“A picture is worth a thousand words.” However, when it comes to effective email communication, a few compelling words are often worth a lot more than a fancy picture. Why?

According to 2010 research by MarketingSherpa, only 33 percent of email readers surveyed have images turned on by default in their email client. In 2006, this statistic was at 55 percent.

Think about that. Only a third of email recipients see images in their email without deliberately and manually prompting their email client to display them.

It’s absolutely critical that strong, succinct copy is the foundation for email communication. Unlike print and outdoor advertising, email marketing cannot rely completely on eye-catching images to grab readers’ interest and entice them to read further.

This statistic doesn’t mean images have no place in email communication. Photos and graphics can be a powerful addition to an email’s overall impact if and when a recipient sees them. The key is to make photos and graphics supplemental to an email’s content — and to make the content instantly compelling.

So choose your words wisely because they may separate a click-through from a delete in your email marketing metrics.