There was a lot of talk about email marketing and its anticipated demise in the last year. But after all that went down in 2021, it’s been stronger than ever. As we move from face-to-face meetings to online calls, we see how our perceptions of communication change to adapt to the present situation. We’re seeing many “This could have been explained in an email” type of meetings now actually being explained in just an email.
And with restrictions on mobility due to Covid-19, almost everything is done online, with businesses and brands jumping on the bandwagon and becoming more visible online. Apart from social media, email marketing is also a proven way to reach prospects and clients. And with the current circumstance, email marketing seems to be alive and kicking, with email marketers sending 27% more emails than pre-coronavirus.
So stay on top of your game and match your competition by knowing the latest email marketing trends for 2021.
Personalization
With the ultimate end goal of converting into sales and making a profit, it’s important to make your prospects and regulars feel that you are making an effort to know them -- and simply placing their names at the start of the email copy and the subject line is no longer enough. And mistargeted information and promotions can cause detrimental effects to your business, including deleting the email without ever opening it, unsubscribing from the newsletter list, and even abandoning the brand altogether out of frustration.
Get personalization right with the proper segmentation: location, gender, age, shopping history, level of engagement, and more. The more data you have about your contacts, the more accurate your segmentation. This way, you can customize your messages and recommend products per audience segment or individual and use dynamic content based on the behavior of your visitor or customer.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence can help you collect and organize all the available data online on your target market. And there are tasks that AI can do better than most people to save you time and, money, and effort, including list segmentation, effective outreach, and content analysis.
Behavior-based email automation can be a real solution to targeting problems and audience segmentation. Using an AI can also be beneficial for your email marketing as it can also tweak personalization, automate content, and decide the optimum time to reach out.
User-Generated Content
One successful trend we’re seeing is user-generated content or content made by the end-users of the products or services. These can be in the form of text (think reviews), videos (think unboxing), images, and even audio. Most consumers find user-generated content precious in their decision-making process.
Reviews and ratings have become a staple in how consumers purchase products and avail of services. Adding these bits of information in your emails can help increase the trust between your brand and the consumer.
Rethinking Email Design
Another trend in email marketing that’s being seen more recently is a play on visual elements. A visually appealing email is more likely to get a second glance and get the engagement you need for your brand. This means taking into consideration how your email looks both on the desktop and on mobile.
Another factor to consider is tailoring your email for dark mode use, which is also an upward trend during the pandemic with longer screen times leading to eye fatigue. But more importantly, the use of captivating images (photos and illustrations) and fonts can be a deciding factor in whether or not your email even gets read.
Interaction
Another way to engage your prospective clients and regular customers is by creating emails to interact with. Compared to a typical email that features font and stagnant imagery, one that includes interactive options and animation is more likely to win hearts over.
Include animated buttons and CTAs, sliding images or a carousel of your product offerings, and even an accordion feature to compress long-form emails. Consider the use of polls, surveys, and even contests to increase engagement in your email campaigns.
The first step to email marketing is basic. Get Started! If you need help growing your email list organically, check out our FREE downloadable e-book, The Ultimate Guide to Grow Your Email List.
