1 Using SMS and Mobil marketing to grow Email lists
Consumers live on their mobile devices. More and more companies are using SMS as a way to make it easy for a consumer to opt into their email programs, and send them special offers via phone or traditional email. Look for growth with restaurant and retail chains. SMS is much more effective and timely that the traditional, manual ways of collecting opt ins (response cards, fishbowl, etc.).
2 Leveraging Video in Email
Video embedded within email is a logical extension of Web 2.0. Today smart marketers are leveraging the power of video by using simple screen captures to drive the consumer to the video content on a web page. New technologies from LiveClicker and Goodmail offer other deployment methods where video can be viewed from within the actual email. LiveClicker uses animated GIFs to give the illusion of a video playing in email, whereas Goodmail actually streams live video into email at AOL inboxes.
3 Balancing Images and Text within the HTML Design
Today’s inbox challenge is that images don’t render by default across most email clients, even though tests have shown that images outperform plain text in driving response. Use a smart balance of text and images, and make sure to use alt tags and take advantage of the ability to put your key points in header copy. The days of using one large image in an email are long gone.
4 Making Email Conversational
The proliferation of spam is causing consumers to become more and more desensitized to email marketing messages. By making the email interactive and conversational, marketers are able to rise above the noise and connect with their customers. Engage consumers and create dialogue is tantamount to successful programs.
5 Offering Exclusive Promotions
With so many different channels available for accessing information, consumers are easily distracted. Email recipients need to find your content valuable if they’re going to pay attention and continue to subscribe. Exclusive content or offers that can’t be accessed anywhere else, increases the stickiness of your subscriber base and will drive up open and click-through rates.
6 Targeted Email Automation
The technology exists with most email platforms to start sending automated messaging, in addition to the ad hoc campaigns that most companies run. The key to successful automated emails are leveraging the customer data. (i.e., anniversary, renewal date, loyalty points, ) Sending automated targeted messages have much higher open rate than traditional transactional emails. Your customers need to know you are listening and responding to their preferences.
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