Email marketing is an ever-evolving field and will most
likely rise exponentially in the coming years. With more and more businesses
turning to email to reach their customers, it is essential to stay ahead of the
curve and the latest trends in this competitive sphere. It is a very
competitive field where any mistake can become fatal for the campaign. People
get bombarded with messages, and if you don't want to start searching how to stop spam emails,
make sure your letters are brief, meaningful, and discreet.
As in previous years, in 2023, email marketing is expected
to be more personalized, automated, and interactive. With the rise of AI-driven
automation and personalized messaging, campaigns are becoming much more
effective.
Additionally, interactive content and gamification, such as
polls and quizzes, are becoming increasingly popular as a way to engage
customers and make them come back. However, these are well-known facts. Are
there any new tendencies that can become game-changers?
This article will explore the trends you need to be aware of
in email marketing in 2023, so you can ensure your campaigns are as effective
and successful as possible.
The Rise of User-Generated Content
One of the top trends you'll see in email marketing in 2023
is the rise of user-generated content (UGC). What is user generated content? Photos, videos users
make, comments they leave, hashtags people use to refer to a certain company,
and even challenges users join. In other words, these are various forms of
people's interaction with a company and its products.
Marketers have increasingly used this instrument in their
campaigns, including customer photos and product reviews. In the next few
years, UGC will become even more common as marketers figure out new ways to
incorporate it into their campaigns.
UGC can significantly enhance the quality and value of your
email campaigns, as customers are more likely to engage with something done by
other users. It looks more trustworthy and authentic. Such content strengthens
social proof and increases conversions.
Due to the rising amount of emails users receive daily,
marketers have limited opportunities to catch people's attention.
UGC helps a lot because it mostly looks fresh and natural. People
demonstrate their product experience and share thoughts on it. Such content
always encourages purchase or subscription because it's closer to the audience
than glamorous ads.
Tracking that complies with privacy settings
Email marketing campaigns are primarily criticized for their
lack of transparency and the general uncertainty around their effectiveness.
However, as the prevalence of email increases, marketers are facing increased
scrutiny from authorities regarding the legitimacy and transparency of their
practices. It is getting more difficult for specialists to track at what time
and place users open letters. Big companies like Apple have also prevented
marketers from defining what devices people use to open emails. As a result,
some traditional email marketing metrics, such as open rate, started losing
their reliability whilst others, for example, click-through rate or clicks
become more telling than before.
This highlights the necessity of producing email content
people want to engage with. This content also has to contain CTAs (calls to
action). For instance, it could be reading a blog post on your website,
downloading a resource, or requesting a phone call.
In 2023, it is expected that marketers will start using
privacy-compliant tracking practices to address these concerns. Real-Time
Marketing (RTM) is an example of one of the emerging technologies that can help
marketers track their email campaigns without compromising their customers'
privacy. RTM involves data collection to create hyper-relevant email marketing
campaigns in real time. Due to its ability to track campaigns without
compromising privacy, RTM is expected to become increasingly popular in email
marketing campaigns in the next few years.
Augmented and virtual realities for email marketing
Another technology that is said to start making waves in
email marketing in the next few years is Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual
Reality (VR) technology. These instruments are considered to be used to enhance email marketing content and campaigns, such as by adding hyperlinks that
connect to video tutorials and product features.
AR/VR technology has already been successfully implemented
in other marketing channels, such as marketing campaigns for the automobile
industry. With email marketing becoming increasingly interactive and gamified,
AR/VR technology is likely to become increasingly popular. It offers marketers
a range of benefits, such as the ability to create highly immersive and
personalized campaigns.
For example, an AR campaign could allow customers to
"walk around" a store, see what products are available in their area
and if they fit in your place. The Pokémon Go App blew people's minds several
years ago as millions of users were looking for these creatures on the city
streets around the globe. Recently, L'Oréal has launched a Makeup AppMoreover
that lets users try different products for their avatars and see if these
cosmetics look good on them. Some campaigns can host interactive events and
experiences, such as product launches or conferences. There are many ways how to use augmented reality apps for your business.
While many of us may think of augmented and virtual reality
as something utterly next-level, here are some examples of things based on this
technology we've got used to already. Numerous face masks users apply to take a
picture or record a video are one of them. You can also insert links to the
face masks in your email and introduce your product or its new features,
offering users such an experience.
Another instance is using virtual and panoramic technologies
to immerse users in a location. This method excellently engages with users and
helps them better understand your product or service.
Optimization of campaigns for mobile consumption
One of the most common challenges in email marketing
campaigns is that they are inconvenient to consume on mobile devices. In order
to overcome this challenge, marketers need to adapt their campaigns by
optimizing them for mobile consumption. It can include reducing the number of
links or images in the emails or creating emails that are easy to scroll
through on mobile devices. Email marketing campaigns that are optimized for
mobile are expected to become increasingly common as more and more people read
their emails on mobile devices.
The shift to mobile phones is not a piece of news. However,
people are massively switching to phone communication at a very high pace.
Responsive and neat design is the key to letters that will be read. If you keep
mobile users in mind, you will reach the set marketing goals faster.
Communicating with people via their preferred channel shows you care for them
and appreciate users' time. It will help you stand out among competitors.
The increasing role of storytelling
Email marketing is often criticized for being too
sales-focused and lacking in creativity. In order to address this and make
email campaigns more attractive to readers, marketers will increasingly turn to
storytelling in the upcoming year. This strategy has become a tendency over the
past few years and shows no signs of decline.
Storytelling involves using a comprehensive narrative to
engage and retain customers. This method proved effective in creating an
emotional connection with customers. Customers who invest their time in
processing the story are more prone to opening your emails. The AI boom and a
surge of interactive content will improve storytelling significantly. As a
result, not only will users and customers receive entertaining and engaging
content, but they also will have an opportunity to immerse in it. Sure, it will
benefit both businesses and people. Time is the most precious asset, and users
will only waste it on something trivial and plain.
To ensure your campaigns are ready for these changes, it is
vital to stay ahead of the trends in email marketing and keep an eye on how the
industry is expanding and evolving.
Conclusion
Email marketing has been around for decades and is still one
of the most reliable strategies for connecting with potential customers. But
with new technologies, trends and strategies emerging, the email marketing
landscape is rapidly changing.
In 2023, email marketing will be even more powerful, with
new trends and strategies that marketers need to understand and take advantage
of. From leveraging AI and automation to personalizing content and optimizing
for mobile, email marketing in 2023 will surely be a key player in the
marketing toolbox.
People love being listened to. Feel free to experiment with
user-generated content. This kind of user endorsement improves brand
reliability. While engaging with users and customers, respect their privacy and
be ready to have limited access to their data. The concern that companies know
more about users than the latter is prepared to share keeps rising. Email
marketers have to keep this factor in mind. Augmented and virtual reality have
also become quite common. Numerous apps offer face masks, immersive
experiences, and an opportunity to "walk around" virtual locations.
Inserting these instruments in the emails is just a matter of time. With
cutting-edge technologies, specialists must remember suitable old storytelling
methods. Excellent stories are always in fashion.
With the relevant strategies and tactics in place, marketers
can make their email marketing campaigns more effective and engaging than ever
before. So, what should marketers expect in email marketing in 2023? Here's a
look at the top trends and strategies you need to know.
