“Email is dead, everyone is only on social media.” I still hear it around me. The opposite is true. Email marketing still works and continues to grow. It is just changing in nature. The long newsletter for everyone is being replaced by short, highly personalized, relevant marketing communication. The role of email in marketing and sales will become even greater in 2014.
There are many developments in email marketing, but in my opinion these are the 6 main trends for this year:
Mobile is becoming the hub of communication.
The fragmented social media landscape is driving more focus on email.
Content marketing is getting smarter.
Lead nurturing is indispensable.
Video in email is finally a reality.
Increase your email marketing budget through demonstrable ROI.
No revolution this year, the trends of the previous year are developing further or going in a slightly different direction.
Trend 1. Mobile becomes the hub of communication
Not a new phenomenon in the trend list: the increasing use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The difference with previous years is that the use has become so established that you as a marketer now really have to get started with it. More than half of all e-mails are now opened on mobile, 51% according to Litmus .
Finance concept: Email on smartphone
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Nielsen agrees and predicts that in 2014, mobile internet usage will surpass desktop usage. In the B2B segment, mobile usage is lower, but it is also becoming increasingly important there. Mobile will become the linchpin of communication in 2014. How can you respond to this as an e-mail marketer? Doing nothing is no longer an option. Three tips.
Your content must be mobile friendly
This means making efficient use of the small available (screen) space. So short texts, including the subject line, and clear links and calls-to-action. It is not only the mail itself that you need to optimize. Do not forget that the landing pages also need to be easy to read on mobile. In short, make sure that the mobile experience is optimal.
Keep your email design simple
Then you have to adjust the least for mobile. Use a single column layout and provide functional white space around links and around the call-to-action, so that they can be easily operated with the thumb. Larger fonts work better, keep a minimum size of 13 pixels.
Choose responsive design
If you currently have a more complex design, make sure it is converted to a responsive design . This means that the message adapts to the platform on which it is read. Two columns are then pushed together into one column. This way you have an optimal experience on both desktop and smartphone.
In my previous article here on Frankwatching 'In 5 steps to e-mail campaigns for mobile ' you can read how to proceed.
Trend 2. Fragmented social media landscape leads to more focus on e-mail
Although the Social Media Advertising Code came into effect on 1 January 2014 , which should make it clear to users that companies pay for some content, many companies still find it difficult to find the best way to make social media work for them. And it's not getting any easier.
Social media city
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Forrester predicts that people will increasingly use social media in a fragmented way. They will be on multiple networks at the same time. For example, the separation between LinkedIn for business use and Facebook for private use is blurring. Use is fragmented across at least three platforms and different communities. As a marketer, you will have to think carefully about your investments in social media and the links with e-mail in 2014.
Image-focused social networks most popular
The trends that emerge from statistics (including Digital Insights and Strongview ) is that platforms focused on images (photo, video) are growing the most. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and to a lesser extent Pinterest are doing well. In addition, Google+ is now also an established platform. On the other hand, you see that more and more 55-65 year olds are starting to tweet, but among young people up to 18 years old, usage is decreasing. In my opinion, a sign on the wall that Twitter will not make it in the end, even though it now offers possibilities for image use.
The trend of more image use also has its repercussions on e-mail. Keep in mind that visual elements will play a bigger role in your e-mail design. Read more about this below under Trend 5.
Social and email
What should you do as an email marketer with social media? Email and guatemala mobile phone number list social have always been closely linked. And as online communication channels, they are both experienced as personal communication. Social networks can be used in email marketing to increase your reach, provided you know which networks your target groups are on. A whole series of share buttons to various social media channels does not work, in my experience. The latest trend that I see with my clients is that the share buttons disappear from the email, because they are hardly clicked.
One good idea I came across at Pure360 is for social networks to also offer an email function. It would add a whole new dimension to our email marketing, where you can build social media components into your email content.
One of the core tasks of marketing is to generate leads and then convince them to become customers. You do this by establishing your authority and gaining trust, by offering valuable content. Content is valuable if it offers relevant information about your industry or profession, which ensures that your target group gains certain insights or is entertained. This is the only way to build a group of loyal followers. If you do this consistently in 2014, it is the way to distinguish yourself from other organizations.
The central communication channel for your content is email; people prefer to receive information from suppliers via email. But at the same time, make sure that your content is also distributed via other channels such as blog sites, social media and your website.
Storytelling
Photo courtesy of Fotolia
Photo courtesy of Fotolia