--- title: Think Outside the Inbox (Part 3 of 3) description: April 2019 - Part 3 of GSM's deep dive into email best practices covers 'What' should be included in an email for effortless delivery. To learn in-depth tips for improving email open rate, delivery rate, and conversion rate, be sure to download our free email delivery guide. image: https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/TOTI_Pt.3-03.jpg --- [![GSM_Logo_No Tagline](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/GSM_Logo_No%20Tagline.png) ![GSM_Lockup_Vertical_White-01](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/Logos/GSM_Lockup_Vertical_White-01.png) ![GSM_Logo_No Tagline](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/GSM_Logo_No%20Tagline.png) ](https://www.gsmarketing.com) [![Contact Us](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4009182/5d8e5119-2b88-45b2-8a83-c34cb991a098.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4009182/5d8e5119-2b88-45b2-8a83-c34cb991a098) #### Digital #### Direct #### Data ### Resources With over 30 years of industry experience, we want to share effective marketing practices and actionable insights for your business. #### Case Studies Read our case studies to see how we have helped our partners. 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[![Watch Our Videos](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4009182/a6bf7b2a-24b6-4602-93c2-53411f62e13b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4009182/a6bf7b2a-24b6-4602-93c2-53411f62e13b) #### Company #### Partnership #### Careers ## Blog ###### 4 min read # [Think Outside the Inbox (Part 3 of 3)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/think-outside-the-inbox-part-3-of-3) 4/9/19 9:10 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Welcome back to GSM’s three-part series on email deliverability. In [Part 1](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/think-outside-the-inbox-part-1-of-3), we covered 'Who' should receive your email campaigns while [Part 2](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/think-outside-the-inbox-part-2-of-3) discussed 'How' an email makes it to the right inbox - from send to receive. Now, it’s time to take a closer look at 'What' should be included in your email to help it get opened and land in subscribers' inboxes. **What should be included in email content?** **Content quality** Content quality has a huge impact on email deliverability. Besides the necessary legal requirements of commercial emails, there are other things to include or exclude to give  your emails the best chance of reaching subscribers’ inboxes: **![Personalization-Icon-01](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Personalization-Icon-01.jpg?width=97&name=Personalization-Icon-01.jpg)Personalization **in email efforts is an expectation and it also helps increase open rates, especially when used in a subject line.   **![SmallImage-Icon-02](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SmallImage-Icon-02.jpg?width=97&name=SmallImage-Icon-02.jpg)** **Use smaller images; **Larger images take longer to send and they can max out your message size, making the email too large to send (soft bounce).   **![LinkShorten-Icon-03](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkShorten-Icon-03.jpg?width=97&name=LinkShorten-Icon-03.jpg)** **Avoid using link shorteners** like bit.ly. Instead, use a hyperlink. Link shorteners can quickly get your emails marked as spam because they are on many **blacklists**.   **![MobileAdapt-Icon-04](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MobileAdapt-Icon-04.jpg?width=97&name=MobileAdapt-Icon-04.jpg)** **Make sure your emails are mobile-friendly.** Society thrives on a mobile-first lifestyle. Mobile opens and clicks make up 53% of all email events over the last two years, (2016-2018).1 Having mobile-friendly emails is a quick and easy way to ensure people can engage with, and actually read, your message across any device. **![CTA-Icon-05](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CTA-Icon-05.jpg?width=97&name=CTA-Icon-05.jpg)Include a clear and visible CTA (Call To Action).** What do you want email recipients to do after reading your email? The call to action should be in line with the goal of your email. If the goal is to sell something, try adding a ‘Schedule Service Appointment’ button. For service, try adding a ‘Schedule Service Appointment’ or 'Test Drive' option for the CTA. **![SpellCk-Icon-06](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SpellCk-Icon-06.jpg?width=97&name=SpellCk-Icon-06.jpg)** **Always check spelling and grammar.** Typos and grammar mistakes can hurt your company’s reputation, devalue your efforts, or cause your customers to not take you seriously. Try installing a free spelling and grammar checker like [Grammarly![mouse-cursor-click](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/mouse-cursor-click.png?width=20&name=mouse-cursor-click.png).  ](https://www.grammarly.com/office-addin/windows)   From subject line to email signature, the content of your emails greatly affects deliverability, open rates, and conversions. The tips outlined in this article will help your emails reach the correct inbox and increase the likelihood of engagement or conversion. **Want to become an email guru? **Download our [free email delivery guide](https://info.gsmarketing.com/email-deliverability-guide) [**![mouse-cursor-click](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/mouse-cursor-click.png?width=20&name=mouse-cursor-click.png)**](https://info.gsmarketing.com/email-deliverability-guide) for actionable best practices on email delivery and more! [![LP - Eguide-01](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LP%20-%20Eguide-01.png?width=184&name=LP%20-%20Eguide-01.png)](https://info.gsmarketing.com/email-deliverability-guide)     1 Yes Lifecycle Marketing, 2018: Q4 Email Benchmark Report: A Marketer’s Guide to 2018 Topics: [Best Practices](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/topic/best-practices) [Email](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/topic/email) ![GSM](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GSMG-2-01.png?width=100&height=100&name=GSMG-2-01.png) ##### Written by [GSM](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/author/gsm) ###### [** Previous Post](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/rock-star-client-shout-out) [![](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/Blog%20-%20PresAwards18-01.jpg) ](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/rock-star-client-shout-out) ###### [Rock Star Client Shout Out](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/rock-star-client-shout-out) ###### [Next Post **](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/3-ways-to-turn-casual-customers-into-brand-ambassadors) [![](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/Blog%20-%20ICO_BrandAmbassadorsB2C-01.jpg) ](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/3-ways-to-turn-casual-customers-into-brand-ambassadors) ###### [3 Ways to Turn Casual Customers Into Brand Ambassadors](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/3-ways-to-turn-casual-customers-into-brand-ambassadors) ### Post a Comment ### Posts by Tag - [Best Practices (51)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/best-practices) - [Conquest (18)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/conquest) - [Data (5)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/data) - [Data Security (2)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/data-security) - [Digital (39)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/digital) - [Direct Mail (7)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/direct-mail) - [Direct Marketing (9)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/direct-marketing) - [Display Advertising (1)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/display-advertising) - [Email (5)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/email) - [Fixed-Ops Marketing (6)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/fixed-ops-marketing) - [Front-End Marketing (6)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/front-end-marketing) - [GSM Culture (16)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/gsm-culture) - [Lifecycle Marketing (11)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/lifecycle-marketing) - [Mobile (4)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/mobile) - [Omnichannel (6)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/omnichannel) - [Paid Search (11)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/paid-search) - [Recalls (1)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/recalls) - [Retargeting (5)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/retargeting) - [Retention (17)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/retention) - [SEO (2)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/seo) - [Social (8)](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/blog/tag/social) ### Featured ### Sign up for updates ![](https://blog.gsmarketing.com/hubfs/Logos/WhiteLogo-04.png) We’re an automotive marketing company that helps our clients win with data-driven strategy, technology, and creative—backed by three decades of working with the best brands in the automotive industry. 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