Plain Text Emails vs. Designed Emails for Coaches

Your fancy email template is why leads ghost you. That beautiful HTML newsletter with your headshot, logo, and "sleek design"? It screams marketing. Lands in promotions. Gets deleted without reading. Meanwhile, the LO sending plain text emails that look like they typed them this morning is getting responses. Plain text feels personal. Like you actually sat down and wrote to them specifically. HTML feels like mass marketing. Even when it's personalized. Here's what actually works: - Initial outreach to warm leads? Plain text. - Following up on an application? Plain text. - Asking for documents? Plain text. - Checking in during underwriting? Plain text. But here's the thing - even for database reactivation, you don't need fancy HTML. A simple text email with one clear link often outperforms the "professional" newsletter. "Hi Sarah - rates just dropped below 6% for the first time in months. Based on your situation last year, you might save $400/month now. Check if you qualify in 60 seconds: [link] -Tony" That's it. No design needed. The highest-responding email I've seen for warm follow-up: "Hi Sarah - I noticed you started an application yesterday but didn't finish. Was there something specific you got stuck on? Happy to help. -Tony" No logo. No banner. Just one human reaching out to another. Your leads don't want prettier emails. They want to feel like you give a damn. Save the fancy HTML for the occasional market update or holiday greeting. Everything else? Type like you talk. Send like you care. #mortgage #emailmarketing #rebeliQ

Our client—a mid-sized consulting firm—sent two versions of the same campaign to their list. One was beautifully designed with custom graphics, perfectly balanced colors, and multiple CTA buttons. The other was a simple, plain text message that looked like it had been typed quickly between meetings. The plain text version outperformed the designed email by 32% on opens and 51% on click-throughs. This wasn't an isolated incident. I've spent decades crafting email campaigns, watching the pendulum swing between elaborately designed newsletters and stripped-down text messages. What strikes me is how we've come full circle. In the early days, all emails were plain text because that's all we had. Then we gained the ability to create visual masterpieces, and many of us (myself included) went overboard with that power. We built miniature websites that happened to be delivered to inboxes. But something got lost in that evolution... the feeling of receiving a message from another human. I remember opening my own inbox one morning and feeling a sudden, uncomfortable recognition: I was automatically ignoring anything that looked "marketing-designed" while prioritizing emails that looked like they came from a colleague or friend. And I'm the person creating those designed emails for clients. 🤷♂️ There's something almost subversive now about the plain text email. In a world where every brand is fighting for attention with increasing visual complexity, simplicity has become the pattern interrupt. When I send a text-based email, I'm essentially whispering in a room full of people shouting. The data increasingly supports this counterintuitive approach: ✅ Plain text emails consistently show higher open rates. ✅ They rarely trigger spam filters (well, is not that simple, as always). ✅ They create a sense of personal connection that rich HTML often can't match. ✅ They actually get read rather than just scanned. I'm not suggesting we abandon beautiful design completely. Visual emails still have their place, particularly for: 👉 Product showcases where seeing is believing. 👉 Regular newsletters where brand consistency matters, like sendXmail. 👉 Content with multiple offers or sections. But I've started advising clients to approach email with a new framework: If this message could come from a trusted colleague rather than a brand, consider stripping it down to text. If you're still sending only highly designed emails, I'd encourage you to experiment. Try sending your next important message as plain text. Make it look like you wrote it specifically for the recipient. You might be surprised by how removing design can actually strengthen your message. I'd love to hear about your experiences with plain text versus HTML emails. When has simplicity worked for you? #EmailMarketing #DigitalCommunication #Authenticity #MarketingStrategy

Why Your Emails Need More 'Plain Text' (And Less Fancy Design) As a SaaS growth marketer whose business heavily relies on online traffic and email marketing, I’ve tested 10,000+ emails—and the results are surprising. HTML-heavy emails are quietly underperforming where it matters most. Here’s what the data says: 📊 Plain-text emails drive: ✔ 21% higher click-to-open rates (50K email A/B test) ✔ 17% better click-through rates ✔ 23% conversion boost for trial expiration reminders (format change only) ✔ 31% more enterprise meeting bookings in one week (client case study) Why This Works 🚀 Better Deliverability – Plain-text emails bypass spam filters and the Gmail Promotions tab 32% more often. 🤝 Psychological Advantage – They feel like a personal message, not a marketing blast. ⚡ Faster Load Times – No broken images, no rendering delays—just immediate action. When to Use Each Format ✔ HTML Wins For: Newsletters, product launches, brand-heavy campaigns. ✔ Plain-Text Wins For: Prospecting, follow-ups, high-value outreach, retention emails. Your Challenge Test it yourself: 📩 Send 500 plain-text emails vs. 500 HTML emails this week. 📊 Track open rates, replies, and conversions. 📣 Drop your findings in the comments—let’s compare real data. If you're in SaaS, every outreach email can influence revenue. Are you leveraging the right format for the right purpose? #SaaS #EmailMarketing #ConversionOptimization #ABTesting

“Text-based emails always perform better than graphic emails.” I’ve seen this take floating around way too often lately. And honestly? It’s just not true. Here’s the reality: Text-based emails can drive better results (higher clicks, stronger revenue)… But not because they’re inherently “better.” They work because they’re a pattern-interrupt. If 90% of the emails a brand sends are polished, graphic-heavy designs… Then a raw, plain-text message from the founder feels different. It cuts through the noise. But flip it around: If all you ever send is text-based emails? They’ll eventually blend in too. A balanced strategy = higher performance over time. ✅ Graphic-based emails → Great for product showcases, promos, cart/browse abandonment ✅ Text-based emails → Great for high-trust messaging, winbacks and re-engagement campaigns, and VIP offers or exclusive drops So no, one isn’t “better” than the other. The real win is knowing when to use each.

If you’re spending too much time on email design, you’re wasting time (and here's why)... I don’t mean that in a harsh way. But if you’re a coach, service provider, or personal brand, the way your email looks isn’t what gets results. It’s what you say. We’re so used to seeing highly designed emails from DTC brands like skincare and fashion that it’s easy to assume ours should look the same. But unless you’re selling physical products, your emails don’t need to be packed with graphics and templates. What actually matters? → a clear, relevant message that resonates → formatting that makes it easy to read → writing that feels like a real person, not a big brand Plain text emails often outperform highly designed ones because: → they feel more personal, like an email from a friend, not a sales promo → they land in inboxes more reliably since too many graphics can trigger spam filters → they encourage more natural engagement, making people more likely to reply or take action That doesn’t mean you can’t use design. A little goes a long way. → brand colours and subtle formatting for consistency → a well-placed photo or GIF to enhance, not distract, from the message → spacing and structure that make your email easy to skim I’ve written emails for both product-based and service-based businesses, and the difference is clear. For e-commerce, design matters. For coaches, agencies, and service providers, messaging is everything. If your emails aren’t converting, don’t start by tweaking the layout. Start by refining what you say. What do you think? Are you pro design or messaging first?

This plain text email generated $26K in 48 hours. Here's why it outperformed our designed emails: Most DTC brands think fancy designs = higher conversions. They're wrong. This simple, text-only email crushed our beautifully designed campaigns. Why plain text emails work: Higher deliverability - Bypasses spam filters Feels personal - Like getting a text from a friend Mobile-friendly - Loads instantly (no heavy images) Creates urgency - Without looking salesy or pushy The psychology behind it: When someone opens a plain text email, their brain thinks: "This is important. Someone took time to write this personally." Designed emails trigger: "This is marketing. Delete." Here's the exact framework we use: 80% designed emails (for brand building) 20% plain text (for maximum conversions) When to use plain text: • Flash sales • Urgent announcements • Founder messages • Re-engagement campaigns • Last chance offers The $26K email structure: Personal subject line: "Quick question..." Conversational opener One clear offer Simple CTA Founder signature Pro tip: Your plain text emails should feel like they came from your phone, not your marketing team. The result? $26K revenue in 48 hours Bottom line: Sometimes less design = more dollars.

The most powerful email you can send… …is the one that doesn’t look like marketing at all. We’ve been using personal, plain-text emails for years now, and the results still surprise our clients. A new client of ours just told how their customers actually reply thinking the founder personally reached out. "Sorry for getting back to you so late…” That’s the kind of connection a polished, graphic-heavy “newsletter” will never create. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧-𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭: → Survey requests → Thank-you notes → “Last chance” promo reminders → Behind-the-scenes founder updates 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥: → They get read. → They get replies. → They improve deliverability. → And they cost nothing to send. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? → Keep it simple. → Write like to a friend. → Tackle common objections or concerns personally. → Include a clear call-to-action, but make it conversational. → Keep the design minimal (send as a plain-text email within your ESP) → Use a real name as the sender name (e.g. founder or customer service rep) In 2025, human beats corporate every time. Don't overuse these emails, but definitely add them to your content mix.