We've been hearing statements like "email is dead" or "email is out the door," for what seems like years. The fact is, however, is that Americans are still checking their email and marketers are still cashing in. According to some estimates, sales from email campaigns are 23 percent of total revenue for some companies, up from 18 percent just a year ago.
We'll admit that email campaigns aren't and should not be what they were like a decade ago. We are a a population of mobile device users, as opposed to desktop users, and our needs have changed. In an article on the website Mobile Marketing Watch, digital advertising professional Michael Essany detailed how email is evolving along with other forms of technology. We've highlighted some of his most important points below:
- Automated campaigns – This will be tricky, as marketing should not seem robotic, but if you want to reach more potential customers, you will need to automate some of your work. Automated email campaigns can help you become more productive.
- Increased personalization – "Email marketers have long recognized that 'batch and blast' email campaigns aren't nearly as effective as they used to be," Essany wrote. "Personalizing them using 'big data' is coming soon and […] nearly all email communications will be fully personalized within the next five years."
- Integration with other marketing channels – Consumers are spending more of their lives online. Marketers should take advantage of this fact by developing more sophisticated campaigns that target email addresses and online profiles.
Developing and implementing sophisticated email marketing campaigns can get tricky, but working with an internet marketing agency like KeyMedia Solutions can simplify the process.