The changes to Email Marketing

I blogged previously about how email marketing is the 'king' however I have found some developments about email marketing, and some of the changes that have happened. 

Casel (2013) spoke of how email marketing is a cost effective form of marketing for any business, big or small, emails can be a lot more personalised than other marketing methods and email can be interactive, as long as the email is built correctly. 

There are many Email Service Providers (ESP) you can use to send out your emails, however Minsker (2014) speaks of how certain things have changed in the email marketing world that could affect your strategy. 

ESP are changing certain aspects of mailboxes in order to improve the experience their customers get by not receiving so much "junk" from businesses. Minsker also highlights the change to mobile marketing and how marketers are having to adjust to this change, because if they did not adapt to their new strategies, then Minsker says there will be a "classic case of sink or swin." 

Looking into the changes that some ESPs have implemented. Due to the introduction of new engagement policies, ESPs such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail and Microsoft have been regulating deliverability. We first of all look at Google. Google introduced new tabs to their Gmail inboxes which was to try and remove marketing emails from the users primary inbox, and move it into a promotions tab (Minsker, 2014). This change from Google received positive feedback from customers, however it is a big problem with email marketers due to the fact that customers will not be opening their emails at the time in which they want them too. With Hotmail and Yahoo, open rates were not effected as much as Gmail, so it would seem that marketers will see a decline in open rates from users with a Gmail account. 

The next issue that marketers will face is the advances in mobile. Now, when you first think of mobile, you think great! I can access my customers anywhere and at anytime. However the challenge is creating the content that grips the attention of the reader as people are spending much less time in their inbox, and only look through what interests them. An example given in Minsker (2014) is a countdown to the end of a sale or limited time offer. Creating a sense of urgency creates an action from the reader. Minsker also goes on to detail how using geographic location can also increase the open rate of an email, as users want more personalised content. However, the trick is to get the right amount of personalisation and to not cross into the red zone of invasive. 

 Another thing to consider when creating emails that are likely to be received and opened on a mobile device, is responsive design. I spoke of responsive web design in a previous blog about the Importance of a mobile friendly website. It is clear that Responsive design is good for more than just web design. Emails will be opened on a range of devices, from desktops to mobiles to tablets. All requiring different layouts due to screen sizes. 

Minsker also details that you also need to revitalise email marketing through good, quality re-engagements activities. Kristina Huffman (cited in Minsker, 2014) speaks of five re-engagement tactics that can be used to spark the interest back into your customers:

1. Educational message - to encourage subscribers to make the most of their subscription through specific activities etc. 
2. Subscription Reminder - re-enforcing the fact that the emails sent are of high value and the customer chose to opt-in.
3. The Guilt Trip - giving customers a last resort moment to not unsubscribe saying something a long the lines of "we'll miss you"
4. The Deadline Strategy - a tried and tested strategy giving customers a deadline and creating a sense of urgency.
5. The Incentive Message - works well with the deadline strategy, give something to the customer if your content just does not quite entice your customer to stay with you. 

From my perspective, looking at these new obstructions, yes it could be a bit of a pain that customers will not be opening the message when you want them too, but it could work in your favour. Especially when look at Google's tabs. Your customers are going to look at these emails when they are ready, not when you want them too. This means that slightly tailoring your approach to how you word your emails will need to change, and that is it. With mobile, take on the above messages that Minsker brought up, and email on mobile will be as large of a success to what it was on desktop, you've just got to embrace the new changes. 

References used:

Minsker, M 2014, 'The Future of EMAIL Marketing', CRM Magazine, 18, 2, pp. 24-28, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 May 2014.

Casel, B 2013, 'Build Repeat Customers Through Email Marketing', Restaurant Hospitality, 97, 9, p. 24, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 May 2014.