Have you ever stopped to think about what makes a good affiliate marketing email?

I’m not talking about the compelling copy that gets you to click. I’m talking about the actual structure of the email – the bones, the anatomy of an email. 

People often think that emails are just blocks of text that happen to feature images, but I’m here to tell you that there’s WAY more to them than just that!

Emails are made up of multiple components, each working together to create one successful campaign. 

These components are located within three “stages” of a sent email:

1. Inbox: Helps a reader determine if they want to open the email
2. Body: Communicates the main message and hopes to drive the reader to act
3. Footer: Contains important legal compliance and cross-channel promotion

Each one serves to captivate, inform, and inspire the reader to take action. 

Understanding how these components work will determine whether or not your email program will see results. Let’s break them down!

The 17 Parts of an Email

Here is the basic structure that most marketing emails fall into:

While the components you see above form the basic “template” of a marketing email, you might not include all of them in every email you write.

That’s because the structure of an email will vary wildly depending on the purpose behind that email: what message you want to send and what goal you want to achieve. 

A newsletter may rely heavily on images and body copy to showcase different stories, while a welcome email might instead focus more on a main headline and CTA to convey a welcome message. 

If you’re writing a marketing email, you could use plain text and let your words speak for you, or you could let your images do most of the talking. 

Splitting your email into columns might help it read better, but sometimes it’s better to keep everything in a line.

Emails are highly customizable depending on what you want to do with them, but with that being said, most emails will have the majority of the sections shown off in the graphic above.

Let’s get into them.

Email Inbox

Before your recipient opens your email, they’ll be exposed to certain elements in their inbox. These elements are the main factors determining whether your email gets opened or read.

1) Sender Identification

When you receive an email, the first thing that will likely catch your eye is a little circle of color with an initial inside. This is a Sender Icon, a visual representation that helps a subscriber quickly identify the sender of an email. 

While these typically look like off-brand M&Ms, a new email standard called BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) now allows brands to display a logo inside the icon. 

Brands that adopt BIMI will see their logo showing up alongside their email message in many different inbox providers, like Apple, Google, Yahoo, and AOL. Unfortunately, Outlook and Office 365 have yet to adopt BIMI, so your emails will still get the M&M treatment. 

BIMI emails not only improve engagement metrics by helping your message stand out in a sea of other messages, but they also help build trust with your audience. BIMI has multiple compliance checks in place to ensure that you are who you say you are, and audiences really appreciate that.

BIMI takes quite a bit to set up, but it’s not the only identifying feature that will be shown to your subscribers. All emails come with both a “From Name” and a sender email address that will also help your viewers recognize who the email is coming from. 

Like a sender icon, a “from name” plays a huge role in building trust, familiarity, and humanizing your email. Yours should allow your audience to immediately recognize who the email is coming from. You can do that by using:

• Your personal name: Lauren Britton
• The name of your brand or company: ClickBank
• The name of your department or role at your company: Marketing Team
• The name of the product or service that the recipient has subscribed to: Spark Education
• A combination of two of the above: Lauren at ClickBank

Whatever you choose needs to match your identity. If you are an affiliate promoting a pet product, you can use your name, the title of your affiliate business, or the product’s name as your “from name.” You cannot claim to be PetSmart just to get a click. 

When you choose an identity, stick to it. If you’re consistently swapping names or icons, the mailbox providers will flag you as potential spam.

2) Subject Line

After looking at who sent the email in the first place, a subscriber will move on to reading the subject line. Subject lines are bold sentences that appear directly next to or under the “from name” and act as the headline for the entire email. 

At around only 4-7 words, subject lines may be short, but they pack a powerful punch. They’re actually the main determining factor in whether an email will get opened.

That’s because subject lines catch subscribers’ attention, tell them what they should expect from the message, and encourage them to learn more by opening the email. If a subject line doesn’t pique a reader’s interest, they’ll just scroll away or delete the message. You’ve really got to capture their attention if you want to earn their click. 

A subject line should always be true to the email, accurate, informative, and inviting. It should also avoid spammy, scammy, and clickbait tactics. 

Try to avoid using words or phrases that can trigger spam filters, like:

• Purchase
• Free
• NEVER
• Cures
• Reverses
• Guaranteed 
• Buy here
• Double your income
• As seen on
• Moneymoneymoney
• Lowest price ever!
• No investment needed
• Join millions

Instead, try to use words or phrases like:

• Invitation
• You 
• [The recipient’s name]
• News
• [Month]
• [Year]
• Event
• Quick question about
• Did you find what you were looking for?
• Ready to help
• Tips for [pain point]
• Here’s what I promised you

3) Preview Text

Just below the subject line will be another, non-bolded, line of text. That’s called preview text, which helps add more context to the subject line. Its main goal is to function as a teaser of sorts for the email itself – building a reader’s curiosity and enticing them to open the email.

Preview text is quite odd, unlike every other part of an email. That’s because you can choose whether or not you’d like to customize your preview text. 

By default, preview text will be the first two lines of your email. However, most email service providers allow you to choose precisely what you want to say in your preview text.

This allows you to give additional information, highlight key benefits, or reinforce an upcoming CTA to help increase your chances of your recipients engaging with your message!

Email Body

If the components in the inbox portion of your email do their job, your recipient will open your email! That’s where they’ll be introduced to the next portion of the email: the body.

An email’s body contains the main meat of your message, communicated using a mix of copy and images (more on those later). Email body content is meant to provide value to the reader and follow through on exactly what the subject line promised. The body should be kept concise, engaging, and aligned with your reader’s expectations.

The body of an email can be divided into two subsections: above the fold and below the fold.

Above the Fold

This part of the email body gets its name from a popular strategy in the newspaper industry. Because of their size, newspapers are typically folded in half and placed on a display stand. Newspaper companies want to capture people’s attention as they walk by, so they place the most important or eye-catching information at the very top of the page.

This can be applied to email marketing as well. Depending on the size of your reader’s screen, some, if not most, of your email will end up getting cut off. You want to stop your reader in their tracks to ensure they read your email, so you should follow the same guidelines as a newspaper. 

Put your most important and eye-catching information up at the top using the following elements:

4) Logo

Your logo will sit at the very top of your email, ready to help your viewers recognize your brand. I like to say that a logo should be Goldilocks-sized—not too small, not too big, but just right so that it’s visible but doesn’t take over the entire screen. 

While the logo helps improve brand recall in the email itself, it also helps make the customer journey feel more seamless. If your reader clicks a link in your email and sees your logo on the landing page they were taken to, they know that they’re in the right place and that you are who you said you were.

5) Headline / Email Headers

Located directly underneath that logo in big, bold letters is your headline. Its job is to state the main message or point of your email, as well as to reiterate why the reader opened the email in the first place. To do that, your headline may actually be rephrased or extended from the subject line of your email.

Let’s say that my subject line reads “Profit = The Right Product.” My reader will automatically assume that I’ll be teaching them how the two correlate and what they need to do to pick the right product within my email. I’ve implied that unless they pick the right product, they won’t be able to profit as affiliates.

My headline restates the information from my subject line, “The Product You Promote Helps Determine What You’ll Make as an Affiliate.” This not only corroborates the information they got from my subject line but also segways into a solution to the problem I originally implied. 

Essentially, your headline should reiterate why your reader opened the email, provide additional information that further piques their interest, and then compel them to keep reading to learn more.

Main CTA (Call to Action)

You write emails because you want people to do something. Whether that’s reading a blog, watching a video, or visiting a sales page, your CTA gives your reader a clear pathway to complete that desired action, instead of just hoping they end up searching the internet to do what you want. 

If you’re an affiliate, the CTAs in your email are where you’ll end up placing your hoplink or affiliate link. This will help you track how well each email that you send performs, as well as get credit for any sales made from your email.

You’ll likely have multiple CTA buttons, images, or hyperlinks within your email, with the most important being your main CTA. This should show up “above the fold” so people can be directed to what you want them to do without the need to scroll. 

This main CTA should tie directly into your headline and can act like an “answer” to the question that may present itself within the reader’s mind. If we use the example above, my reader will probably ask themselves, “How do I find a product that will allow me to make money as an affiliate?” A CTA like “Find Your Winning Product Here” answers that question by giving them an actionable step to complete. 

CTAs should ALWAYS contain some actionable instruction for the reader, but we’ll get into that later.

6) Hero Image

Sometimes, words alone cannot convey exactly what you want to say. In that case, your headline may be accompanied by a hero image. Serving the same purpose as the headline, a hero image is meant to draw people’s eyes and help communicate the email’s core message. 

Hero images add visual excitement to an email and can draw the eye better than just a headline alone. But that’s not to say that hero images must be in every email you make. 

Keep in mind that sometimes, the headline will perform just fine by itself, and you won’t need that additional image. You might also be writing a plain-text email, as is the case with many affiliate emails, and won’t need to use images practically at all.

7) Affiliate Email Exceptions

Now, all of the parts of an email we just went over can be found in some way, shape, or form in almost every email style out there. But if you’re looking at an affiliate email, it might seem a bit… weird.

On a first look, affiliate emails might not seem to follow any of those “above the fold” guidelines that we just went over. Forget headlines, main CTAs, and hero images; affiliate emails tend to jump directly into the body copy after a personalized hello. 

That’s because affiliate emails tend to be what’s called a “Plain Text” style of email, characterised by no flashy design work, little to no images, and the use of embedded hyperlinks instead of buttons. They look like they were sent from the average person’s inbox, rather than a professional Email Service Provider’s platform. 

While plain text emails lack those main parts of an email “above the fold,” that doesn’t mean the purpose behind them is lost. There might not be a headline, but that email’s most important information will surely live right at the top. The CTA’s might not stand out without a button backdrop, but hyperlinks seamlessly blend into the text, answering questions immediately once people ask.

The concepts are all still there, even if the visuals aren’t. So, whether you’re creating an affiliate email or just wanting to try something new, be sure to follow the “above the fold” principles.

Main Body/Below the Fold

A reader may have to scroll to this part of the email, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important than what’s “above the fold.” This is where you get to explain things, drive your message home, and really showcase what makes your email worth the read. 

Think about it like this. Everything “above the fold” is just an introduction to what you’ll write in your email’s main body. If it does its job, people will want to read your email fully. So take some time and make the body of your email shine.

8) Email Body Copy

This is a fancy term for the bulk of the writing you’ll find within an email. The amount and type of body copy you’ll use heavily depends on what you’re writing and the message you’re trying to show off. 

Promoting a sale might only require a few words, instead relying on images and bolded headlines to showcase the product and sales details. 

Newsletter emails will have multiple sections containing whole paragraphs of copy to fully convey their message. 

Plain text or affiliate emails will also have loads of copy, but may be broken down into short sentences or bullet points to keep a reader’s visual interest. 

It is a good rule of thumb to avoid being too wordy when writing your copy. People hate reading large blocks of text, and will often exit an email if they’re greeted with multiple paragraphs. That’s not to say avoid writing lots of words altogether; you just need to reconsider how you write those words.

• Have each “paragraph” be only 1-2 sentences long
• Use bullets instead of commas
• Write in clear, conversational language
• Avoid fluff by addressing the reader’s real pain points
• Make use of color and bolding to emphasize certain information
• Demonstrate the value of the email by sharing insights, tips, case studies, or stories
• Writing informative, but enjoyable copy

Remember to use only as much copy as you need to fully get your message across. No rule says you must have it, so use as much (or as little) as your email needs.

9) Images

An image is worth a thousand words; nowhere does that hold more true than in email marketing. Showcasing everything from best-selling products and top-notch deals to thumbnails of your latest content or visual representations of data, images have tons of jobs in the email world. 

We already covered the purpose of hero images, but regular images can also:

• Add visual excitement to an email
• Act as CTAs
• Allow you to cut out words or break up blocks of text
• Draw people’s eyes to bits of information
• Keep people engaged in reading
• Help you clearly explain complex concepts involving time or numbers
• Give your readers a visual break

Copy and images are powerful tools in email marketers’ arsenals to get their point across. If used properly, they can truly be the difference between a visit to your landing page and an unsubscribe. 

Don’t use too many images, and don’t use too much copy. You need to strike a balance between information and aesthetics for every email you write. Be sure to keep that in mind.

10) General CTAs

In the main CTA section, we mentioned that you’d likely have multiple CTAs within one email, and these are those CTAs. 

Like the main CTA, every single CTA within an email gives a reader something to do. You want to be as clear, compelling, and actionable as possible when writing a CTA so your audience isn’t left guessing at what they need to do next. You can theoretically have as many CTAs as you’d like within an email, as long as the asks within them are the same. 

Your CTA needs to fall within the same “theme” as the subject line, email headline, and landing page that you’ll be sending the reader to. It should feel like one part of a whole, which helps contribute to creating a natural “path” for the reader to follow.

Let’s say you’ve written an email announcing that a product you promote is currently on sale. You’ve got four CTAs in the email, each asking something different:

• A headline that reads “Buy this product 50% Off”
• An image showing off your blog
• A hyperlink to check out a completely different product
• A button advertising your latest YouTube video

Your audience is faced with four completely different tasks that you’re asking them to choose from. That can only lead to confusion, decision paralysis, or a complete exit from the email.

Now, let’s take that same hypothetical email and make those four CTAs all ask the same thing:

• A hyperlinked headline that says “Get 50% Off”
• An image showcasing the product
• A hyperlink on the words “get more info here!”
• A button that says “Shop the sale”

This new email uses buttons, images, and hyperlinks to encourage the reader to check out the sale. Every CTA drives home one message, and all four of them only ask the reader to do one thing. There is no confusion, no decision paralysis, just a clear, actionable task to consider.

Try using these actionable words in your CTAs:

• Click 
• Subscribe
• ____ Here
• Sign Up
• Learn More
• Buy Now
• Download 
• Contact Us
• Watch
• Save my spot
• Book now

The general rule of “one ask per email” holds true for almost every type of email, with the most notable exception being Newsletter emails. Newsletters are meant to showcase multiple things, so they need multiple CTAs leading to multiple places. 

If you want to avoid decision paralysis when writing a newsletter, clearly divide your emails into sections using dividers, color blocks, or other formatting. Each story, blog, video, or podcast should be in its own section.

11) Closing / Email Signature

A closing is simply the send-off to your email that sits right under your CTA and right above your footer. It’s typically a short farewell message followed by either your name or the name of your business. You can also include your title, personal social media links, contact details, and a headshot or logo in your closing if you’d like.

You can change how you write a closing message based on how you define your brand identity. If you want to convey a more professional tone, we suggest using something like:

• To your success
• Best regards
• Sincerely

If your brand identity is more approachable, you can use a more casual goodbye like:

• Cheers
• Talk to you soon
• See you there

These goodbyes can help humanize your brand and show that the email your recipient just read came from an actual person. 

Closings aren’t necessary in every email, but they help tie the whole thing together if you’re writing plain text or an affiliate email.

12) Postscript

If you have more information you’d like to tell your reader that couldn’t fit into the main email, you can put it in the postscript! It’s a brief note at the very end of an email, sitting below the closing email signature.

Postscripts (P.S.) serve to:

• Include extra information
• Add a personal touch
• Emphasise an offer 
• Act as another CTA
• Serve as a reminder
• Function as a preview for a future email

Email Footer

You’ve had your fun designing and writing the first part of the email, but the footer is where you need to put your creativity to rest. This is the end of the email, and it’s chock full of important information that needs to be clearly laid out. 

I’m talking about information that not only adds credibility to your email but also protects you from potential legal issues. 

13) Social Media Links

Have you heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket?” That holds true for marketing platforms as well!

If you’re an email marketer, don’t rely solely on email to complete the job. Try branching out to social media as well!

Your social media links will likely be the first thing in your footer. These links create a pathway between your marketing channels, allowing subscribers to check out and subscribe to you on other platforms. As an added benefit, people who click these links will see more of your marketing messaging.

14) Physical Address

If you’re sending emails to recipients in the United States, you must comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. Part of this act states that you must include a physical address within your email footer, but the following are also acceptable:

• PO box
• A virtual mailbox service
• UPS Store 
• A commercial mail receiving service
• Main address supplied by a third-party business provider (they must be willing to receive your mail)

If you choose to use an alternative address from this list, first make sure that you can receive mail there and that the location meets CAN-SPAM Act requirements. Other countries have similar laws and acts, so please research their compliance requirements as well.

Having your address in your email footer helps to demonstrate that you are a legitimate business to both the email recipient and the email giants (Google, Apple, Yahoo). Some email inbox services have content filters that will block any emails that do not contain an address, so it’s in your best interest to get this set up.

15) One-Click Unsubscribe

A one-click unsubscribe is precisely what it sounds like: a simple button that lets your subscribers exit your list if they ever change their mind about wanting your emails. 

This might sound scary at first. Why would you ever want to shrink an email list that you spent so long building? But think about it for a moment. If someone who doesn’t want to get your emails receives one, will they open it? Will they read it and follow through on your CTAs? 

No! They’re going to delete, ignore, or report it as spam – all ways to ruin your deliverability and engagement metrics. 

So, why not give those people a way out? They’ll get away from the emails they don’t want, and you won’t be harmed by their actions. It’s a win-win. 

One-click unsubscribes also keep you in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act and other international marketing laws, just in case you needed another push to add one to your footer. 

There are a few guidelines that you must follow when making your one-click unsubscribe links.

1. They must truly be one-click links. You cannot make your email subscribers jump through hoops to get off your list. 
2. They need to be clear and conspicuous, and cannot be hidden by making the text the same color as the background. 
3. You must promptly honor the request. Ideally, you should remove the subscriber from your list in two days.
4. All bulk marketing emails (5,000+ a day) must include a one-click unsubscribe link.

If you don’t follow these guidelines or if you don’t include this link, you run the risk of getting branded as a scammer or spammer.

That could result in you being suspended from the ability to send any emails at all!

16) Manage Preferences

Sometimes people are interested in some, but not all of your emails. This is where a “manage preferences” link comes in handy. 

Instead of unsubscribing from everything, a “manage preferences” option allows people to choose what kind of emails they’d like to receive from you. 

For example, if someone is interested in newsletters and event content but not marketing promotions, preferences allow them to receive only the emails they actively want to receive. 

This gives you happy subscribers and a healthy email list.

17) Legal Information

If you have any legal information, such as disclaimers, confidentiality notices, company notices, or privacy policies, you should include them in your footer as well. Their inclusion will help protect you from potential liability or misuse of information. 

If you’re acting as an affiliate, please disclose that to your recipients here.

Affiliate Email Structure Wrap-Up

Every single little bit of space on an email is precious real estate. Everything you use, every line, image, CTA, word, even the punctuation and spacing, needs to be strategically placed if you want your audience to do exactly what you want them to do. 

Why? Because each and every element of an email has a purpose. 

Your sender information introduces who you are. Your email subject line introduces the concept behind the email. The headline expands on that concept. Copy and images bring the idea to life. The CTA invites your reader to explore the concept. Then the footer brings everything together.

Full mastery of each of these sections is absolutely necessary if you want your email program to perform at its best. 

So, re-read this blog, take all of the information to heart, and then, when you’re ready, get out there and write that email.