differently, it will make the reader feel different emotions. A well-placed color can change the text – it can communicate emotion, set the mood, make you angry or happy, and enhance the statement that the text holds. Above all else, using colors for your email marketing campaign can make you stand out from the crowd.
Color Theory in Marketing
The major idea behind color theory is that every person associates a specific color with an emotion or feeling. While color interpretation somewhat depends on personal experience, experts in marketing agree that certain shades affect people similarly. In recent years, we’ve come across the phrase ‘email font color etiquettes.’ Etiquette in email colors simply states that certain hues are appropriate for certain emails. For example, you wouldn’t use bright pink colors in a price increase email or plaster a neon green background on a charity drive email.
It’s important to understand that every time a consumer opens an email, they quickly scan the front page and make an intuitive decision if they are interested. This decision is made in less than 5 seconds after opening the email. Some of the attributes that influence a consumer’s opinion include:
- Catchy subject line;
- Email body formatting;
- Image color scheme;
- Colors of both the headline and the email body;
- The quality of the banner placed at the bottom of the email.
Opening an email is a direct interaction with a brand. It doesn’t matter if the company sells shoes or cruise ships; first impressions matter. Up to 90% of consumers’ assessment of products is based on their opinion of the color scheme and whether this color can be associated with the company. By educating marketing staff on the different meanings of colors, you can reach a different level of consumer/brand interaction.
Psychology Behind Color in Email Marketing
Before you start implementing color schemes into your emails, you need to understand the meaning behind some of the most frequently used colors. Keep in mind that different colors mean slightly different things across cultures. While red could mean a good fortune in China, it is seen as a mournful color in South Africa. Similarly, white is a color that symbolizes purity; in Chinese culture, white is the traditional mourning color and is often used during burials.
Next, nobody can tell which are the best colors for email marketing. There are too many variables, so there can be no precise, universally functional answer. A sports company might prefer the red color since it emits energy and passion. A company that manufactures cars could go with the color black since it’s elegant and always in style. Most importantly, the color should match your brand style. Similarly, the communication between a brand and its clients needs to match the tone.
Let’s take a look at the psychology behind popular email colors.
• Black
There is a reason why so many evening dresses are styled in black. It’s a color that speaks of authority and elegance. Black is a color that symbolizes power, luxury and affluence. An abundance of black, however, creates a sense of dread and fear of the unknown. There is a very thin line between luxury and macabre in this case.
A good way to use black in email marketing is to contrast it with other colors. Black helps more vibrant colors pop out on the page and draw attention to detail. Never use a black background in an email since it swallows the entire page, making it almost unreadable.
• White
White color represents purity and innocence. Unlike its counterpart black, white emits openness and cleanliness. Overuse of white has the opposite effect of leaving a sense of emptiness. Too much white in an email body leaves an impression of coldness as if nobody cares about the presentation.
White is a unique color that goes well with almost every other color combination. You can combine it with red to create a statement of rebirth. White goes very well with blue as it creates a feeling of open spaces. The white color shouldn’t be used in the text itself as it is hard to read and doesn’t blend well.
• Red
Red is the color of war, power, and passion. It can also be interpreted as danger, aggression, and scarlet blood. Red can be perceived in two distinct ways depending on the message and color it’s matched with.
The goal of using red in email marketing is to make something else stand out. It can be implemented in the email body but only in spots that need to become eye-popping. Overuse of the red color creates cluttering and a sense of walking through a meat shop. However, this color also conveys urgency and the need to act fast, which is why so many CTAs are featured in red shades. Red works best when combined with basic colors such as white and gray.
• Blue
Blue is a color that symbolizes transparent thought and open communication. It has a serendipitous and calming effect. Different shades of blue can be interpreted in different ways. Light blue, for example, works similarly to the white color by symbolizing innocence. Darker shades of blue can create a feeling of stability, tradition, and security.
In terms of email marketing, the blue color is a favorite in the electronics market. Many phones and computer software companies use different shades of blue for their products since it helps smooth their designs.
A general tip when using blue in email marketing is to combine it with soft colors such as white or very pale grey.
• Yellow
Yellow is most often associated with fortune and money. It comes from the original color of coins, slightly copper and gold. Besides money, yellow symbolizes the sun. A study confirmed that 60-70% of participants felt slightly happier when gazing at the color yellow than at any other color.
However, overusing yellow may lead to unpleasant side effects. Too much yellow symbolizes sickness and illness. Yellow is not a good color for advertising expensive or luxurious items since it can come off as a little childish.
Yellow is a color that looks very well with orange and light brown. It is highly attention-grabbing and often attracts impulsive people. The color makes people buy more and spend more on recreational activities.
• Orange
Very similar to yellow, the orange color is playful and positive. Many people associate this color with the fruit of the same name, although oranges aren’t naturally vibrantly orange.
An oversaturation of orange seems childish and sickly, though. This shade could be a great fit for some products, as long as it’s used wisely.
• Green
Green color has become a symbol of recycling and good habits. It is a color that expresses calmness, peace of mind, and freshness. Many popular restaurants dye their interior in either green or green/blue to create a sense of clean and fresh food.
Green is the color of nature and plants. In a more modern concept, green is also the color of money and is often used as a way to show profits.
Too much green creates the feeling of toxicity, though. Remember that there are different hues to a color, and these hues have different meanings. While pale green is refreshing, deep or yellowish-green creates the feeling of sickness.
• Purple
Purple is an artificially created color with a deep history. It was originally used as an Imperial color in Ancient China. The only person allowed to wear purple was the emperor. As times changed and China became a Republic, purple color became widely used outside the Imperial Palace.
The purple color symbolizes creativity. Surprisingly, only a few companies that specialize in learning or education programs use purple shades. We guarantee that your emails will stand out if you add some purple to your email marketing strategy.
When choosing email background colors, go for a paler purple as it creates a feeling of royalty and excellence. Conversely, darker hues of purple have a more sinister and menacing feeling.
• Pink
Pink color has been identified as the go-to color for happiness. It is a lighthearted shade that speaks of hope and youth. Many correctional institutes have begun painting inmate cells in pink as an attempt to lower frustration and stimulate personal growth.
When choosing which shades to use in your email marketing campaign, opt-in for a lighter hue of pink. Darker pink hues or champaign-pink create a feeling of something mysterious and not quite right.
Reflect your Brand
When crafting an email marketing campaign, it’s of vital importance that you ask yourself several questions:
- Who is my customer base?
- What is my product?
- What message am I trying to relay?
- How do I want to be perceived?
The answer to these questions will give you an idea of what colors to use in your marketing campaign. Do you want to be friendly and approachable? Do you want to be bold and adventurous? Different intentions need a different approach towards color-coding your emails.
The colors and design elements that you implement into your marketing campaign don’t have to mirror your brand. Rather, they need to embellish its strengths and goals. The right color combination will reflect your style and tone while also becoming recognizable to people.
A recognizable brand is one of the main reasons people remember a product. Think of companies such as KFC, Nike, or Dior; every one of them has a style that is color-coded in accordance with the message that they want to display to the public. Since your brand will be featured in every email that you write, you should make sure that it is unique and recognizable.
Above all else: keep it simple. As long as your brand is honest and elegant, showing consumers the passion that they want to see, your email campaign will be successful. We recommend reading this article next: How to Score Leads Online to find out more about email marketing goals and tricks.
Image source: pixabay.com
