Above the Fold
If you’re interested or involved with email or internet marketing you’re likely familiar with the term “The Fold” when it comes to websites on the internet. But did you know that there is such a thing as “The Email Fold” as well?
In this short post, we'll define the email fold and review its importance in captivating the recipients of your emails.
What is The Email Fold?
The Email Fold refers to the portion of an email that is immediately visible to the recipient without scrolling. It is the same as the term "above the fold" that is often used in web design.
The content that appears above the email fold is important because it determines whether the recipient will continue reading the remainder of the email or not. Following this line of thinking, it is essential to strategically place important information, engaging subject lines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action above the email fold to maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns.
How important is The Email Fold?
Opinions on this are beginning to vary and that’s due to significant changes in user behavior. A 2018 study from the Nielsen Norman Group highlights that in 2010, 80% of users spent their time above the fold. In 2018, that number had significantly decreased to just 57%. This number is likely to continue dropping as scrolling has become a norm in our daily lives.
However, that doesn’t mean that optimizing your emails above the fold is a waste of time.
First impressions still count and the content above the fold is your email's opening act—it sets the stage and may determine if a recipient will continue reading. Engaging content in this prime real estate can mean the difference between an email that's read and one that's instantly trashed.
It’s just less important than before (mileage may also vary depending on your audience).
Variability of The Email Fold Across Devices
Being above the fold isn't a one-size-fits-all. Depending on the device or email client, the visible portion of your email can differ. A design that looks perfect on a desktop might truncate crucial information on a mobile device.
If you have decided that the email fold is an important part of your email marketing considerations then it will be essential to design and test your emails with multiple devices in mind.
Strategies to Optimize Above the Fold Content
There are a handful of strategies that you can utilize to ensure the main selling points of your emails are above the fold.
Engaging Headlines: Craft a headline that grabs attention and accurately communicates your email's purpose.
Relevant Images: Use compelling visuals that align with your brand or message.
Clear CTAs: Position your primary call to action where it's clearly visible.
Utilize Preview Text: Preview text can enhance the subject line and further entice recipients to continue reading.
Following these strategies will give your message the best chance of being read in full by the recipient even as trends begin to shift more and more over time.
Key takeaways
The email fold refers to the portion of an email that is visible without scrolling.
It is important to strategically place important information, engaging subject lines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action above the email fold to maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns.
The email fold can determine whether recipients continue reading the email or not.
The visible portion of the email can vary across devices and email clients, so it is important to design and test emails with multiple devices in mind.
Your mileage may vary. There are changes in user behavior that make the importance of being above the fold less important in some email marketer’s eyes.
Congrats! You made it through this post on what it means to be above the fold in email marketing. This is just one term in our growing glossary of key terms that you should have at your disposal.
If you’re interested or involved with email or internet marketing you’re likely familiar with the term “The Fold” when it comes to websites on the internet. But did you know that there is such a thing as “The Email Fold” as well?
In this short post, we'll define the email fold and review its importance in captivating the recipients of your emails.
What is The Email Fold?
The Email Fold refers to the portion of an email that is immediately visible to the recipient without scrolling. It is the same as the term "above the fold" that is often used in web design.
The content that appears above the email fold is important because it determines whether the recipient will continue reading the remainder of the email or not. Following this line of thinking, it is essential to strategically place important information, engaging subject lines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action above the email fold to maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns.
How important is The Email Fold?
Opinions on this are beginning to vary and that’s due to significant changes in user behavior. A 2018 study from the Nielsen Norman Group highlights that in 2010, 80% of users spent their time above the fold. In 2018, that number had significantly decreased to just 57%. This number is likely to continue dropping as scrolling has become a norm in our daily lives.
However, that doesn’t mean that optimizing your emails above the fold is a waste of time.
First impressions still count and the content above the fold is your email's opening act—it sets the stage and may determine if a recipient will continue reading. Engaging content in this prime real estate can mean the difference between an email that's read and one that's instantly trashed.
It’s just less important than before (mileage may also vary depending on your audience).
Variability of The Email Fold Across Devices
Being above the fold isn't a one-size-fits-all. Depending on the device or email client, the visible portion of your email can differ. A design that looks perfect on a desktop might truncate crucial information on a mobile device.
If you have decided that the email fold is an important part of your email marketing considerations then it will be essential to design and test your emails with multiple devices in mind.
Strategies to Optimize Above the Fold Content
There are a handful of strategies that you can utilize to ensure the main selling points of your emails are above the fold.
Engaging Headlines: Craft a headline that grabs attention and accurately communicates your email's purpose.
Relevant Images: Use compelling visuals that align with your brand or message.
Clear CTAs: Position your primary call to action where it's clearly visible.
Utilize Preview Text: Preview text can enhance the subject line and further entice recipients to continue reading.
Following these strategies will give your message the best chance of being read in full by the recipient even as trends begin to shift more and more over time.
Key takeaways
The email fold refers to the portion of an email that is visible without scrolling.
It is important to strategically place important information, engaging subject lines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action above the email fold to maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns.
The email fold can determine whether recipients continue reading the email or not.
The visible portion of the email can vary across devices and email clients, so it is important to design and test emails with multiple devices in mind.
Your mileage may vary. There are changes in user behavior that make the importance of being above the fold less important in some email marketer’s eyes.
Congrats! You made it through this post on what it means to be above the fold in email marketing. This is just one term in our growing glossary of key terms that you should have at your disposal.
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If you’re interested or involved with email or internet marketing you’re likely familiar with the term “The Fold” when it comes to websites on the internet. But did you know that there is such a thing as “The Email Fold” as well?
In this short post, we'll define the email fold and review its importance in captivating the recipients of your emails.
What is The Email Fold?
The Email Fold refers to the portion of an email that is immediately visible to the recipient without scrolling. It is the same as the term "above the fold" that is often used in web design.
The content that appears above the email fold is important because it determines whether the recipient will continue reading the remainder of the email or not. Following this line of thinking, it is essential to strategically place important information, engaging subject lines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action above the email fold to maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns.
How important is The Email Fold?
Opinions on this are beginning to vary and that’s due to significant changes in user behavior. A 2018 study from the Nielsen Norman Group highlights that in 2010, 80% of users spent their time above the fold. In 2018, that number had significantly decreased to just 57%. This number is likely to continue dropping as scrolling has become a norm in our daily lives.
However, that doesn’t mean that optimizing your emails above the fold is a waste of time.
First impressions still count and the content above the fold is your email's opening act—it sets the stage and may determine if a recipient will continue reading. Engaging content in this prime real estate can mean the difference between an email that's read and one that's instantly trashed.
It’s just less important than before (mileage may also vary depending on your audience).
Variability of The Email Fold Across Devices
Being above the fold isn't a one-size-fits-all. Depending on the device or email client, the visible portion of your email can differ. A design that looks perfect on a desktop might truncate crucial information on a mobile device.
If you have decided that the email fold is an important part of your email marketing considerations then it will be essential to design and test your emails with multiple devices in mind.
Strategies to Optimize Above the Fold Content
There are a handful of strategies that you can utilize to ensure the main selling points of your emails are above the fold.
Engaging Headlines: Craft a headline that grabs attention and accurately communicates your email's purpose.
Relevant Images: Use compelling visuals that align with your brand or message.
Clear CTAs: Position your primary call to action where it's clearly visible.
Utilize Preview Text: Preview text can enhance the subject line and further entice recipients to continue reading.
Following these strategies will give your message the best chance of being read in full by the recipient even as trends begin to shift more and more over time.
Key takeaways
The email fold refers to the portion of an email that is visible without scrolling.
It is important to strategically place important information, engaging subject lines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action above the email fold to maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns.
The email fold can determine whether recipients continue reading the email or not.
The visible portion of the email can vary across devices and email clients, so it is important to design and test emails with multiple devices in mind.
Your mileage may vary. There are changes in user behavior that make the importance of being above the fold less important in some email marketer’s eyes.
Congrats! You made it through this post on what it means to be above the fold in email marketing. This is just one term in our growing glossary of key terms that you should have at your disposal.