Why a Killer Email Strategy Needs Plain Text & Designed Emails
Keen to start sending emails for your brand but not sure whether you need designed or text based? This is for you.
Most brands get this wrong btw…
They either over-design every single email and slow themselves down, or they rely purely on plain text and wonder why things start to feel flat.
Both approaches miss the point. Plain text and designed emails serve completely different purposes. If you’re only using just one type of email, you’re not getting the full value out of email marketing.
We’re here to break down what each one is actually for and explain how to use them properly.
TL;DR
If you’re only sending designed emails, you’re slowing yourself down.
If you’re only sending plain text, your emails will start to lose impact.
The brands actually scaling with email marketing use both. Designed to build the brand, plain text to drive conversions.
Designed Emails: Where Your Brand Does the Heavy Lifting
Designed emails are what bring your brand to life in the inbox. They give you the space to show your product properly, build desire and create a visual experience that people actually want to engage with.
This matters more than most brands realise.
When someone is deciding whether to buy from you, they’re not just looking at the product. They’re buying into your brand, your aesthetic and how it fits into their life.
That’s where (good) design comes in.
For brands in fashion, beauty, wellness or anything visually driven, this isn’t optional. You need to show the product in action. A block of text simply won’t do the same job.
Over time, designed emails also keep your content feeling fresh. A strong visual can be the difference between someone opening your email or scrolling past it. That said, there is a trade-off…
Designed emails take longer to produce, require design input and have more moving parts. But when done well, they build your brand and increase conversions over time.
Plain Text Emails: Where Conversions Happen
Plain text emails work in a completely different way. They strip everything back and focus on one thing - the message.
When someone opens a plain text email, it feels like it’s come from a real person rather than a marketing team. That’s exactly why they perform so well.
There’s no banners, no product grids, no distractions, no big CTAs in sight. Just a direct message that feels personal and intentional.
This format works best in moments where trust matters most. Think post-purchase emails, abandoned cart reminders or founder-led messages. At this stage, the customer doesn’t need more visuals. They need clarity, reassurance and a reason to take action.
From a performance point of view, plain text emails often outperform designed emails in key areas. They tend to have higher open rates, stronger click-through rates and better deliverability because they’re treated more like personal emails by inbox providers. However, they do have limitations.
You can’t showcase your product visually and if overused, they can start to feel repetitive. Relying on plain text alone makes it harder to build a strong, recognisable brand.
The Best Strategy? It Features Both
The highest-performing email marketing strategies don’t choose one type of email over the other. They combine both in a way that plays to their strengths.
For most eCommerce brands, this looks like a mix of predominantly designed emails supported by plain text at key moments. This really is the sweet spot.
Designed emails are used for campaigns, product launches and brand-building moments where visuals matter.
Plain text emails are used when the message needs to feel direct, personal and conversion-focused.
It’s not about picking a side. It’s about understanding the role each format plays and using them intentionally.
The Bottom Line
Designed emails build your brand and create desire. Plain text emails build trust and drive action.
If you’re only using one, you’re limiting your results. A strong email marketing strategy uses both at the right time, for the right reason.
Want a Second Opinion?
Working with FREN isn’t like working with other agencies.
We won’t throw generic advice your way or tell you to “just send more emails”. We look at what you’re doing, where you’re losing revenue and what actually needs fixing.
If your email marketing isn’t performing the way it should be, we’ll tell you exactly why and more importantly, how to fix it.
Ready to start making serious revenue from your email channel?