Latest Trends in E-mail Marketing

 

Updated June 23, 2012

Three published reports show the developments in e-mail marketing. Website Magazine reported the most popular e-mail venues, e-mailing’s value, and tips for Q4 e-mail marketing.

E-mail trends. A study by Litmus indicates the development of three trends in e-mail marketing.

Litmus, an e-mail research company, says the trends from July 2010 to July 2011, include:

• Most e-mails continue to be read via Outlook (37 percent of readers).
• Mobile e-mail is increasingly read by the target audience (15 percent).
• Web and desktop e-mail use is decreasing.

Trailing Outlook are Hotmail readers (11 percent), and Yahoo Mail and iPhone (10 percent), and Apple Mail (8 percent).

E-mail’s value. Website Magazine compared the marketing potential of Web sites and social media to the value of e-mailing, as of Sept. 20, 2011.

There were 3.3 billion daily searches on the 463 million Web site.

Facebook had more than 800 million members worldwide, of which there are 60 million updates daily.

Twitter had 300 million members who tweet 140 million times per day, but more than 50 percent of the accounts aren’t active.

Google + had more than 25 million users with 1 billion shares by the users each day.

But e-mail accounts, worldwide, total 2.9 billion – 42 percent of the planet’s inhabitants – with 188 billion e-mails sent daily. No wonder the U.S. Postal Service is in trouble.

In other words, e-mail is more promising for mass marketers because it represents the highest volume of traffic in communication.

E-mail marketing is king if it executes by accomplishing three goals: 1. The right message. 2. The right audience. 3. The right time.

Tips for Q4 marketing. John Murphy, the president of Chicago-based ReachMail, offers his strategies for retailers to achieve their goals in their all-important fourth quarter (Five Steps to a Successful Holiday Email Campaign).

Mr. Murphy starts by cautioning against sending repeat e-mails in the same category to a consumer who has already made the purchase. Subscriber preferences need to be taken into account.

In essence, his points:

1. Audit Your List – Don’t keep sending to inactive subscribers.
2. Update Preferences – Give options to your audience from which to select.
3. Audience Segmentation – Use the consumer’s history as a basis for sending the right offer.
4. Test Subject lines – Keep it simple and test different subject lines.
5. Offer Early Deals – Mr. Murphy suggests sending a “special messaging during October.”

These are all excellent points. Good luck!

From the Coach’s Corner, the only suggestion I’d add is maximize your message by including videos:

• Need a Game-changer? Try a Good Video for More Credibility
• E-Mail Marketers Plan to Greatly Increase Use of Videos, New Study

“Email is the greatest thing.”
-Wally Amos

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.