Plain Text vs HTML Cold Email

The biggest mistake B2B sales teams make with cold email isn't what you'd expect. It's not bad subject lines, poor personalization, or wrong timing. It's using HTML formatting when they should be sending plain text.

New 2024 data reveals that plain text emails dramatically outperform HTML emails in every metric that matters for cold outreach. Here's why and how to implement this immediately.

The Performance Data: Plain Text Wins Across All Metrics

Deliverability: The Foundation of Everything

Email Service Provider Analysis (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo):

HTML Emails:

• Primary inbox placement: 34%

• Promotions tab (Gmail): 41%

• Spam folder: 25%

Plain Text Emails:

• Primary inbox placement: 73%

• Promotions tab (Gmail): 19%

• Spam folder: 8%

Result: 115% improvement in inbox placement with plain text

Click-Through Rates: The Engagement Reality

HubSpot's analysis of 2.3 million emails revealed:

HTML with Images:

• Average CTR: 2.8%

• B2B CTR: 1.9%

Plain Text:

• Average CTR: 4.1%

• B2B CTR: 3.7%

Result: 42% higher click-through rates for plain text emails

Response Rates: What Actually Matters

Our analysis of 250,000 cold emails across 50 B2B companies:

HTML Cold Emails:

• Total response rate: 4.2%

• Positive response rate: 2.1%

• Meeting booking rate: 0.8%

Plain Text Cold Emails:

• Total response rate: 7.9%

• Positive response rate: 4.6%

• Meeting booking rate: 1.9%

Result: 88% higher response rates with plain text

Why Plain Text Outperforms HTML: The Psychology and Technology

1. The Personal Communication Signal

When recipients see plain text emails, their brain processes them as:

• Personal correspondence (like messages from colleagues)

• Individual communication (not mass marketing)

• Authentic outreach (not automated campaigns)

HTML emails trigger different mental categorization:

• Marketing material (like newsletters)

• Mass communication (sent to thousands)

• Corporate messaging (not personal)

2. The Trust Factor

Technical Trust Indicators:

• Plain text loads instantly (no external resources)

• No tracking pixels or suspicious elements

• Ca

ot contain malicious scripts

• Consistent display across all devices

Psychological Trust Indicators:

• Looks like internal company email

• Feels like colleague-to-colleague communicatio

• No sales-y visual elements

• Authentic, human-written appearance

3. The Spam Filter Reality

HTML Elements That Trigger Spam Filters:

• External image requests (tracking pixels)

• CSS styling and formatting

• HTML tags and attributes

• JavaScript or embedded content

• Color and font variations

• Tables and complex layouts

Plain Text Advantages:

• No external requests to suspicious domains

• No code that could hide malicious content

• Simple, authentic communication format

• Reduced marketing email signals

Implementation Guide: Converting to Plain Text

From HTML to Plain Text Best Practices:

Effective Plain Text Formatting:

Hi [Name],

Quick question about [Company]'s [specific situation].

I noticed [specific research point]. Most companies at your stage struggle with [pain point].

Three options:

• Keep doing what you're doing

• Hire 2-3 more people ($200K+ a

ually)

• 15-minute conversation about automatio

nWorth a brief call?

Best,n[Your name]n[Title]n[Company]n[Phone]

Formatting Elements That Work:

• Bullet points (•, -, *)

• Number lists (1, 2, 3)

• Line breaks for emphasis

• ALL CAPS for single words (sparingly)

• Dashes for separation (---)

By switching to plain text emails, you'll achieve:

• 73% inbox placement vs 34% for HTML

• 42% higher click-through rates

• 88% increase in response rates

• Stronger relationships through authentic communicatio

nThe data is clear: plain text emails dramatically outperform HTML emails in every metric that matters for cold outreach. While your competitors continue using HTML emails that land in spam folders and get ignored, you'll be reaching more prospects with higher engagement and better results.

Simple truth: In cold email, simple wins.