A Return To Basics: Email Marketing Trends In 2019

Are you looking to improve your email marketing game in 2019?

Each and every successful business today knows just how important email marketing is to their business. Not only is it useful for staying connected to past and current clients, but it also helps to promote and personalise your brand.

Unfortunately, staying current with the latest email marketing strategies isn’t always easy. After all, these strategies continue to change and develop over time. What may have worked in previous years may no longer be applicable to the current market.

Needless to say, it’s vital for current businesses to have a strong email marketing strategy. If you feel you could better your email marketing overall, you’re going to want to read this. We’re uncovering eight of the most useful email marketing trends that are going to be hot in 2019.

If you put these strategies to use, you’re sure to both better your marketing platform and increase your sales.

1. Respect for Privacy

There’s no denying that the majority of consumers are concerned with their privacy when it comes to email marketing.

As email marketing becomes even more popular in 2019, it’s especially important nowadays to show your respect for your audience’s privacy. We can also expect more regulation to take place in 2019 regarding email marketing privacy.

For many consumers, it’s common to experience worry in relation to where their information is being stored. This also remains true for how their personal data is being utilised. That said, it’s best to be upfront with your audience and detail how their information is being used and what security systems are in place.

In 2019, we’re going to be seeing fewer companies ask for private information from their consumers. While this information is useful for added personalisation, it has proven to be a deterrent to consumers. This means that fewer companies are going to be requesting the phone numbers or private information in their emails.

2. The Rise of Plain Text

When it comes to crafting the perfect email, there’s no denying that video and image-heavy emails are visually appealing.

These emails can be fun, interactive, and have the fantastic ability to showcase products or services. But, while this type of email is attractive in many ways, they’re not always in the best interest of the sender.

Studies reveal that image heavy emails are more likely to be flagged as spam. As a result, we’re going to see a shift back to mostly plain text email strategies as 2019 progresses.

This is because a text-heavy email is far less likely to be flagged as spam. Instead, these emails are more likely to be considered conversational emails sent between two known parties.

This isn’t to say that images are entirely forbidden in email marketing today. In fact, studies reveal that emails with 80% text and 20% imagery should avoid being flagged as spam.

3. Offering Free Materials

Today, more and more companies are choosing to include free material in their email marketing campaigns. Depending on your business, this may include:

• Coupons and discount codes
• Free online classes
• Whitepapers
• Exclusive memberships
• Guidebooks and swipe files

These free materials provide the consumer with a reason to remain subscribed to your emails. In a world in which our inboxes are flooded with perceived junk mail, it only makes sense to offer your audience something of value. As we progress into 2019, this is only going to become a more popular trend.

4. Personalisation

In 2019, it’s best to look at your email marketing as digital letters written to your audience. That said, it’s vital to keep these emails personal.

Remember, you only want to send your subscribers quality content that is personal to them and tailored to their needs. To do so, it’s important to first consider who your audience is.

Use this opportunity to connect with your audience on a more personal level. Many businesses find consistent blogging to be the best way to connect with their audience while still providing useful and personal information.

As more and more companies choose to better their email marketing strategies, your audience is only going to be receiving more emails. To ensure your emails stand out and remain active in their inbox, it’s essential to separate your emails from the competition. The best way to achieve this is through creating personal emails which feel more like friend-to-friend messages rather than promotional material.

5. Contests

If you really want to engage with your audience, try running a contest as part of your email marketing campaign. This is something we are bound to see more of as 2019 progresses and it’s always beneficial to get a head start.

As 2019 commences, businesses are trying to find ways to ensure their subscribers engage with their emails. Because more and more money is going to be spent on email marketing, it’s essential to be sure that your emails are getting read.

To do so, more companies are going to be offering something of value to their audience members through contests. This may include auctioning off gift certificates, vouchers, or even discounts for services. This is also a great way to get your subscribers to recommend your services to friends and family!

To be put in the running for receiving such a prize, the recipient must engage with the email. This could include anything from sharing the email on their social media pages to answering a trivia question detailed in the email.

6. Increased Budget for Email Marketing

As email marketing becomes a more trusted strategy amongst businesses, it’s only going to become more popular.

Today, businesses and marketing professionals understand that your initial investment in email marketing is only a fraction of your potential return. In fact, studies reveal for every $1 spent on email marketing, $44 is made in return.

With that said, businesses are going to be allocating more of their budget to email marketing in 2019. To ensure your company is prepared for this, be sure to plan for a heightened email marketing budget.

7. Mobile Friendly

In today’s day and age, it’s vital to ensure that all your email marketing is mobile friendly. While this was somewhat of a requirement in previous years, it’s now entirely expected in 2019.

Let’s consider that a large percentage of emailing today is conducted on a smartphone. In fact, studies reveal the average person has trouble resisting the temptation to check their phone every ten minutes. Because of the presence of data and the ability to easily hold your smartphone, many people prefer to conduct their emails on the go.

This fact is what makes having a mobile-friendly email so important. If your email marketing campaign is not designed to be mobile-friendly, it’s more likely that your email will remain ignored and the opportunity for engagement is lost.

8. Authenticity

Remember, digital marketing should be fun!

As a company, this is a rare opportunity to show the face behind your business and add a touch of personality. In doing so, your business is able to connect with your audience on a more personal level.

Creating fun and authentic emails is another way to ensure your audience is actually reading your email. When emails are merely information and factional, they can tend to get overlooked by the anticipated audience. This is where ignoring, brief skimming or an immediate delete typically comes into play.

Instead, allow your audience to look forward to an intriguing and authentic email from your company. With this type of email, your audience is more likely to read and engage with the email and deliver your anticipated results.

This doesn’t mean your emails have to become a bright, flowery, and rich in picture. Instead, simply allow your voice and your personality to shine through your writing. Give your audience a reason to believe there’s a friendly face behind your emails.

Email Marketing Trends: 2019 Edition

Email marketing has never been more important than it is today.

Let’s consider the majority of businesses today have at least somewhat of an email marketing strategy in place. This means that if your company is not using email marketing, you can safely assume your competition is.

While email marketing has been around for several years, it’s a world which is constantly evolving. Each year, different marketing trends and strategies are being enforced in email marketing to make it more effective.

If one of your primary goals is to attract new subscribers, you’re going to want to ensure that you’re enforcing the latest strategies in your email marketing. Without these new and improved strategies, it may be difficult to accommodate a new audience.

Do you feel your business could benefit from professional digital marketing assistance? If so, be sure to contact us today!

Strategic Optimisation + Growth consultant for lean start-ups and change-making entrepreneurs enabling them to grow their business in a sustainable and profitable way. My super-powers are business optimisation, CX, SEO, and leveraging data insights for business growth. #fuelledbycoffee

Originally published at optimiseandgrowonline.com.au on January 29, 2019.