As we kick off the new year, it’s a good time to reflect on the trends that are emerging in the email business. These predictions not only reflect new opportunities but also give you insights into what your competitors will likely be trying in the coming months. To help you prepare for what is on the horizon, we’ve put together a list of trends that we expect to see in 2018.
1. More Emails Will Be Personalized
As consumers continue to receive more emails every day, brands can no longer afford to send batch-and-blast emails. Consumers have come to expect curated experiences. Companies that want to stand out in the inbox and attract attention must deliver personalized content or risk being ignored. Expect to see more emphasis this year on email personalization. From using past purchase data or location data to incorporating site browsing behavior and the device, there are plenty of ways to ensure that your content is more personal.
2. GDPR Will Make Marketers More Responsible When Handling Personal Consumer Data
GDPR rules will go live May 25, yet according to a report from the World Federation of Advertisers, 70 percent of global marketers are not fully aware of the implications. Now that the new year has arrived, companies can no longer afford to put it off. We expect that email marketers will be dedicating time to GDPR and implementing consumer-friendly data policies in order to comply with these rules. Non-compliance carries big fines. Expect to see email marketers rethinking how their data is collected, stored and utilized in email campaigns during the first half of this year.
3. More Marketers Will Prioritize Mobile Optimization
According to Econsultancy, 73 percent of marketers are prioritizing mobile email optimization this year, a 95 percent increase from 2017. As more consumers check emails on mobile phones, this trend is only going to continue. Expect to see more brands enhance the user experience on mobile devices in order to make it more convenient for consumers to interact with marketing emails no matter what device they are using.
4. Marketers Will Focus More on Engagement
While email acquisition is important, expanding relationships with existing customers is even more key. It costs 5x as much to attract a new customer than to retain an existing customer and these existing customers tend to spend more. It is more cost effective to try to upsell and engage existing customers than it is to find new customers. With this in mind, we expect to see more email marketers beefing up their efforts in order to increase customer engagement in 2018. By taking time to focus on customers and deliver generous and engaging offers to this segment, you’ll have loyal customers for life.
5. Segmentation & Testing Will Continue to Reign
While some marketers will be trying out new and flashy tools this year, one thing is for sure: all marketers will be aiming to optimize their programs. The basic marketing elements of segmentation and testing will continue to thrive in 2018. Whether it is segmenting based on gender, income level or past purchase behavior, marketers will benefit by segmenting campaigns, testing these segments and optimizing content based on the results. Expect the building blocks of email marketing to be alive and well this year.
6. Marketers Will Adopt More Dynamic Content This Year
In a move to be more relevant, marketers will increasingly be adopting technologies that make emails more dynamic based on when and where the person actually interacts with the email. From location targeting to live pricing or inventory based on the time of open, expect to see more dynamic content within emails this year. Marketers that adopt these smart tools can ensure that an email remains relevant, even if the sale being promoted has ended.
