Within the last decade, digital marketing strategies have transformed rapidly. The creation and refinement of various marketing tactics have opened multiple avenues for marketers to increase their reach and drive leads. Yet, as new and exciting tactics emerge, it is a costly error to neglect the power of email and its importance in the framework of your digital marketing strategy.
In 2019, there were 3.9 billion email users worldwide. By 2021, 4.1 billion users are predicted, according to research from Statista. At about half of the human population using email, it is clear to see why it is an effective tool to communicate with consumers.
The shift in consumer behaviour, as a result of the pandemic, has emphasized the need for a strong digital presence amidst the boom of online shopping. As small businesses sharpen their strategy, creating a strong email marketing plan is an advantageous way to engage consumers and lead to conversions.
The uncertainties of 2020 continue to spill into 2021 and understanding the trends emerging can help position your business to weather the ups and downs. We break down what 2021 holds in store for email marketing and how incorporating these trends into your strategy can be a business lifesaver.
Email Personalization
Personalizing your email subject lines can lead to higher open rates and increased ROI, but personalization should go beyond just including your customer’s name in the subject line. Understand your customer and their needs to create emails that answer their questions and solve their problems. By analyzing their behaviour on your site, leverage the data gathered to customize your emails to include products that would be of interest.
Segment your audience and provide relevant content about how your brand can fix their problem. Discounts and promotional offers are valuable ways personalization works to build stronger relationships with your customer. While doing this you can reap the benefits of increased revenues from successfully targeting your audience and moving them through the sales funnel.
Interactive Emails
Advancements in Accelerated Mobile Pages have given email an edge to reach their audiences in unique and interactive ways. As the technology continues to develop and service email providers make AMP available to users, interactive emails are poised to become a normalized feature within email marketing. Marketers will be able to implement carousels and video into their emails as well as give consumers the opportunity to RSVP to events or leave product reviews without having to click onto web landing pages.
Taking a page from social media platforms, AMP gives emails the ability to allow consumers to add items to their cart from their email - eliminating an additional step in the purchasing process. Interactive emails are an exciting venture into modifying emails from a static channel to a more dynamic one that resembles the look, feel and function of a webpage.
Mobile
The need for mobile optimization for email cannot be overlooked. 70% of web traffic comes from mobile phones. Ignoring this group of prospective customers, whose primary access to your company is through a mobile device, is detrimental. Optimize your email content as mobile first. When thinking about mobile optimization, keep in mind the other devices your audience might be using to check their emails. Stay ahead of the competition and plan ahead for optimizing for smart watches and other types of mobile devices popular among your customers.
Set your business on the right track with a strong email marketing strategy. Sign up today for your FREE consultation and we’ll get you started on your email marketing plan for 2021.