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Communications and Marketing: Web Services

UAMS Newsletter Guidelines

Last modified: August 5, 2021
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Welcome to the Web Center’s documentation about creating and maintaining email communications.

Figure out your newsletter’s goal.

Before you start drafting a single word, make sure you’re fully aware of the newsletter’s goal.

Is your newsletter supposed to help you generate leads? Get more email contacts? Send traffic to your website? Figure out your goal and let the rest of your decisions flow from it.

Gather your content.

Once you have a goal for your newsletter, you’ll find content for it. Depending on how early you set your newsletter’s goal and how often you plan on sending this newsletter, you could be able to actively or passively find content in the time between two email sends.

Email design guidelines

  • Sizing: Templates are 600 pixels wide to provide maximum visibility across email clients.
  • Header and footer: Templates include an institutional email header with options to select from a black or gold background, and a footer with the primary university logo. Do not use lockups in the header or footer. College, department, or unit names can be placed as text within the header.
  • Primary image: Templates can accommodate a primary image beneath the header for visuals that are unique to your unit or event. Size primary images to 600 x 275 pixels and include alt tags for accessibility.

Email best practices

  • Assume images will be blocked. Email clients commonly block images, so important information should be built as plain text, not as a design element. If you do have an image, make sure to use an alt tag for the accessibility of users who rely on assistive devices.
  • Highlight your message. Put your key message in the upper third of your email to make it immediately visible to your audience.
  • Use a single call to action. The focal point of your email should be the action you want the recipient to take.
  • Optimize images. For best results with text-based images (such as logos), use png format.
  • Make sure your CSS styles are inline. Most email clients will not keep header styles, so be sure to inline all of your CSS. No email client accepts a separate style sheet.

Test, test, and test again. While we have made every effort to ensure these templates will accurately display in all email clients, it is always a good idea to test your emails to make sure there are no formatting or display errors.

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