6 trends to adapt in your email marketing

It seems like a huge amount, and according to research, this number will continue to grow with already more than half of the population using emails on a regular basis. Make sure to stay on top of the latest email marketing trends and get familiar with the article below.

Table of Contents

• 1. Automation and A.I. incorporation - obvious email marketing trend
• 2. Interactive and live content
• 3. Device compatibility and design continuity
• 4. Data Privacy and GDPR
• 5. Simplify your emails - in design and content
• 6. Humanity and sustainability

With such amounts, it’s not easy to make a lasting impression and even harder to keep your subscribers engaged with whatever it is you wish to show them. Based on various research, our attention span is getting shorter, which means that it’s harder to keep people interested in our content when it’s not wrapped in user-friendly, interesting packaging.

So, how do you keep your subscribers attention and gain new followers of your content? With email as the biggest marketing tool there is, it’s important to follow current trends and adapt them as you go. Here, you will find some of the most current email marketing trends that you should follow if you want to have your audience grow and really enjoy your content.

1. Automation and A.I. incorporation - obvious email marketing trend

This subject, being one of the newer ones, sparks curiosity among everyone. Why is it worth investing in email automation? Well, it’s simple! Automation can personalize the content you give to your subscribers, creating their virtual profile and adapting the content to your recipient. For example, somebody can receive an email about your online bookstore. Once they click on it, A.I. can collect data of their activity on your site. If they look through romance novels and young adult books, your automation can send additional emails. They can relate to books this customer may like, or send a reminder about an abandoned cart (if they added something and left the page), etc. You can even send them recommendations for books they might enjoy based on their current selection! Automation is a very handy tool that makes your work easier and grows your fanbase. 

2. Interactive and live content

First, there were words in an email, then we added visuals as written word was not enough Now, even the pictures are not sufficient to keep our audience engaged in an email; and therefore, we need even more. In order for that to happen, it’s important to adapt and modernize your content. A great way to keep people interested in your email is to add interactive content that can spike their curiosity and will be useful at the same time. Netflix has an interactive email that allows you to choose a movie or TV show you would like to watch and directs you straight to the page. Home Depot on Etsy has interactive product reviews with an email where you can rate products you’ve been using for some period of time (1 to 5 stars) and write a quick summary of your experiences. Such simple interactive additions can truly transform the experience of your users and result in more traffic. Your customers will also feel more valued.

3. Device compatibility and design continuity

Currently, more people look through their emails on their phones than on their computers. We’ve officially gone mobile and emails have to live up to the new standard. Your best move as a creator is to follow the trend. When you create your emails or newsletters, you need to remember to adapt them to your subscriber’s standards. Your audience needs to be able to read your email anywhere, hence multiple device compatibility is a necessity. If your emails are not compatible, chances are that the next ad you send will be skipped. On the same page, the human brain has an incredible visual memory, so keeping your emails in similar tones and designs as your page or other social media can guarantee that users will remember it for the future and get more and more interested in your content. Not to mention that it also looks more professional. This is more of a standard now than an email marketing trend. If you want a guide on how to make your email look great, you should check out our other article that has a simple and to-the-point guide on how to do it.

4. Data Privacy and GDPR

With consumers regaining their control over personal data, it’s getting harder for companies to adapt their pages as before. With e-Privacy and Cookie regulations, users get to decide just how much of their personal data can be used towards personalized ads. However, with that, new hope emerges for email marketing as per a study, where 79% of marketers are predicted to use email marketing as their go-to tool post-e-Privacy. That means that advertising and marketing will move mostly toward emails and more buyers will shift towards this channel. That results in more traffic and more consumers. Of course, it also means that you need to be transparent with your audience, so if you are using personal data, it’s best you information about this as well. Here you can find a handy guide on how to add information to your newsletters so your customers will stay informed.

5. Simplify your emails - in design and content

Again coming back to design as it is one of the most important elements of the email - first impression matters - let's talk about simplicity. I already mentioned our short attention span. People not only have trouble concentrating for longer periods of time, but they also get tired easily. Keeping that in mind, you want consumers to focus a bit longer on your content. With this obstacle before you, your content needs to be less. What does this mean? It means less intense colors next to each other, less cluttered visuals in your email, and more condensed information. Currently, minimalism is a quickly growing trend on many levels and can be used to your advantage. Keep your emails short and sweet. Invite to check out your other social media for more details, and you are almost guaranteed a click. I know that this seems more demanding and for some can be difficult with the nature of their content. Just for them, we have a guide on how to write exciting short content for not so exciting topics. 

6. Humanity and sustainability

Going hand in hand with minimalism is sustainability which is another very important movement in today's culture. A lot of people pay attention to what they are buying and if the companies they use are also taking that into consideration. Therefore, if you can do something human - do it. If you can create an action that 1 dollar out of every purchase buys water for the dehydrated - do it. If you can make the production of your products better by improving the quality of work - do it. I can assure you that your faithful users will appreciate it and will get something from your shop. New consumers will also be more likely to get involved. Following this trend will not only make you gain more revenue, but it will also make you feel really good about your company.

If you want your email marketing game to be strong, I recommend you try to adapt all of the above trends in any way you can. Keeping up with current flows can make your business grow at a fast pace, but it’s always a good idea to research and change your techniques as time goes by. Trends change constantly, even when it comes to email marketing.

Anna Wybieralska