Email marketing templates do most of the work for you. They are easy to complete, the copy consists of few words and pictures are easy enough to source. Even the unskilled could come up with an email design the equal of most out there.

That, of course, is a problem. You do not want to be as good as most, you need to be up with the leaders and your target should be to lead them. All it takes is an email marketing template and a bit of thought.

There are few absolutes in email marketing. Some might say there are none. If your emails look the same as your competitors’ they are just one of a forgettable crowd. You could be missing a trick or two. All you need to do is to go just one step further.

As an instance look to television adverts for motor car insurance. Some companies use humour, others favour logic. Both have lots of research to suggest that these are safe methods. But when I said insurance adverts did the first one that came to mind include an infuriating tenor?

The Go Compare advert is inspired. Who could have thought that a singer, custom made to irritate the eyes and ears simultaneously, could be so successful? The simple answer is their advertising agency. As a further bonus the advert is all but impossible to copy.

Email marketing templates are flexible enough for you to be inspired. We would not suggest using pictures of an overweight chap with an odd looking moustache but you should be looking for something memorable.

Going for a feature completely new can be a risk but if you experiment with a fraction of your email lists then the possible benefits outweigh it.

A lot will depend on your product and who your customers are. Have they a sense of humour, one that can be massaged? Might their conceit be something you can exploit? Do you need to suggest that the good old days were good?

Different can often be rewarding. Really odd and unusual can be a real bonus. The next time you open an email marketing template, think differently.