writing e-mail blasts/e-shots

General enquiry

[eborian]

I have very limited HTML skills and am attempting to teach myself HTML very quickly.

Can someone please post an example of an HTML e-mail blast/e-shot so that I can dissect the tags and hopefully by reverse engineering create my own?

Thanks - Ian

[Leosghost]

you want someone to show you how to write spam :o?

[eborian]

!Certainly not!

I have a test soon as part of a job interview in which we be given bits of text and images and asked to create an e-shot in notepad.

I have a course booked which will equip me with the HTML skills for the job, but it's a bit too late for the test.

I've actually tried looking at a few e-shots in HTML but it's hard to sort out what is absolutely necessary from the rest.

Cheers - Ian:)

[LifeinAsia]

you want someone to show you how to write spam :o?

Certainly not! I have a test soon as part of a job interview...

So you want someone to show you how to get a job writing spam :o?

[penders]

Well, yes, I think everyone would agree that receiving (unsolicited) advertising emails (aka SPAM) is a pain in the ***, even from your most favourite online store, and the culprits should have their ****** scorched in a giant pot of steaming cow dung....

HOWEVER, there can be perfectly legitimate and welcome reasons to send out an HTML "e-mail blast" - people DO sign up to mailing lists because they WANT to receive them, online magazines, tech bulletins, website stats, weekly recipes(?) Hey, I have a couple that come through every now and again. But what is important is they GET IT RIGHT. Alot of CSS etc. isn't supported by even the latest email clients, so to get it to look right for the majority does take some knowledge in this specific area, or you keep it to plain text. Alot of common SPAM gets it very wrong.

(EDIT: Having said that, RSS is alot less intrusive for the end user.)

The subject of HTML emails has cropped up a few times in these forums, if you search for "html email" you should find a few. This is a great thread on the subject:
[webmasterworld.com...]

[eborian]

Thanks penders - very useful link!