What to Watch Part 4: 5 Email Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2019

It’s no surprise that there are an estimated 3.7 billion email users in the world and that this number will continue to rise in years to come. While it continues to be a main source of communication around the globe, marketers have been dealt with the complicated task of delivering their messages efficiently, effectively, and most importantly, respectfully. Based on an email insights survey by DMA, 53 percent of consumers have said that they receive too many irrelevant emails, with two-fifths wishing to reduce the number of emails they receive and another fifth who have abandoned their inbox altogether.

As with all things marketing, consumer preferences, digital platforms, technology and the overall landscape change constantly. While the numbers might be against marketers, we can’t just give up on our email campaigns; we have to adapt and create value. In our last post of trends to watch in 2019, we hope that these email insights will help you in your upcoming campaign development.

Keep it simple – kind of

Often, we inadvertently clutter email templates with quirky images and images so much that your message gets lost. Consider focusing on simple text emails, like those “archaic” introductory emails you might’ve once sent as a touch point, so that users don’t have to take the extra step to view your emails, which increases readability.

That being said, interactive emails are on the rise, too. Quizzes, image galleries, and GIFs are a way to make your email stand out t. Never heard of such a thing? Check out these tools that’ll help you get started.

Personalize

It’s no secret that personalizing your marketing efforts is important to increasing success rates for both digital and direct marketing. However, it’s important to remember not to “robotize” your efforts. Just because you’ve included their name in your salutation doesn’t mean you’ve personalized your effort. If you have the data and understand your viewer’s journey, optimize your emails to include personalized offers and content specifically for that viewer. Guide your customers to make a decision before they even know they need your product/service as a solution.

Optimize for mobile devices

Over the past couple of years, marketers have been given the heads up that search engines will rank mobile-friendly websites higher. In addition, we’re seeing the same type of filtering with viewing email on mobile devices. Consider that 55 percent of emails are opened on mobile devices versus laptops/computers and that people use three-quarters of their time to check their email (guilty!). As if it isn’t enough to focus on the content you’re sending, you also need to understand how and where it’s being opened.

Template design is going to be crucial in how you optimize for mobile. Most email creators have the option to view how your message will be presented to the receiver both on a computer and a mobile device – use it!

Focus on segmentation and targeting

As goes with automation, long gone are the days of sending email blasts to one big group. Segmentation and targeting strongly impact the open rate of email marketing campaigns. Provide your recipients with content that is relevant to them. They clicked your call to action, so send them content relevant to that call to action.

Again, it all boils down to understanding your customer’s journey and tailoring the approach and touch points in which they receive. Simple ways to segment your lists:

• Ask for their preferences – do they want to receive a daily email? Or, stick to monthly?
• Geographic – you wouldn’t want to send something about California to your customers on the East Coast.
• Purchasing behavior – if they bought product XYZ, what’s a complementary product you might include in support of that purchase?
• Focus on your relationship – are they a client? Are they a vendor? Are they a partner? Understanding how they are connected with your organization is a great start to developing a message they should receive.

Storytelling and calls to action

Last but certainly not least, tell your story and develop appropriate calls to action. Create an emotional connection with your readers – share your values, how you’re making a difference, and how you can help them grow their business. Aggressive selling has become a thing of the past. Understand what sets your product or service apart from your competitors and why your consumers should choose to do business with you. Throwing a 10 percent off coupon to someone each week isn’t going to fly in 2019.

In addition, have you established goals for your emails? Do you know what specific action you want your reader to take? We know your goal is to have them do “something,” like read your email in general, but what do you want them to do next? Is it to download a capability brochure? Make a purchase? Reply to your email? Whatever that “something” might be, make sure it’s clear, concise, and requires minimal action by the receiver.

One thing is for certain, email marketing and campaigns aren’t disappearing – especially since the ROI on email marketing is nearly 3,800 percent with the average return totaling around $38. It can be overwhelming, but don’t worry, we have a team of experts that can help you develop a campaign that achieves results. Ready to get started?