Overview of Eloqua 10 Email Headers and Footers

Email Headers

Email Headers are used to customize the look and feel of the top of your Email. Examples of how the Headers can be used in your Emails could be branding purposes (your company's logo), to provide links to other (external) resources, or to display the link for a contact to view the Email in a browser. While Email Headers are automatically added to your Email after selecting the Email Group to which it belongs and saving the Email, you can select a different Header on a per-Email basis from the Email Header Chooser. More detailed information and how to create and manage Email Headers is provided in the Email Headers document.

Note:Email Headers should be designed to comply with CAN-SPAM standards.

Typical content in the Email Header may include one or more of the following:

A link for viewing the email in a web browser window:
A link to a Form that the recipient can use to forward the Email to a friend or other person.
Your company's brand graphics (logo), and any other standard formatting that must be included, for example for regulatory or other legal requirements.
You can use Field Merges to customize the Header based on pre-defined criteria. When the Email is rendered, the contact will see only information relevant to information contained in their contact record. Inserting these links in the contact's localized language based on Dynamic Content can greatly increase your open and clickthrough rates..
For detailed information, see Email Headers.

Email Footers

Email Footers are most frequently used to provide links to company information, such as the address of your company's headquarters, phone numbers, contact Email address, main URL, and perhaps your Privacy Policy. Footers are created as reusable content in the Component Library. While Email Footers are automatically added to your Email after selecting the Email Group to which it belongs and saving the Email, you can select a different Footer on a per-Email basis from the Email Footer Chooser. You can find information on how to create and manage Email Footers in the Eloqua 10 Footers document.

Note:Email Footers should be designed to comply with CAN-SPAM standards.

Typical content in the Email Footer may include one or more of the following:

A link that allows the recipient to access management functions for their subscriptions to your company's Emails.
A link to your company's Privacy information, which may be contained in a page on your website.
Additional information (for example, copyrights, trademarks, disclaimers, or the company name and address).
A Contact link so that recipients can ask questions or provide feedback.

You can also insert these links in a localized language, or insert an image, then hyperlink it to an external page.

For detailed information, see Email Footers.

Email Header Examples

The most common uses are to put in links allowing the recipient to view the email using a web browser window. However, you can put almost anything in a header that you can put into the body of the email, including text, images, links, and hyperlinked buttons.

Here are a few examples of what how Email Headers can be used.

Example 1: Standard Use
The standard or most-common case is to put links into the header that allow the recipient to view a properly-formatted email in a web browser window (for example, if they don't want to turn on the images in their email client).
You can use the terminology that most suits your purpose, but make sure that you maintain some consistency between your emails.
Here is an example of how it might look in your Email Header:
Example 2: Adding More Information
You can add more information to the Email Header as well, although you should generally keep the header as simple and uncluttered as possible.
Here's an example of some information about the recipient's records with the company that includes a field merge to draw information from their contact record.

Email Footer Examples

As with Email Headers, Email Footers can contain text, images, and hyperlinks in almost any combination. However, there are some items that are conventional for inclusion in Email Footers, and most of your footers will probably contain one or more items.

Here are a few examples of what how Email Footers can be used.

Example 1: Mandatory Link to Subscription Management
You can include a link to allow email recipients to opt out of a particular campaign, to opt out of receiving any emails from you, or to manage their subscriptions. This feature is required for CAN-SPAM compliance (there must be an opt-out option in any commercial email) and is a vital to avoid having your emails tagged as spam.
For example, if you include a link to provide access to subscription management, clicking the link opens a page where the recipient can change their subscription options or cancel all their subscriptions. The page provides dynamic feedback to the subscriber on any changes they make.
Example 2: Best Practice: Link to Privacy Policy
It's a best practice to formulate a privacy policy that states the measure you will take to protect contact and visitor information, to post this policy on a page on your website, and to link to this page from your Email Footer. This practice helps to assure email recipients that you will protect the information they submit or that is generated by their visit to your website, and reduces the possibility that they'll report your email as spam.
For an example of a privacy policy page, you can view Eloqua's page, which is posted on our website:
http://www.eloqua.com/about/privacy/
Example 3: Company Information and Logo
In accordance with CAN-SPAM legislation, you email must include your valid physical postal address. You can also include contact details such as the main telephone number or contact email address in the footer. This reduces the incidence of spam complaints and supports confidence in the recipient that the email is not spam, and that it's from a legitimate and accountable source.
Example 4: Disclaimers and Copyright/Trademark Notices
In some industries and for some types of offerings (for example, financial or investment services, or for contest- or product-related emails), the footer can be used to include standard disclaimers and other information that is required by regulations for that industry or contest.
In addition, copyright information can be included to cover the content of the email, and trademark information may be included if, for example, trademarked names are used in the body of the email.
Example 5: Combination of Elements
In most cases, you may be using a few different footers, each applicable to specific purposes or even to particular emails. Each will contain a combination of elements, including the mandatory and optional elements listed above and possibly some other elements as well.
Here are two examples: