As traditional marketing methods such as radio, TV, and newspaper advertising continue to decline in popularity, bulk emailing remains a growing source of focus for getting the word out about a product and driving sales. While the practice of unlimited email marketing initially seemed to be tarnished by the actions of a few bad apples known as spammers, legislation such as the CAN SPAM act of 2003 codified acceptable practices in the industry. This allowed for its continued growth as well as the entry of many major corporations into the email marketing arena. Following are some of the trends shaping the industry in 2013.
1) The move to mobile. Driven by technology which allows consumers to check their email almost anywhere, ISPs and other technology providers are increasingly making it easier for people to check email on their smartphones and other such devices. This allows for more targeted and timely delivery of emails.
2) The personal touch. With local search and social networking platforms such as Google+ which optimize content based on a consumer’s individual preferences, email marketers are capitalizing on this trend by personalizing their messages and making them more targeted. This allows for messages that are able to appeal to consumers by giving them access to goods and services that they find appealing.
3) Media convergence. Many consumers now expect to be able to access a company’s messaging via a wide variety of platforms, including social media. While email may provide the initial call to action to engage a customer’s interest, being able to replicate and enlarge on that message on a variety of sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, allows a company to maximize the impact of its outreach efforts.
4) The rise of rich media. No longer is a strictly text message, however well written, the be-all and end-all of a marketing campaign. The rise of social media and digital photography has demonstrated the power of the visual medium, motivating many email marketers to include photos and video links, embedded or otherwise, in the emails they send out.
5) Progressive messaging. Along with the trend towards personalization comes the rise of progressive messaging strategies. Such strategies, driven by auto responder software, tailor an email sending campaign to the responses a recipient makes. Thus, instead of sending the same group of emails to all prospects uniformly, different emails are sent out to different individuals based on how they respond. This can result in higher conversion rates as consumers react positively towards messages tailored to their preferences, rather than those of the targeted group as a whole.