In the ever-evolving world of email marketing and sales outreach, standing out in a crowded inbox can feel like a constant challenge. With more businesses relying on email to reach their audience, it’s no surprise that open rates have become a primary concern for both marketers and sales teams alike. However, there’s a simple yet highly effective solution that many are overlooking—plain text emails. By making this small tweak to your strategy, you can build a stronger personal connection with your recipients, improve open rates, and ultimately drive higher engagement.
The Problem with Low Open Rates
Low open rates are a major issue for both marketers and sales teams, and they have only become more pronounced due to recent updates by major email providers like Gmail. With email platforms becoming more discerning about the types of messages they allow into the inbox, the days of sending image-heavy, HTML-rich emails with high confidence are long gone. Spam filters are becoming smarter, and the rise of more automated email campaigns has led to a flood of marketing and sales content that can easily be ignored.
However, there’s a solution: a shift to plain text emails.
Why Plain Text Emails Work
Plain text emails are more than just emails with no formatting—they are emails that look and feel like personal messages. Here’s why they can make a significant difference for your email marketing and sales outreach campaigns:
- They Feel More Personal
Plain text emails have a genuine, one-to-one feel, which helps to establish a stronger connection with the recipient. Unlike overly designed emails that can seem impersonal, plain text messages feel like they’re coming from a real person. This authenticity helps build trust, making recipients more likely to open and engage with your email, whether it’s a sales pitch or a marketing offer. - They Stand Out in the Inbox
Inboxes are flooded with marketing and sales emails filled with logos, images, and colorful buttons. Plain text emails, on the other hand, stand out due to their simplicity. When an email is free from distractions, it naturally catches the eye of the recipient. The stark contrast between flashy emails and straightforward text-based messages helps these emails get noticed, improving their chances of being opened. - Better Deliverability
Email platforms like Gmail have sophisticated spam filters designed to block promotional content. Emails packed with HTML, images, and links often trigger these filters, sending them straight to the spam or promotions tab. Plain text emails, however, are less likely to be flagged as spam. Their simplicity and lack of design elements make them look more like personal correspondence, which improves their chances of landing in the main inbox. - Mobile-Friendly by Design
More than half of all emails are opened on mobile devices. Plain text emails are naturally easier to read on smaller screens since they don’t require zooming or horizontal scrolling. This makes them more accessible and improves the overall user experience, encouraging higher engagement from recipients. - Simple and Efficient to Write
Plain text emails are easier to compose, requiring no special design skills or HTML knowledge. This allows both marketers and sales teams to focus more on crafting compelling messages rather than worrying about layouts or images. Plain text emails also lend themselves well to A/B testing, enabling quick changes and optimizations to messaging for better performance.
Why the Shift to Plain Text Makes Sense
The effectiveness of plain text emails isn’t just theoretical—it’s been proven in various case studies. FROGED, for instance, doubled their email open rates simply by making the switch to plain text emails. By removing unnecessary distractions and focusing on simplicity, they were able to capture their audience’s attention more effectively.
Additionally, many businesses that have embraced this change have seen significant improvements in their email metrics. In one case, a client’s open rate increased from 20% to 59.3% after switching to plain text. This dramatic boost demonstrates that sometimes less really is more when it comes to email marketing and sales outreach.
Implementing Plain Text Emails in 2025
As marketers and sales teams prepare for 2025, embracing plain text emails can be a game-changing strategy. They offer a simple, cost-effective way to improve email performance without relying on complex designs or high budgets.
Ubico’s email automation platform makes it easy for businesses to integrate plain text emails into their campaigns. By automating outreach with personalized, engaging content, Ubico helps businesses reach their audience in a more authentic and effective way. Whether you’re looking to increase open rates, improve deliverability, or foster deeper connections with your customers or prospects, plain text emails can be a powerful tool.
In 2025, email marketing and sales outreach will be all about meaningful connections. Plain text emails offer a straightforward path to achieving this goal—helping marketers and sales teams stand out, improve engagement, and achieve better results. If you’re ready to take your email strategy to the next level, it might be time to give plain text a try.
