5 Latest Email Marketing Trends for 2015 and Beyond

The 5 Latest Email Marketing Trends for 2015 and Beyond

Even with all the hype surrounding social media, instant messaging apps and the dozens of other communications channels available to us in today’s tech-savvy world, email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools a business has in its arsenal. As of 2013, there were approximately 3.8 billion email users world-wide. Email is still the most preferred way for consumers to receive marketing communications. According to a study by ExactTarget, 77% of users prefer to be communicated via email.

Although email is still fundamentally going to be email, the way we manage this tool will see some changes over the coming months and years. That said, let’s take a look at the 5 latest email marketing trends to watch for in 2015.

Unsubscribing from campaigns is only going to get easier.

Gmail recently rolled out a new easy opt-out feature, which allows email recipients to unsubscribe from an email list without even opening the message. Marketers everywhere went into a tailspin, citing that such a move would all but destroy their efforts. In reality, these types of features are actually better for business, which is good, because they’re not going anywhere. In fact, we’ll likely see more empowerment features down the road.

Initially there was a small uproar from the digital marketing community -- easier unsubscribe means more unsubscribes right? Wrong. Expect to see an increase in the quality of email marketing communications. In order to keep subscribers engaged marketers must provide even more infotaining content that customers are excited to open and read.

Responsive email design will simply become email design

According to a study by Litmus, mobile now accounts for the majority of email opening, at 51% and climbing. Designing emails for mobile optimization is no longer just an option. It’s a necessity. The term “responsive email design” will gradually become a thing of the past, not because the practice will disappear. Design for mobile first and all other platforms second.

Email will integrate more seamlessly with other channels

Linking email marketing with social media campaigns is super easy, yet few marketers are truly harnessing this powerful combination for their own benefit. Part of the reason behind this resistance may be fear of directing prospective customers away from email and direct web interaction and into the arms of social networks. In reality, if done properly, linking email marketing to social media campaigns can help to further amplify your marketing messages and promote brand ambassadorship. As more marketing professionals come to realize this benefit, we will begin to see more widely accepted marriages between the two.

Enhanced technology will make email interaction more engaging

The introduction of more improved HMTL capabilities will continue to change how users interact with their emails. The inbox used to be a place where visitors would branch off to various landing pages via external links. Now email is shifting to a more dynamic platform where users can experience and engage with content directly within their messages. For marketers, this means the opportunity to incorporate more powerful content within their emails, which will result in enhanced engagement with both existing and prospective customers as well as a better overall user experience.

Email marketing is only going to get bigger

Based on the basic law of averages, email marketing is here to stay, and it’s only going to get bigger. Studies show that email usage is expected to grow at an average rate of 7%, year over year, which makes it even more obvious that email marketing will continue to be a powerful and effective tool for engaging customers and reaching prospects. Simply put, if you’re not leveraging the power of email marketing to its fullest potential, you will most certainly be missing out on increased profits as we navigate the rest of 2014 and beyond.

Of course, these are just a few of the many directions we envision email marketing to go over the coming months and years. What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear them! Please share in the comments below.