Here's a guide on how to format e-mail marketing messages. Not just any messages, but messages that work. While writing e-mail marketing messages, many of us don't realize that what we see on our screens might not be the same as what the recipient will see on his monitor. This is usually caused by either one or a combination of the following: font, word wrap, automated formatting and HTML tags. So to save you from looking like a fool in front of your customers and clients, here's an easy, step-by-step guide on how to format e-mail marketing messages.

1) Write and e-mail documents in plain text.

2) Try to keep the length of lines to 60-65 characters, inclusive of spaces.

3) Use a fixed-pitch font to compose your e-mails.

4) Stick to simple designs while making tables, graphs etc. as these usually render properly in any font.

5) To identify and delete any formatting problems, it's a good idea to view the message with both proportional and fixed pitch fonts.

6) Unless you're absolutely certain that all the recipients will receive your e-mail in the correct format, avoid using HTML.

If you're wondering what all this is about, let me elaborate on our how to format e-mail marketing messages for you.

Word Wrap: Word wrap happens when your style of formatting doesn't match with the recipients'. In such cases, long sentences get abruptly cut and words and phrases appear on the screen, instead of complete sentences. Most e-mail clients are set to automatically limit or wrap lines at a pre designated number of characters. In case your sentences are longer than this, they're carried forward to the next line. This takes away the effect of your e-mail marketing newsletter or e-mail. The way out of this problem is to wrap the limit your sentences to a set length, usually 60 to 65 characters including the spaces.

Font: Font plays an important role in our guide on how to format e-mail marketing messages. Fonts usually come in two varieties: proportional and fixed-pitch. In proportional fonts like Times New Roman, the width of characters might vary. This isn't the case with fixed-pitch fonts such as Courier, where every character has the same width.

Thus, a sentence typed in Courier is usually longer than one typed in Times New Roman. This can play havoc when one is using fonts to create effects, such as lines or create tables and graphs. The best solution to this problem is to stick to a fixed font to compose e-mails. Also, keeping the e-mail or newsletter simple is a good idea. Remember to check the message in both fixed and proportional fonts, before sending it out to catch any errors.

HTML Tags and Automated Formatting: Hidden codes are often displayed if a message is composed in a word processor or in HTML. The way out of this problem is simple. In case you're e-mailing a message in HTML, be sure that all recipients will also access it in the same format. If this can't be guaranteed, it's safer to e-mail marketing messages in plain text. To do this, the message has to be composed in programs like Notepad that create pure text. Remember that MS Word doesn't create pure text documents.

Keeping these 'how to' tips in mind will help you format e-mail marketing messages that work.