By: Prateek Keshari June 14, 2022
Updated: May 23, 2023 Source: SF Gate
Photo Source: Unsplash,
(Ad) There's a lot that is happening in digital marketing lately. Webinars, video campaigns, Reels, Stories, and so much more! While these new forms of communication are great, nothing can beat the engagement that old email provides.
It is one of the oldest and most effective modes of direct communication with your customer. It is also one of the highest ROI generating digital communication channels, generating over $42 for every $1 spent.
Source: Oberlo Moreover, since the pandemic hit us in 2020 and disrupted almost every standard marketing strategy, email has stood the test of time and seen a renaissance. And as digital marketing took on a larger role, email marketing became even more critical. Let's look at the future of email marketing and some of the top email marketing trends of 2022 in this blog. Keep reading! Trend #1: Microsegmentation The traditional form of email segmentation like age, gender, and geographical location is a thing of the past. With advanced and more modern CRM systems, a richer flow of data is happening between lead capturing systems and marketers. Armed with detailed insight into user behavior, it is now possible to fine-tune your email copy and call to action. For instance, Brooks shoe company updated its email based on seasonality. Source: Brooks Trend #2: Mobile Experience While we have been optimizing for mobile for some time now, it is worth mentioning again because mobile devices keep increasing! We now consume content in a mobile-first world. This makes it essential to keep abreast of the latest trends in mobile technology. For example, dark mode makes the colors darker so that it's easier on the eyes in low light conditions. Emails need to be adapted to dark and light modes while not disrupting any crucial elements such as the company logo. The font type and size are other aspects to consider. What was easy to read on physical paper might not be so on digital screens. Source: Lemonsqueezy Then there are other elements such as the – subject line, using CTA buttons instead of links, using line breaks, and considering the use of emojis. Trend #3: Creative Email Designs Experimenting with creative email designs has been happening ever since email was invented. In 2022, there will be more flexibility and variety when it comes to email design. Source: NetHunt ● Animated collaging – allows for animations in the form of gifs inside emails. Slight animations are a great way to capture attention or convey a message where typical images won't do the job. ● Dark mode and neon – as we talked about in the previous trend. The proliferation of dark mode has brought in new design considerations. ● Minimalism – minimalism will be as important as ever in emails. ● Illustrated Iconography – If you've got the resources, illustrated iconography is a great way to add a personal touch and uniqueness to your emails. Trend #4: Email Accessibility Your email must be readable by everyone that it reaches. Accessibility also depends on the email service type and personal preferences. For example, if you're sending a large email, services such as Gmail might clip it, ruining your email's layout. Another thing to consider is the use of alt texts, which is a text description for an image. Alt texts are helpful if an image in the email cannot load (due to spotty network conditions). In that case, the alt text appears instead of the image, still getting the message across. As an added bonus, using Alt texts can also increase SEO. Font size, color combination, the right amount of contrast, and simple graphics are other important elements to consider. Trend #5: More Customer Appreciation Emails Everybody likes appreciation, and customer appreciation emails go a long way in increasing your conversion rates rapidly. Even simple appreciation emails like a happy birthday or happy anniversary mailer are likely to be opened more than promotional mail. Such emails also help you humanize your email and your brand. Source: Elastic Email Complement these emails with a special discount if possible, which will act as a special reward for your most loyal subscribers. Trend #6: Use Your Data Sources Strategically With Emails Be reasonable with the data sources you use to create your email marketing lists. While many sources are available to build your list, do not go overboard with one particular source. Zero-Party Data Zero-party data is information that customers willingly share with your company. This data is usually exchanged while filling up a form, survey, pop-ups, and other interactions. Zero-party data is great because it significantly diminishes your dependence on third-party advertisers, allowing you to build a relationship of trust with your customers. First-Party Data This type of data gives you insights from analytics and user behavior and can be captured from your website and app. Second-Party Data This data is acquired through a trusted partner, making it reliable and accurate. In most cases, the partner also complies with privacy regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Third-Party Data Third-party data is collected from data aggregators who, in turn, purchase it from Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) or Data Management Platforms (DMPs). This data is available on marketplaces such as Google. Rely as much as possible on first-party and zero-party data for your email marketing. As third-party cookies and data collection are being eliminated, it's better to be safe than sorry. Trend #7: Triggered Re-Engagement Mails Some subscribers will inevitably become inactive after some time. Give them a reason to stay engaged by sharing exclusive offers or content. Using marketing automation, you can send re-engagement emails triggered when a subscriber doesn't open an email or takes specific actions. Source: SendPulse By sending re-engagement emails from an old mailing list, you also increase your sender reputation and delivery rates. It's also a good way to spot a spam trap if the subscriber doesn't show any activity. Reminder emails, survey emails, and special coupons are some examples of types of re-engagement emails. Source: SendPulse Trend #8: User-Generated Content In Emails Consumers find user-generated content to be 2.4x more authentic than branded content. Source: EmailOctopus User-generated content (UGC) is considered trustworthy and cost-effective, meaning it has a high ROI. One way to do UGC-based emails is to use hashtags to drive a photo-based campaign on social media and use the photos shared by your followers in emails. Using real pictures from your customers/followers is a great social proof that convinces the reader. You can use stock imagery, but experiments show that UGC is more effective (by up to 35%) across the board. Trend #9: Privacy In Focus Data privacy and data protection will be critical focus areas for email marketing in 2022. While some marketers see email opt-ins as restrictive, asking for double-opt-ins is actually beneficial as it shows that the person opting in is genuinely interested in what you have to offer and wants to engage with you. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act give individuals more control over their data and restrict what organizations can do with customer data. Moreover, losing third-party cookies and introducing Apple's Mail Privacy Protection features are a sign of things to come. Marketers will need to reconsider how they collect data and use it. Trend #10: Using Responsive Email Templates With the proliferation of different devices with varying screen sizes, your email must look as intended on each device. Responsive email templates help you do just that. They adapt to any screen size and have a functional layout, making the email easy to read regardless of the reader's device. Source: Constant Contact Responsive email templates are usually made in HTML, and there are many available online for free for you to try out! Trend #11: Open Rates Are No Longer The "End Be All Be All" Open rates for an email are the holy grail of measurement. Opening an email means there are high chances that somebody consumed the content. But open rates aren't reliable all the time. People can preview the email without ever opening it as well. And open rates don't necessarily translate to conversions since there is no guarantee the email was actually read. So, when you think about it, there are other ways you need to consider while measuring the success of your email marketing campaign. Instead of open rates, measure other metrics such as click-through-rates (CTR) that are more indicative of success. 11 Email Marketing Trends for 2022: Key Takeaways There's a lot that is happening in email marketing in 2022. Let's take a look at everything that we learned today. ● User-generated content is a great way to increase engagement and move towards building a relationship with your customer. UGC is considered more reliable and trustworthy. ● Privacy is going to be a major focus area this year. Audit the data sources you are using, and always comply with your local privacy laws. ● Re-engagement emails are a great way to rekindle inactive subscribers and check for any spam traps. When done successfully, email marketing can have a profound impact on your bottom line. Keep your leads and customers engaged and re-engaged by implementing these email marketing trends.
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