Email marketing is king; it’s used in more than 90% of organizations. Well-executed email marketing strategies can net 3,800% ROI, with 20% of companies reporting returns north over 7,000%. Even with the explosion of new marketing technologies, marketers will forever turn to email as a mainstay. But even though the current email marketing strategies have worked in the past, doesn’t mean they will continue to work the same in the future. The days of the stock-standard email blasts are nearing an end. It’s out with the old, in with the new.
So, let’s take a look at some of these new approaches you can use to revitalize your email marketing to drive success well into the future.
Blast the Blast
Many brands pour their time and resources into creating homogenous content and email marketing campaigns that appeal to the masses. For some organizations, these strategies really work. But organizations must continue to adapt and change with their customers, no matter how effectively traditional advertising has been proven to perform in the past. According to DMA, over 75% of email revenue is generated by triggered campaigns, rather than one-size-fits-all campaigns.
Consumers are turning to brands that provide meaningful and personalized experiences. Marketers who have adopted this personalized principle have noted a 760% increase in revenue. Personalized marketing matters, and proper execution requires three key actions:
1) Segment your customer base.
2) Provide dynamic content.
3) Utilize your email automation solution to create workflows that help ensure your sends are timely, relevant, and hyper-personalized.
Don’t Forget Mobile
We live in a fast-paced, constantly connected world. Gone are the days where leaving the office meant truly unplugging. Mobile has allowed us (read: forced us) to be constantly connected with the digital realm. The average person will check their phone 46 times per day. Second only to sending and receiving text messages, consumers most often check their phones to read and respond to emails.
Email marketing with a focus on mobile optimization is no longer a nice-to-have, but a need-to-have. Over 53% of emails will be opened on a mobile device. Take a moment to click into your mobile inbox. Note that you can only view the sender information, the subject line, and about the first 10 words of your email. These items absolutely the most crucial elements to email performance.
Marketers must craft an engaging or personalized subject line with an impactful first line in order to move mobile-readers to open their email. Make sure your email marketing campaign passes the mobile test. Send a test email to your own mobile device. Odds are that you have received a multitude of marketing emails in the last hour alone. Compare the subject line and first line to others in your inbox. Would you open it?
Video & Animated Content
Consumers have become accustomed to marketing emails littered with text and static content. It’s time to shake it up. Incorporate dynamic content into email marketing campaigns through the inclusion of video and animation. 2016 has been the year of the GIF. Many retailers have managed to effectively use these graphics via social media and email marketing campaigns. Video is another important component to add to your emails. Videos provide the opportunity to show consumers about the brand or promotion, rather than to simply tell.
According to Wistia, marketing emails that contain videos receive a 300% higher click-through rate than those without. Through the use of services like Vidyard’s Personalized Video feature, companies can now take video one step farther, and connect with email subscribers by weaving unique details into marketing videos.
The platform allows you to personalize a single video to deliver a unique, individualized experience to thousands of viewers. You can see some examples of their work here. This tactic takes care of both the personalization and the need to inject dynamic content into email marketing campaigns.
While the market is constantly evolving, email marketing is here to stay. As with every facet of marketing, marketers must constantly be changing and adapting to the new and now in email marketing in order to stay relevant and top-of-mind for consumers. These new approaches can help your email marketing campaigns work for you.
Lisa Manthei is Marketing Communications Manager for Emarsys