Microsoft’s Outlook 2007 - Why Affiliates Should Care
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 at 2:40 pm by Evelyn Grazini, AC Student and Staff Writer
If you’re doing Affiliate Marketing correctly, you have at least one subscriber list developed and are sending regular newsletters to your subscribers. Now, there’s something new to consider before you set up future newsletters.
HTML or Text?
Most of my newsletters are basic text messages. I’ve done this for the sake of convenience, but I find that sometimes I would like to add a banner or another form of advertising to make my message a little “prettier,” and more clickable.
That’s why I made the decision to ”step up to the plate” and develop the newsletter for my next website in HTML format. However, now, due to the changes Microsoft is making with the release of Outlook 2007 (which is only a couple weeks away), I may have to reconsider.
Here are a few things you need to know to make sure your newsletter continues to be readable by subscribers who have updated their Outlook programs:
For security reasons (I guess) Outlook will use the Word 2007 HTML parsing and rendering engine to display HTML emails - NOT Internet Explorer. That will cause a major problem in how messages and images are displayed when viewed.
Here are a few things you will NOT be able to add to your HTML if you want them retain their format:
- Background images (HTML or CSS)
- Forms
- Flash, or other plugins
- CSS floats
- Images instead of Bullets in lists
- Animated GIFs
It looks like all of the things that would make my new HTML message “pretty” will now make my messages practically unreadable!
So what does this mean for you? I’m thinking it means that your HTML emails now need to go back to (or remain) being very simple; almost text-like again.
I guess it’s back to the drawing board!
If you have a lot of HTML based emails, Microsoft has a tool to let you know which parts of your eZine will become unreadable in their new software.
Oh, thank you so much Microsoft!
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Evelyn, what I do for my 5 Star newsletter is a strategy that could help with this Outlook issue too.
While it’s not an elegant solution, it works. Right now largely due to all the spam filters, I just right a one or 2 line overview of what’s included in the news and a link to read it online. I include a pretty header and both HTML pretty colored text and also have a plain text version. BUT it’s very short, just enough of a teaser to get them to click to read the online version.
My affiliate newsletter is often filled with spam trigger words like: “we’re having a contest to win a FREE 42″ TV” “we have 8 new affiliate programs for those that want to make more MONEY” “XYZ affiliate program has a coupon for a 10$ off DEAL and FREE shipping.”
So my email gets sent nice and clean with no spam words but in my ONLINE newsletter I can have complete creative control plus say everything I need to without worrying about spam filters. This strategy could help with Outlook too.