Opinions vary on the official origin of email. Some trace its history back to the mid-1960s. Others proclaim its founding was in the ’80s. Regardless of the true birthday of the email, it could be argued that it has lost a bit of its luster. If email was indeed founded five decades back, the first email scam probably came out four decades, nine years and 364 days ago.
Now with a plethora of scams, mountains of unnecessary spam and co-workers who woefully abuse “Reply All” etiquette (Yeah, I’m looking at you, Carl), it may seem a bit of email’s initial shine has dulled over the years — but you’d be wrong.
Email — and in particular email marketing — is still a vital and vibrant strategy for businesses of any size. And the best part is that new innovations in email marketing can streamline your tactics, connect you to the customers who are looking for you and bring a bigger bang to your ROI. Here’s a look at four trends to consider this year:
Get Personal
“Customers don’t just want to feel like another cog in the works; they want to feel valued by the companies they invest in,” according to the email marketing firm Benchmark. “One problem that can occur in email marketing is the lack of personalization that comes with automation. A key trend to follow is instead leveraging robotic process automation and AI to create personalized emails that speak to your consumers. This means using automation and AI to send targeted emails that appeal to your specific audience segment. Analyze your customer’s shopping habits, opening rates and favorite products or services to then create an email that speaks to those behaviors.”
Follow the Drip
No one likes to be overwhelmed, but underwhelming potential clients isn’t a great alternative either. That’s what makes a drip campaign ideal: It’s like the Goldilocks of email marketing — not too hot, not too cold, but just right by breaking down marketing communications into a series of “drips” spread across a specific timeframe and that require specific responses.
“This ensures consistent and cohesive communication between the subscribers and the company. Moreover, it gives the customer a sense of control over their inbox. … That’s why drip email campaigns tend to perform better than regular email campaigns,” according to NetHunt. “Specific actions taken by users activate the launch of the sequence. Emails that get sent out as a part of a drip campaign are more responsive and create a much ‘friendlier’ communication between each side. They are not overwhelming; all the necessary information comes in ‘drips,’ saving effort of having to traipse through a hefty copy. The customer gets the exact piece of information they expect to receive.”
Include a Video
Video is way a way to communicate quickly and effectively to an audience. Incorporating video into an email marketing plan can help you stand out from the competition. Even just including the word “video” in the subject line of an email can increase the open rate, according to SuperOffice.
“Video email marketing can be a great way to convey a lot of information without making your emails text-heavy. For tutorials and how-to videos, it’s a great platform. What’s more, 91% of consumers revealed that they watch an explainer video to learn more about a service or product,” AdWeek wrote in an April 2021 blog. “It’s also important to prioritize concise content over wordiness. Long paragraphs can look cluttered and make your email harder to read.”
User-generated Content
User-generated content has been a big hit on e-commerce sites because it brings a sense of bonding between consumers and a brand. It’s not surprising it’s transitioning to email marketing.
“Consumers find UGC 9.8 times more impactful than influencer content, and 78% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions,” according to Sleeknote. “Strategically injecting it into your emails is the perfect way to humanize your content and get a tip of the hat from your customers.”
There’s probably no reforming Carl of his bad email habits, but SaveOn has digital solutions designed for every business. Tap into our resources of more than 140 million opt-in email records in our database. Target your message to the audience you want to reach using over 750 filters including geography, age, gender, household income, levels of interest and more. Visit saveon.com/business/digital to find out how we can work for you.
