Email has been around for decades. But the way we use email has continued to evolve. One of the biggest uses for email today? Email marketing. And even that marketing approach has become more sophisticated by the day.
As technology evolves, your email marketing strategy should follow suit. Keeping up with new email marketing best practices will help you improve your messaging and potentially boost your sales. So let's dive in!
Here are six 2020 email marketing trends that you can use to strengthen your email marketing strategy:
1. Personalization and Automation
Personalization isn’t new for experienced email marketers who have used it to send highly relevant emails, but some lingering brands still haven't adopted this customized approach. And that's a missed opportunity. After all, 52% of consumers who don’t receive personalized messages claim that they’ll find other brands to invest their time and money.
Hyperpersonalization enables brands to leverage customer data platforms to offer incredible experiences and even warm up their cold outreach. By using real-time customer data and proactive customer engagement, marketing teams can target customers with tailored experiences and drive them a step further down the marketing funnel. Here’s an example from Tone It Up:
Keep in mind that hyperpersonalization requires sophisticated AI-powered tools to target your audience’s needs. Selecting the right email marketing platform is crucial for achieving this. If you haven’t found it yet, you can test some of the best free email marketing services to find the right fit.
To learn more about how you can use content to warm up your team's cold outreach, download 
.
2. Mobile Optimization
Smartphones and tablets are convenient for busy consumers, allowing them to communicate whenever and wherever they might be. This gives brands the ability to reach their audience on the go.
To tap into the potential of this on-the-go mentality, you need to focus your strategy around mobile-friendly email marketing campaigns. Creating responsive designs that display perfectly regardless of screen size and device will allow your email subscribers to access your content without getting frustrated by tiny text or jumbled graphics.
When you start creating responsive campaigns, keep a few things in mind:
- Your copy: Ensure your subject lines and preview text aren’t too long, and avoid spammy words to promote your email deliverability.
- Your structure: Always use a single-column template to improve readability.
- Your call to action: Ensure that your CTA stands out. Typically, a CTA box or button works better than an image.
- Your visuals: Minimize the use of large images and offer your users the option of a “no image” experience.
3. Minimalist Email Designs
Minimalist design is so prominent and effective because it focuses on highlighting only what truly matters. Only key information is included, and any design elements are there to highlight that information rather than distract from it.
To achieve the minimalist effect, you need to use your copy and visuals in tandem. Being cohesive and intentional allows you to communicate your message in just a few words. Then, you can create irresistible CTAs to attract your subscribers’ attention and lead them one step closer to conversion.
If you take a look out there, you’ll notice that many brands are already using minimalist design to power up their email marketing campaigns. This example from Moo demonstrates how minimalist design can capture busy customers' attention and offer them an engaging yet focused experience.
4. Interactivity
Nearly 90% of marketers believe that interactive content can make their brands more memorable. Interactive content allows companies to provide a more engaging experience to their customers and can help make recipients feel involved and immersed in the brand.
By allowing your subscribers to interact with the campaign as if it were a game, you can let them engage in a firsthand experience that can awe them and then potentially convert them. Here’s a great example of an interactive email from TOMS:
Through this interactive experience, the brand offered its subscribers a unique experience to engage with its product by allowing them to “flip the switch” and see the shoes glow. This is certainly a memorable experience. Brands can also use other interactive elements like quizzes to make their messaging stand out in subscribers' inboxes.
5. Social Media Integrations
Another email marketing trend to note is the integration of email with social media. The popularity of social networks has allowed marketers to come up with exceptional marketing strategies to boost brand awareness and engagement. Combining email with them will help you expand your mailing list and find new, more personal ways to interact with your audience.
Numerous brands have already taken advantage of this trend, adding social media buttons at the bottom of their campaigns. But to encourage two-way communication between your brand and your audience, you need to go beyond those buttons to really engage your subscribers. Here’s how Giant Bicycles has taken a collaborative approach on social media and its emails:
6. User-Generated Content
User-generated content is — you guessed it — content created by users. This can include your followers, customers, or fans. This content can take the form of videos, photos, reviews, and even social media posts that revolve around the brand or product.
User-generated content is so powerful because it allows your audience to speak on your behalf and rally around your brand. Especially with the rise of scams, user-generated content helps potential customers determine whether your business is legit. Here’s how bareMinerals leverages user reviews in its email marketing:
Don’t let those saying that “email marketing is dead” fool you. Email thrives and will keep thriving for years to come. As consumer behavior changes, you need to keep an eye out for the latest email marketing best practices that will give you better results. By personalizing your content, focusing on minimalist design, optimizing for mobile, creating interactive experiences, leveraging social media, and sharing user-generated content, you’ll create your next best email marketing strategy that has the potential to supercharge your sales.
Are you looking for some actionable next steps you can take to strengthen your email marketing strategy? Download your free checklist today!
