It’s great to have a consistent, branded header image on promotional emails. It’s reassuring for regular readers, who are the ones you most want to get through to anyway. However, it’s also boring, and a missed opportunity. As the first thing which many readers’ eyes will fall on, shouldn’t it be saying something?
That’s why I’m quite a fan of creating different – albeit recognisably alike – headers for different emails. While the headline below the header may describe the benefits of the offer concisely, the header could fulfil a role as saying that it’s an offer in the first place. Have a think before just reaching for the same old template.