What have we found to expand your email knowledge today?

Here are a few of our favourite links from across the email and business world, carefully curated just for you:

Bonus link from a friend to our community: 7 Viral AI career myths that are straight-up lies (A research-based reality check)

We’re also constantly on the lookout for new resources, news, tools and links, so hit us up if you’ve got something valuable to feature!

Today’s topic is inspired by some fascinating conversations we had at the GURU Conference last week (and where many of you new community members joined us from - so a massive welcome here too!)

In case you were unavailable (or stuck on a remote island), the GURU Conference is literally the world’s largest virtual email event.

We’re talking 26,000+ registered attendees, a broken world record, and keynotes from Nicole Kidman, Ann Handley, Tyler Denk, Sophie Miller, and so much (educated) fun, crammed into 2 jam-packed days.

We had the privilege of co-hosting the “Email Design & Development” networking rooms alongside our friend, Phil Ireland, and sheesh, talk about fun!

There were (and not a word of a lie) hundreds of folks popping in to engage, network and learn a little more about this space alongside us.

We got to share some knowledge, engage and, best of all, answer a few questions about the email design space.

But, there’s one question that stood out:

Should you use images in your emails or not?

And that, friends, is what we’d like to share our 2 cents about today.

Look, there’s a reason this is a good question (and the one we got most), because the verdict is out.

You get the B2B bros telling you that images don’t work, and that text-based emails are the only way to go.

On the other hand, there are only a handful of DTC brands that send anything but visually well-designed emails, and they practically decry the use of text-based email because it’s boring.

The truth, however, is that they’re both only half right (or half wrong - we’re glass-half-full folks here, aren’t we?)

We hate the words “it depends”, and that’s not our answer, because, as you can already see, we’re mostly pro-images, but there are a few things to take into account.

Every email environment, audience and sender differs.

We all have different ways we like to present our information, and personal preference plays a big role, because modern inboxes are equipped for both images and not (except you, Outlook, with your troublesome habits).

In reality, you’re going to need to decide what you prefer, and here are a few considerations to help you along the way.

There are a few industries where images and graphics are the backbone of your email efforts. Take these, for example:

We can list countless more examples where folks tend to buy with their eyes, but good email senders are keeping things balanced.

They’re adding alt-text and keeping live text (for the most part).

The key is keeping things readable, even if images don’t load.

Look, there are industries where images don’t carry as much impact (and a few studies saying “no images, plz”).

Take this (older) study by HubSpot, for example. Many folks still take what they say in here as fact.

But you need to be careful about believing everything you read (even our newsletter) without validating what works best for you first.

Remember: Check the date (email changes fact, and this study was done in 2021). Also, HubSpot espouses plain-text because they’re selling to a B2B/ mostly sales audience, so taking this with a pinch of salt would do you well.

That said, there are industries and situations where text-based beats image-based.

In reality, this isn’t politics, it’s email! You don’t have to choose sides.

Seriously, there are brands like Soft Services that have some brilliant graphics, but also send plain-text updates.

We could list a plethora more on both sides of the (self-imposed) fence, but there are a few things they’re doing well, regardless of the type of emails they’re sending:

That’s where the magic lies. Balancing what works for THEM.

Remember, it’s what makes your reader click, reply or buy that counts, regardless of the format.

P.S. Let us know what’s working for you and why here! We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Learn more.

It’s too late in the year to argue about the small stuff.

That said, there’s some (petty) satisfaction clapping back when you know you’re right (or when you know you’ve sent that damn email).

Either way, take all the ego boosts you can get this time of the year 😉