Even with rapid evolutions
in social media and relative advertising trends, email marketing
is still a very successful means of reaching your customer base,
especially when you already have a relationship with a given customer.
One of the few silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic was a
realization that employees can be very productive from their home
offices. Consumers who were forced to shop from home also discovered
the ease of ecommerce, and both remote work and remote shopping are
expected to continue trending upwards even after the last stay-at-home
order has been lifted. This dependence on ecommerce and remote work
also means more opportunities for email marketing.
Here is a look at 5 trends in email marketing that should prove
successful long after the pandemic is over.
Personal Message
Though a few of these trends involve flashiness and being seen,
sometimes the best way to stand out in email marketing is through
simplicity. No one is expecting to see an email from a source they
know sends them marketed content that is a plain, personal message to
them. Text-only marketing is great for niche markets that may be
interested in a new product or service, and the messages can still
have the majority of the content automated, while still being
perceived as a personal message thanks to the lack of flashiness.
Automation
There is always a line to toe between the customer appreciation of a
personal letter and the time and money saved with automation, but
certain areas are more sensible for the latter to shine. For starters,
many consumers appreciate seeing emails beyond the initial “welcome to
the team” automated message that they get sent after buying something.
What they don’t need to know is that 3 or 4 subsequent
messages can also be automated and sent at predetermined
intervals. The customers feel more important, but you didn’t really
have to do anything different except creating the content that will be
in subsequent emails.
Add to the Confirmation
Confirmation emails have open rates of up to 8-times higher than
traditional email marketing messages, and there’s no rule against adding
some advertising to your confirmation emails. If you have an
important message you’d like your customers to see, adding it to an
automated confirmation email greatly increases the odds of it being
read. Given, there’s no way to ensure the amount of people who will be
requiring confirmation emails, so it’s often a good idea to use this
as an added means of delivering an important message rather than the
only means.
Remind Your Customers About Privacy
For every three or four marketing emails you send your customers, you
should send one (or at least make an addition to another email)
regarding your customers’ privacy relative to ecommerce with your
company. Spikes in ecommerce were higher than normal during COVID, and
the ecommerce trend is expected to continue. As an estimated $5.2
trillion is susceptible
to cyberattacks at any given time, cybersecurity is as important
as any product or service, and steady reminders to your customers
regarding your privacy serve a threefold purpose.
First, it makes them feel good and secure. However, it also serves as
a deterrent to potential hackers, and is also a great self-reminder to
ensure your company is, indeed, up to speed with the most recent
advancements in cyber security.
Money
Strategizing and planning can only take your email marketing efforts
so far, and monetary investments are needed to reach bigger audiences.
Though not the most prevalent marketing strategy, email marketing is
very inexpensive and boasts the greatest return on investment of
any digital marketing strategy, at about $42 of return for
every $1 spent.
With more money and a commitment to these strategies, email marketing
can and should be a focal point in your efforts beyond 2021, as the
ecommerce and remote work booms caused by COVID are expected to continue.