In the world of digital marketing, innovation comes fast. So fast that brands can over-rely on the newest apps and the latest social networks. But sometimes, established strategies are better. Take email marketing, which remains one of the most cost-effective marketing streams in the digital sphere.
How cost-effective? According to industry studies, email generates over $44 in returns for every $1 invested in email marketing.
Even though email is older than the internet itself, the email marketing campaigns of today are as innovative as any other digital marketing stream. In 2017, we’re already seeing several email marketing trends that could be game changers for small businesses and big brands alike.
Let’s highlight 5 email marketing trends that we’ve got our eye on:
Video Email Marketing
Digital video is already overtaking other online streams, most notably Facebook, where video has been a game-changer over the past 24 months. But email marketers are also reaping the benefits of video, discovering that just the promise of a video in a subject line increases open rates by almost 20%, while including video within email boosts click-through rates by 65%.
Triggered Emails
One email marketing trend that’s been building over the last couple years is the rise of triggered emails. Triggered emails occur when a user completes an action — like looking at a specific page on your site, or leaving an item in their shopping cart. When this happens, the user receives a targeted email that prompts them further down the sales funnel. In studies, triggered emails have outperformed standard emails by nearly 50%.
Two-Step Opt-in
Today, email marketers are turning to a well-known psychological principle to boost their opt-in rates. Studies going back to the 1960s have shown that asking a person to do a smaller action first will increase the chance of convincing them to take a larger one later. In email marketing, this means using a two-step opt-in process, using a small ask to prompt the user the trigger the opt-in process.
Gated Content
Gated content is more often used by news organizations — like the New York Times or the Washington Post — to capture new subscriptions. But the same strategy is proving to be a great way to increase email marketing opt-in rates. One of the best ways to implement gated content is to make the introduction to a piece of content accessible to everyone, then un-gate it to users who opt-in to your subscriber list. This strategy works best on content with high value for your target market.
In-Email Conversions
One email marketing trend that we haven’t seen yet, but which looks more and more likely by the day, is in-email conversions. Mobile applications and social networks have been making in-app conversions increasingly common, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a part of the email marketers toolbox.
Do you want more subscribers, more opens, and more conversions? If so, the email marketing experts at Qiigo can help. Call (888) 673-1212 today to learn how we can help.
