The inbox is a tough place.
People get a lot of emails each day. It’s a cutthroat competition amongst businesses to get attention.
One way businesses are getting attention is to be fun or a little quirky.
But for some businesses being fun doesn’t come easy.
Maybe the brand isn’t fun and exciting or maybe you are just conservative by nature.
In order to compete and win over customers you need to stand out.
Let’s look at a few ways companies are having fun with email even if they aren’t fun themselves.
Fun Tip #1 – Use Humor
Lee Jeans had a little fun with this Facebook competition. It’s a fun play on words.
People like to laugh.
When we laugh we feel good. It’s a physiological reaction to be in a good mood when something makes us smile.
Since buying is an emotional experience it’s good for you if your subscribers feel good as a result of humor.
A funny play on words can make people stop and give extra thought to your email. They’ll smile and those positive vibes will translate to brand recognition and more sales.
Fun Tip #2 – Try Unique Layouts
Horizontal email designs are becoming more common like this recent example from Fossil.
You probably have a template for your email program.
When was the last time you tried something different?
I’m not talking about changing a few elements or adding in some splashes of color. I’m talking about really changing up the layout with something that will surprise your subscribers.
Sometimes it’s good to mix things up and get a little crazy.
Horizontal emails are becoming more popular. When I received this Fossil email it stood out. I immediately started scrolling to the right to see what was being featured. It was like there was something hidden.
Horizontal scrolling is also much easier on a smartphone or on a tablet. People are used to it so you can use something like this design to change things up and stay fun and hip.
Get crazy with your layouts. Go with something horizontal or even thin and long. Surprise your subscribers and have a little fun.
Fun Tip #3 – Use Fun Words
Old Navy understands snappy and fun. The report on coral is that it’s in and hip for this year.
Images aren’t the only way you can have fun with your email.
The language you use can be fun. Not only can it be fun, you can make it more enjoyable by being snappy and concise.
People respond to short, quick sentences and phrases.
We’re busy and we don’t have time to read novels. Be snappy and fun and you’ll get attention.
Fun Tip #4 – Make Emails Look Awesome with Images “Off”
Images On
Images Off: Pizza Express had a little fun with the images off. It’s something most marketers don’t often consider with design.
Have you ever gotten an email where the images were turned off?
You probably have…many times.
When you’re creating designs for your subscribers you probably don’t think that people spend much time looking at the email without the images.
Think of the images off mode in the email as an opportunity to have some fun.
The example above from Pizza Express is a great one. They’re having fun with the images off. People will do a double take when they see it.
Final Thoughts on Making Emails More Fun
Surprisingly it’s not always easy to have fun.
Not all brands are naturally fun, but there are unique things you can do with design and content to have fun and stand out in the inbox.
Try these fun tips and see if you get more response. You should stand out in the inbox and get a little edge on the competition.
And remember to have some fun!
About the Author: Scott Hardigree is Founder of Indiemark. You can connect with him everywhere, here.
The Email Marketing Chronicles 
Horizontal layouts are quiet funny, I think vertical layouts are much more mobile friendly than the later.
I agree with Kapil. However one could also use media queries (in order to reformat the mobile view of a horizontal email to vertical) which would create device-specific, yet equally awesome, user experiences.