Despite the rise of social media and other marketing channels, email remains a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience. By 2026, research predicts that there will be 4.73 billion global email users, providing an unparalleled opportunity for email marketing.
Furthermore, email marketing is becoming increasingly profitable, with the average revenue per email anticipated to rise from 12.9 cents to 17 cents by 2026. As third-party cookies become less reliable, email's ability to deliver personalised, targeted messages will make it an even more valuable asset in your marketing toolkit.
It's important to note that email marketing is only effective when executed strategically and with the right approach. Therefore, instead of asking if email marketing still works, it is more important to consider how to effectively write emails so they do not end up in a potential customer's trash or junk folder.
Keep reading to learn how to make your email marketing campaigns more effective.
When it comes to email marketing that works, the key is building relationships with your audience rather than blasting them with endless promotions. Research shows overtly persuasive emails promoting discounts can lead to burnout and tuning out over time. Instead, use email as a relationship-nurturing tool.
The most effective approach? Make customers feel valued by providing helpful content and resources through customer relationship management (CRM) emails. These non-promotional communications draw engagement and positive responses. Use them to share valuable tips, updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses - anything that creates connections beyond constantly asking for a sale.
Get strategic by purposefully mixing occasional promotional emails but go easy - the research indicates too many blasts decrease effectiveness. Better yet, focus CRM efforts on engaging non-subscribers, enticing them to your website where they may opt-in for more communications. From there, you can implement tailored cadences of content emails sprinkled with well-timed offers.
For opted-in subscribers, data suggests cycling CRM emails and infrequent promotions boost open rates and prevent cart abandonment.
To capture the attention of your readers, you should include visually appealing elements such as animated GIFs, bold infographics, and trendy illustrations. Additionally, embedding video content directly into your emails can create a more engaging multimedia experience. However, while appearance is important, it's equally essential to prioritise accessibility. For instance, your email copy should be concise, easy to skim, and free of unnecessary jargon. Minor adjustments like increasing font sizes and line spacing can greatly improve readability. Furthermore, following accessible design principles guarantees that your visually striking emails can be consumed by everyone.
In terms of design trends, we're currently seeing a rise in minimalist, clean layouts for a more modern and uncluttered look. Leaving ample white space allows your key visuals and messages to stand out. With more people checking emails on their mobile devices, optimising for dark mode and responsive design has become crucial to providing a seamless experience across all devices.
To captivate your audience, sending just an email won't be enough. Add a touch of fun by making your emails interactive! Adding polls and questionnaires directly into your email design is better than sending tedious survey links. Integrate smart widgets that pull live data from tools such as Google Sheets, providing subscribers with up-to-date information with no effort on their part.
Gamification elements like spin-to-win wheels, scratch-offs, interactive puzzles, or mazes can go a long way in boosting engagement. However, it's essential to design these micro-experiences with a clean, on-brand look that delights rather than distracts.
For next-level personalisation, build emails around narratives and progress tracking. Take a page from apps like Duolingo with their sorrowful mascot "missing" you when lessons lapse or sending a weekly progress report instead showing how many days of the week you've been active as well as hours spent learning!
The key to making subscribers feel like your emails are a journey of discovery is by incorporating interactivity and dynamic content. This approach creates emails that people look forward to opening and exploring, rather than just another campaign blast.
The opportunities for creative, engaging email marketing are truly limitless. So don't hold back - it's time to have fun and get inventive with how you connect with your audience's inboxes.
Ready to spice up your email game and see what's possible? Check out our services or ring us at 1300 545 237!