Email marketing is one go-to channel for every marketer, whether an SMB or an enterprise. But, as years pass, email marketing strategies keep evolving, and what worked last year doesn’t get the same result this year.
Some might think email marketing is dead, but it is going nowhere, even in 2024. But standing out in crowded inboxes is harder than ever. Even with 360-degree customer views and analytics, many e-commerce brands need help cutting through noise and connecting.
But what if you could combine creativity, personalization, and innovation to captivate audiences and skyrocket revenue?
This article reveals 8 unconventional email marketing approaches to set your strategy apart next year.
Strategy 1: Personalized Content Automation
Personalization to hyper-personalization remains one of the most effective email marketing techniques in 2024. Though it is, it can be done effectively only via segmenting your audience and customizing content to their interests and behaviors, which significantly boosts open and click-through rates.
Though it can be time-consuming, thankfully, marketing automation tools have popped in and made personalized campaigns at scale easier than ever. Well, AI has also given hands to it, and automation tools are now AI-powered platforms that can track buyer journeys and deliver dynamic, hyper-targeted messaging to each subscriber without straining marketing resources.
For instance, an outdoor retailer could use customer data to promote newly released hiking gear to purchasers of tents and backpacks. Or an apparel retailer might highlight matching accessories to someone who recently bought a top in the same color palette.
Email marketing strategies like these demonstrate relevance through tailored recommendations while increasing cross-sell opportunities. According to Campaign Monitor, it is said that personalized promotional emails generate 6x higher transaction rates. Say Whattttt!
Yes, the key to this strategy is letting marketing automation tools handle the heavy lifting of building customer profiles, identifying behaviors, and mapping appropriate content journeys. This allows marketers more time for high-level strategy and creative ways to turn data into delight.
Furthermore, advanced personalization technology will gain wider adoption in 2024 and the years ahead. Now is the time to explore email marketing automation platforms that help you wow subscribers with that “this was meant for me” feeling that drives conversions.
Strategy 2: AI-Driven Email Optimization
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing everywhere, and what’s possible with email marketing? – well, it is all about optimizing the campaigns for higher performance. But how? AI can analyze historical email data, recipient behavior patterns, and current trends to improve subject lines, send times, content personalization, and more.
The major benefit of leveraging AI is that it takes testing and guesswork out of the equation using data-backed insights on audience preferences. For example, AI can A/B test dozens of subject line variations and determine which drives the highest open rates based on customer segments. It can also suggest content topics and products most likely to engage each subscriber instead of relying on marketers to predict interests.
As AI gets smarter, it will become invaluable for optimizing program performance. Prioritizing personalization, relevance, and sentiment analysis can capture more opens and clicks. Analyze your historical email data and then use those insights to train AI for continual optimization.
Strategy 3: Interactive Email Elements
Interactive content holds subscribers’ attention longer while providing valuable data on preferences. Elements like polls, quizzes, assessments, surveys, live chats, and more boost engagement.
Studies show that emails with interactive features can substantially improve click-through rates and encourage social sharing, contact list sign ups, and surveying customer needs at scale.
When integrating interactive components, follow these best practices:
- Ensure a mobile-friendly experience since most emails are opened on smartphones.
- Make participation low-friction.
- Provide value before asking subscribers to share information to build trust.
- Limit required personal details and explain how data will help improve their experience.
- Send follow-up emails highlighting participation results and relevant recommendations to close the loop.
Strategy 4: Mobile-First Email Design
Smartphones are everywhere, and with over 50% of emails opened on mobile devices today, an optimized mobile experience is mandatory — no longer just a nice-to-have. Failing to create mobile-friendly emails frustrates customers, increases bounces, and suppresses conversions.
Some of the best practices to be followed:
- Use a single-column layout
- Include large, tappable buttons
- Simplify navigation
- Increase image sizes
- Check templates on multiple device sizes
Testing mobile preview modes before every send is also advised to catch rendering issues before deployment.
Treat mobile-first design as the default rather than an afterthought with superior deliverability and performance at stake.
Strategy 5: Integration of Social Media and Email
Email marketing campaigns can benefit tremendously by incorporating social media elements. This cross-channel approach captures more exposure while positioning your brand as innovative, as many brands prefer omnichannel marketing because it takes the marketing effort to the next level.
Some ideas for blending social into emails:
- Promote User-Generated Content
Encourage your audiences to express their customer satisfaction easily by tagging your brand with their valuable reviews, photos, and videos. Well, automation has made these processes even easier with customer review tools like BayReviews.
As a brand, you can then showcase the colorful testimonials and visuals directly in email body content or dedicated sidebars.
- Add Social Sharing Buttons
Include familiar share icons to virally dispersed links, limited-time offers, and resources across platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
- Segment by Social Activity
Sync email subscribers with their social followers and behaviors, then create targeted content journeys based on channel preferences.
The major advantage of social and email integration is multiplying touchpoints with messaging tailored to how different users engage. This fusion also continually feeds more contacts into lists for future personalization while injecting campaigns with authentic community content.
Strategy 6: Segmenting Email Lists for Targeted Campaigns
In the list of email marketing strategies, one of the most effective ways to boost email results is segmentation. Yes, segmenting your master contact list into smaller subgroups. This allows sending targeted campaigns aligned to distinct interests and behaviors.
Some techniques for smart list segmentation include:
- Demographic data
- Purchase history
- Website Activity
- Engagement with past email content
- Buyer lifecycle stage
- Customer loyalty levels
Research shows marketers see substantial revenue gains and improve engagement metrics from segmented, targeted messages over generic blasts.
The more granular the segmentation strategy based on consumer needs, the higher response rates typically rise. So, it is good to invest in a tool like BayEngage that gives more narrow segmentation to send more precise personalization, enabling emails that deeply resonate with defined groups.
Strategy 7: Video Content in Emails
Adding visuals to the email is one effective method to grab your audience’s attention. In that way, video email marketing is rapidly going mainstream. Over two-thirds of marketers leverage dynamic motion graphics and short-form content to stop scrollers and drive action.
Done right, video emails boost click-through rates up to 300% and build deeper engagement. Use these tips to adapt to the medium:
- Feature snippets under 20 seconds optimally
- Personalize intros to resonate with target segments
- Autoplay muted with captions option
- Include cinematic graphics and branded lower thirds
- Link to gated premium video content
- Test rendering across mobile and desktop
With innovations like shoppable video enabling direct product purchases and embedded VOD channels, this content form stimulates all learning styles. Treat video emails like mini commercials focused on specific products, promotions, or brand stories tailored to your subscribers’ preferences.
Strategy 8: User-Generated Content in Emails
Undoubtedly, user-generated content like customer photos, videos, reviews, and testimonials brings powerful social proof to email campaigns. In fact, consumers are 4X more likely to buy after seeing UGC.
The benefits include:
- Increased trust and authenticity
- Higher engagement and clicks
- Improved brand loyalty
- More affordable than original assets
To source impactful UGC for emails:
- Run contests for visuals and stories
- Curate hashtags, tags, and mentions
- Provide submission forms and rewards
- Obtain permission and give credit
- Spotlight influencers proudly
With user content woven seamlessly into personalized journeys, subscribers receive relevant peer perspectives rather than branded noise. This community-building win-win boosts both conversion and retention metrics.
Gear Up Your Email Campaign With these Effective 8 Email Marketing Strategies
We have covered the 8 innovative email marketing strategies that offer game-changing potential to stand out in 2024. From leveraging personalization and artificial intelligence to experimenting with interactive formats, video, and UCG – embrace tools to captivate subscribers.
Here’s a quick recap of the cutting-edge tactics to test:
- Automate personalized content through advanced segmentation
- Optimize campaigns with AI-driven insights
- Boost engagement with interactive elements
- Adopt a mobile-first design mindset
- Integrate social media for expanded reach
- Send targeted messages to defined subscriber groups
- Incorporate cinematic video content
- Spotlight user-generated content
The inbox remains a primary place customers engage with brands. Take your email program to the next level by applying one or more unconventional approaches above. Dial-up creativity in tandem with personalization and innovation.
Here’s to your best email marketing year ever! Let us know which advanced strategies perform best when you implement them next season.
