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3 email marketing trends for an omnichannel world

Working at a marketing agency, you notice a thing or two about email marketing. Working at an industry leader like Epsilon gives me access to more direct marketing information than most people can dream of. So, I’m going to share some edited highlights with you to help you with your email marketing programmes:

The future of email marketing is live

Sports fans want the latest updates of their team scores, news and player changes in real-time. Shoppers will respond to brands who leverage inventory data to let them know how many of those shoes are available in size 6, or how many vehicles of a particular make/model are left in the showroom.

Data shows that live content can increase email engagement by as much as 40%. According to the Epsilon Response Network, when you leverage information about a consumer’s preferred time of open, you can drive click rates by 11%. Live content allows email marketers to include real-time interactive elements, geo targeting, rich media and target content to the desktop or a specific mobile device.  

> Smart marketers are using live content technology to create “time of open” content strategies for their email marketing programmes.

The new mobile email frontier is wearable tech

Mobile email opens have increased more than 180% in the past 3 years and with more than half of all emails opened on a mobile device. Many brands feel they’ve come to grips with delivering email marketing content suitable for mobile devices, but if that just means phones and tablets, then they couldn’t be more wrong.

The global wearables market is expected to reach a value of 19 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, more than ten times its value five years prior, with nearly 112 million new wearable tech products shipped. Mobile interactions will have to become even more personal and relevant as user adoption of connected wearable devices such as the Apple Watch become ever more widespread.

> Brands must again adjust their thinking when it comes to delivering digital communications to their customers, with yet another range of receiver devices in mind.

Evidence suggests successful direct marketing must target customer behaviour, not just demographics

One particular email type gives us a critical insight into email marketing. Triggered emails (sent based on a buyer’s behaviour, sign ups, purchases etc.) far outstrip “business as usual” email blasts when it comes to open rates and click through rates. According to Epsilon’s Q3 2015 email trends and benchmarks report, triggered open rates were 68.0% higher than BAU emails in Q3 2015. Triggered click rates were a massive 228.7% higher than BAU. So what does that tell us about our direct marketing? It’s simple.

> The more targeting we can build into our direct marketing campaigns that is dictated by the recipient’s behaviour, rather than their demographic profile, the better result we can expect.

Dave Fox

Director of Business Development

Learn more about how we can help you with email marketing or contact us.

Why should my company listen to Epsilon about email marketing?

Epsilon is listed in the top three companies across the three most influential analyst reports on email marketing service providers, Forrester Wave, Relevancy Ring and Red Pill email. In fact, only Epsilon appears in top three across all three reports. What’s more, in all three reports Epsilon is ranked highest among all participating vendors for services, overall strategy, and client satisfaction. With major European clients like Dell and Google, plus being recognised by Ad Age as the #1 Largest Global CRM/Direct Marketing Network, when we say we know email, you know we really do.

About Epsilon

Epsilon is a full-service marketing agency where creativity and data click. We create beautiful, effective work that turns heads, bringing the power and expertise of our global marketing company to your doorstep. Recognised by Ad Age as the #1 Largest Global CRM/Direct Marketing Network, #4 Largest Global Digital Agency #7 Largest Global Agency Company, Epsilon employs over 7,000 associates in 70 offices worldwide. Epsilon is an Alliance Data company.