How to make email work in a 2019 world where people are at war with their inbox? As a marketer, you can make use of effective ways of engaging the subscriber as well as using the data and technology that is available today. The goal of any email campaign should produce results that can be measured and that are experienced in a very personalized by the recipient. With the new technology that is available, here are some tips to keep your marketing team and your subscribers happy.
Use Artificial Intelligence … Intelligently
AI makes it easier to understand underlying correlations and to spot trends. At the present time, although there is a ton of data out there, many marketers are struggling to make sense of it. Or they are overwhelmed by it. AI can help monitor the subscriber while offering relevant suggestions; this will free up time for the marketer and the team.
Some of the uses of AI include customer personalization, encouraging collaborations, gaining more insight and responding to voice commands. A slew of startups are now using AI to transform a diverse range of industries and applications, and you are seeing the impact in business intelligence and analytics. In 2019 and going forward, AI may be your best friend.
Personalization and More Personalization
If your emails seem to be from a robot, the messages will not get read. The human touch is necessary when it comes to connecting with the audience and the brand. Making customers feel like they know you by adding a human touch is important; your customer should feel like you intuitively know them, including their aspirations, interests, frustrations, challenges and more. Location information as well as past purchase information can give you clues as to future action. Predictive analytics may also become important in continually improving personalization and a sense of syncing with your customers and prospects.
Optimize for Mobile Too
More and more people read emails on their phones rather than on their laptops. Statistics show that 55 percent of emails are opened on a mobile device. Many also use their phone to send emails. A whopping 75 percent of Gmail users access their accounts through mobile phone.
Designs of emails should be adapted to appear well on a mobile phone; you might put attention on when and where your emails are opened by desktop, tablet or mobile users.
Data Security Should be a Focus
In 2018, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law. GPDR also affects the “gathering and sharing of third-party info for anyone whose email content reaches a member of the EU.” This means that the customer must give their consent, which in the long run is better for you as a marketer, since emails are reaching an engaged audience.
A similar law has been passed in California, going into effect January 2020. Making email work will involve trust by those who have chosen to receive your emails. With compliance, privacy and security in mind, email in the present will be more effective.
Other Marketing Channels Should Be Integrated
Taking your design cues from social media and integrating emails with social media channels is wise in 2019. The energy of social media can be used to keep the design visual, personalizing and making content relevant, while bringing focus a very few user-centered calls-to-action.
As mentioned earlier, make customer-experience marketing the king of your email campaign. Emails can link to your company blogs and social media accounts that may be explored for relevant images, exciting videos and stronger content.
And Last But Not Least, Tell an Engaging Story
Hard selling is out; great storytelling is in. Content that tells a story engages the customer and affects them emotionally. Some of the ways in which you can improve your email with storytelling include:
- Offer meaningful stories that the customer can relate to very personally.
- Build the customer relationship with the brand by imbibing it with a personality.
- Provide value for those reading the emails so they know you believe their time is valuable.
Your content can be in a more conversational tone to enhance connection with your audience, thus you may be successful at getting them to actually read the email completely before moving on. Humor can create strong connection, so use it where appropriate to help the customer feel good.
Recapping, email marketing in 2019 can work for you employ the best new social media trends, keep your email personalized, make use of artificial intelligence, optimize your emails for mobile delivery, assure transparency and security, integrate your marketing channels and share stories that engage your customer.
It is still seen as one of the most cost-effective tactics, so it makes good sense for you to get really good at it!
