More and more marketers are embracing email marketing. But have you stopped to consider how changing consumer behaviors are shaping modern email marketing campaigns?
You see, whether actively searching or not, the email marketing landscape continuously evolves with new ideas and practices to align with shifting consumer preferences. As a marketer, you must be among the first to know and adapt them to your email marketing strategies if your campaigns are to succeed.
That’s why we’ve put this list of email marketing trends together.
Let’s get to it!
Top email marketing trends in 2024
Trends like interactive rich media, user-generated content, BIMI adoption, and marketing automation are gaining ground in email marketing. Let’s explore some of these ideas and how to implement them in your campaigns.
1. Interactive email with rich media
Interactive emails allow you to engage users in quite an interesting way. These emails often include elements like image carousels, animated gifs, interactive infographics, embedded videos, and so on.
Here’s an example from Venmo’s email:
You can use rich media to make your emails more memorable and improve the reader experience. It’s one strategy that can boost engagement— or even email conversions.
Data shows that interactive emails can increase click-through rates by 73% compared to static emails.
There are various ways to add interactive elements to your email. Like the Vimeo below, you can use nice-looking media at the top of your email copy to hook your audience:
You can also add the media component in the middle or at the bottom of the email. Whichever way, simply ensure that the media enhances what you intend to communicate.
Of course, you want to keep the media elements minimal so that you don’t distract recipients from the major focus of your emails.
2. User-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is another email trend to take advantage of. UGC is a reliable way to harness the support of your existing user base and build trust.
All you’ll do with UGC is feature content created by your users. This could be reviews, photos, or even social media posts that you’ll add to your email campaigns.
See this example from Buoy:
In another example, Elf Cosmetics includes a TikTok UGC (alongside written customer reviews) to liven up their email campaign and maximize social proof. This strategy is awesome because 85% of users agree that visual UGC can influence them to take action.
Another great way to apply UGC is through customer success stories. This can be used when you want to go big on promoting a particular product. Here’s an example from The Man Shake:
You can use UGC in re-engagement marketing emails and regular newsletters. Try running giveaway campaigns like Gussi below to encourage users to share their content.
Also, after customers have bought a product, you can send a UGC-embedded email and nudge new shoppers to share their own feedback.
3. Hyper-personalization with niche content
Hyper-personalized niche content is one of the 2024 email marketing trends you shouldn’t ignore. Salesforce reports that 80% of marketers use personalized email campaigns to reach their audience.
Basic personalization often involves using regular data that customers have previously provided– for instance, first names, last names, age, etc. Hyper-personalization takes it even further. Here, you’re targeting data like purchase history, browsing behavior, or engagement level. The focus is often on delivering highly relevant content to smaller groups within your email list.
You may already be used to sending hyper-personalized emails in a promotional way. For example, if you were to send a follow-up email after a recent purchase, you’d probably send a cross-selling email like the one below:
But how about using these personalizations to send information that your customers would find valuable? That’s where “niche content” comes in.
For instance, you can send product-specific tips to your audience. See this example from Dossier:
Also, you can use hyper-personalized content to share industry-specific news or tips your audience may find useful. Share blog posts, surveys, and other resources directly related to user needs or interests. See this example from Zeus Jones:
Hyper-personalized campaigns can also be sent based on preferred product categories. You can either determine user preferences based on their browsing history. Or, send an email like Bespoke in the example below:
A PWC survey revealed that 82% of customers are willing to disclose some personal information to improve their customer experience.
Hyper-personalized emails can lead to higher open rates, click-throughs, and conversions, especially since 80% of consumers find personalized content appealing. See this data by Statista:
Use tools like geolocation, machine learning, and AI to implement hyper-personalization. Platforms like Hotjar and Google Analytics can give you detailed insight into how customers engage with your website.
- Segment your list based on detailed criteria, such as purchase history, browsing behavior, engagement level, or user milestones (for software products).
- Create content that speaks directly to each segment’s interest or attribute.
- Apply dynamic content blocks that change based on user data.
Personalize email components like subject lines, product recommendations, and offers for each segment. You’ll also need to set up triggered emails based on specific user behaviors or data (more about this later).
4. Mobile-first email design
Mobile-first design is another key email trend to explore. According to Tech Report, 1.7 billion people use their mobile phones to open emails. Ignoring this means choosing a poor user experience and lower email engagement.
The mobile-first email design focuses on creating emails that render well on small screens. These are called responsive emails. The goal is to ensure that your message is easy to interact with, no matter what device your subscriber uses.
Here’s how to optimize your emails for mobile devices:
- Use a simple layout. One with a single-column design is preferred so all elements can stay in place.
- Keep emails concise and straight to the point. Overly long emails can throw people off.
- Maximize white space so the email content doesn’t appear cluttered– especially if you’re not including images.
Let’s see an example:
Sauna House starts this email campaign with a nice image and places primary CTA buttons above the fold. Notice how they use short paragraphs and leave enough space between each section.
Also, optimize images for quick loading. Email marketing tools like GetResponse allow you to compress/resize images that may be too large. Use appropriate file formats like PNG, JPEG, and GIF.
It’s a good idea to test/preview your email on various devices to ensure a consistent look.
5. Brand newsletters
Brand newsletters let you connect with customers beyond promotional email campaigns. With brand newsletters, you share content that’ll help leads know you better. You’re sending emails with compelling brand stories, highlighting your company values, or telling email subscribers about specific initiatives you’ve started.
Brand newsletters may also include employee spotlights or special milestones you’ve hit as a company. This email by Station is a remarkable example:
In another example, ORRIS, the soap brand, sends a heartfelt email to its audience highlighting some of its significant milestones in the past year.
Your brand newsletters don’t have to be rigid. Explore different types of updates or stories to keep your audience engaged. Let your audience know when you:
- Launch a new product
- Open up a new location
- Diversify your operations
- Get a new CEO, etc.
Consider creating a nice-looking template using an email newsletter software like GetResponse. Even better, you can use pre-built email templates. Choose a template that’s easy to adjust based on your brand style. Feel free to add, remove, or rearrange content blocks as needed.
Remember, the aim is to ensure prospects know what you’ve been up to.
6. AI email writer
The 2024 McKinsey Survey reveals that 72% of companies are rapidly adopting AI, a sweet climb from 64% in 2023. The survey also shows that a good portion of companies use AI for marketing and sales activities.
AI can be pretty useful in email marketing. So, it’s no surprise that some of the best email marketing software now include AI-powered features.
GetResponse, for instance, offers an AI email generator for crafting content tailored to your business and target audience. Marketers using the AI email generator attest to an 85% decrease in email creation time.
AI can be particularly useful for writing better subject lines, considering factors like word choice, length, and even emotional appeal to help you resonate better with your target audience.
You can also use AI writers to generate multiple versions of your email copy when running an A/B test. Then, adapt the best one to match your brand voice and personality.
As you may already know, an AI email writer would work best when combined with your creative wit and human touch. It’s not a replacement— it’s an “assistant.”
7. FOMO strategy
Next on our list of trends in email marketing is the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) strategy. Using FOMO in email marketing involves creating a sense of urgency, scarcity, or value that prompts subscribers to take immediate action.
Here’s a good example from Venmo’s email:
FOMO is quite effective because it triggers a strong desire to be part of a good deal. A study by Cogent also reveals that FOMO can lead to faster buying decisions.
With FOMO, marketers also leverage social proof— so prospects buy because they don’t want to miss out on what others already benefit from.
You can employ the FOMO strategy through:
- Limited-time offers: Highlight sales or discounts available for a short period.
- Count-down timers: to prompt action before the deal expires. It’s also great if you’re promoting an event.
- Exclusive access: early access to new products or invitations to special events.
- Last chance reminders: before an offer expires to encourage action.
- Low-stock alerts: when products that a customer is interested in are selling out quickly.
Also, use visual cues to reinforce your email copy.
Consider using specific numbers to help subscribers understand the exact value they’d get from your offering. In the example above, Motion Array indicates users get a “$50 discount on an annual subscription, which includes access to over 700,000 creative assets.” This quantifies the value users stand to get.
Did you also notice how Motion Array uses the “last chance” reminder in their email subject?
Keep in mind that you must use FOMO ethically and avoid creating false scarcity. Overdoing things could also make subscribers lose trust in you. So, it’s best to balance FOMO tactics with other value-driven content in your email marketing strategy.
8. Assess deliverability
This is not just one out of many mailing trends; it’s also what you’d call an “email marketing 2024 best practice.” The email deliverability rate tells you how many messages reach your recipient’s inbox or any of their folders/tabs.
Lately, ISPs (Internet Service Providers) like Yahoo and Google introduced new guidelines for sending emails to personal accounts. This was done to tackle spam and improve their client experience.
These guidelines enforce strong authentication protocols (DKIM, SPF, DMARC). Setting up authentication protocols lets you verify that your emails come from the original domain.
You’re expected to configure the following:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework) – this is a record published in your Domain Name System (DNS) that specifies authorized email servers. Receiving email servers check the record to verify that your sender’s IP address is legitimate.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) – It’s more like a digital signature that encrypts your emails to ensure they’re not tampered with during transit.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) – tells receiving servers what to do (reject, spam, or report) when emails come from an unauthenticated domain, i.e., emails that failed the DKIM or SPF verification.
Thankfully, if you use GetResponse, you can authenticate your sender email in only a few steps.
ISPs also have guidelines concerning the following:
- Sender history. Email client services often track sender history through IP addresses. Consistent, high-quality emails with low spam complaints show you have a good reputation. That means your messages can be delivered as they should.
- Email content quality. Misleading subject lines, excessive caps, irrelevant attachments, and spammy words can trigger bots to send your email to spam.
- User engagement metrics. High engagement rates show email providers that your messages are relevant and wanted.
Use spam checkers to assess your email deliverability. You’ll either find them as standalone tools or included in your email marketing software— just like we have on GetResponse:
You can also use reputation management and monitoring tools (like MXToolbox or Multirbl.valli.org). These tools can check whether your IP or domain is blacklisted or incorrectly authenticated according to SPF, DKIM, or DMARC protocols.
Tools like SenderScore can give you an estimated rating of your overall sender reputation. See the example below:
These tools may not give you 100% in terms of results but they can help you identify various issues that could hinder your email delivery.
That said, here are some other ways to improve your email deliverability:
- Adjust your email frequency to find a good balance. Don’t send emails too often that they become unwanted, and don’t go silent for too long.
- Improve your content to make it more engaging and valuable. This will reduce the rate at which leads unsubscribe.
- Check and remove inactive subscribers over time.
Finally, consider using the double opt-in (DOI) process. With DOI, after users sign up for your email list, they receive a confirmation email with a button or link that they can click to verify their subscription.
Our email marketing benchmark reveals that industries implementing double opt-in have the highest engagement rate. It’s an effective way to ensure you’re sending emails to clients who actually want to hear from you.
9. Marketing automation and sales funnel software
Marketing automation is a suite of powerful conditions, filters, and actions that help streamline repetitive marketing and customer engagement activities. Usually, email marketing automation involves setting up specific triggers that deliver emails to leads based on actions they take on your website, such as filling out a contact form or subscribing to your email list.
Here’s an example of how the process flows:
You can use automated emails to re-engage inactive shoppers, prompt a checkout if transactions were not completed on your website, or send follow-up messages after an email sign-up. But there’s a more strategic approach—targeting your sales funnel.
Sales funnel software helps to visualize and manage the customer journey through different stages of their interactions with your brand. It tracks how potential customers move from initial awareness to final purchase.
Align your marketing automation with your sales funnel to send targeted emails to leads at each stage of their journey.
GetResponse has a sales funnel builder that you can take advantage of. It’s a simple drag-and-drop builder that allows you to set up specific automation to engage leads at various stages in their buyer journey. The platform also provides a good number of automation templates you can use to optimize your marketing process.
10. BIMI adoption
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a new email authentication protocol that allows companies to display their logo next to their emails in recipients’ inboxes. This visual indicator helps users quickly identify legitimate emails from trusted senders.
BIMI became a trend due to the increasing focus on email security and the need for better ways to combat phishing and spam. Major email providers like Gmail and Yahoo have started supporting BIMI, driving its adoption among businesses looking to stand out in crowded inboxes.
Also, since only authenticated emails are eligible to display a sender’s logo, BIMI is a great way to encourage brands to prioritize email security.
Here’s what to do to adopt BIMI in your email marketing.
- Authenticate your email using DMARC, DKIM, and SPF protocols.
- Create a version of your brand logo in SVG format (scalable vector graphic). Most design software can handle this.
- Host the logo on a secure web server— use HTTPS.
- Log in to your domain registrar’s website and find the DNS settings
- Create a new TXT record with this format: hostname “default._bimi,” followed by your domain name (e.g., “default._bimi.example.com“).
- Publish your brand logo by inputting your BIMI record in the “record’s value” or “Text” field.
The BIMI record will look like this:
v=BIMI1; l=https://yourwebsite.com/logo.svg
The “l” tag specifies the URL where your brand’s logo is hosted.
You can also include an “a” tag that specifies the URL of a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) authority.
Here’s how the tag would look:
a=https://example.com/authority
This tag is required if you want to display your logo in Gmail since it currently requires a VMC. VMC certificates can be purchased from Certificate Authorities, such as Entrust, DigiCert, and GlobalSign.
So, combining the “i” and “a” tags, this is what your BIMI record will look like:
- Next, set the TTL (Time to Live) value. If you’re unsure, you can use the default TTL provided by your domain registrar.
- Save your BIMI record and allow it to be distributed across the internet. This usually takes a few hours.
After implementing your BIMI, recipients’ email clients like Yahoo and Gmail that support BIMI will fetch your logo from the specified location. That’s how the logo appears next to your email.
11. Minimalist email designs
Make no mistake: being minimalist isn’t the same as being boring. Minimalist email designs use clean layouts, ample white space, and concise content to create visually appealing and easy-to-read email campaigns. Here’s an example from Slack:
To create a minimalist email design, use simple color schemes—just one or two closely related colors will do. Use clear, readable fonts and limit the images or graphics. Then, add a concise, to-the-point copy.
Here’s another example from All Trails:
Minimalist designs are effective because they reduce distractions. With designs like these, you must ensure that every element works together to convey your message clearly.
12. Engaging feedback surveys
You’ll agree that feedback can help improve your business operations and even your marketing strategy, so this trend is no surprise.
Email is an effective channel for collecting client feedback, particularly because it is direct and personal. Well-crafted feedback survey emails can provide useful insights and foster a positive customer relationship.
Asking customers for their feedback is also a great way to show that you value their opinions, and it’ll be a good drive for brand loyalty.
Your feedback email should be short and focused. Include a prominent link to the feedback landing page. You can send customers to a review platform like Trust Pilot, your Google business profile, or a dedicated review landing page.
It’s okay to encourage participation with a nice incentive— that’s what Creative Market does here:
Send your feedback email as a follow-up after a purchase. You can also send it when you’re doing a general survey about your customer experience.
13. Interesting app integrations
Top email service providers continue to adopt a wide range of app integrations to enhance the creation of high-converting email campaigns.
These integrations streamline workflows, improve data management, and assist with other email marketing activities. Some notable examples include:
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems like Salesforce or Hubspot. Integrations with these platforms help you create more targeted campaigns based on detailed customer information.
- E-commerce platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce for easy product imports, abandoned cart notifications, and personalized product recommendations.
- Analytics tools like Google Analytics provide in-depth insights into campaign performance.
- Social media integrations allow customers to share your email content with their network easily.
- Survey tools like SurveyMonkey for efficient feedback collection.
Let’s not forget about video platform integrations (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) that you can use to embed videos into your email content.
Taking advantage of these app integrations can significantly ease your entire email marketing workflow.
14. Data protection and privacy measures
Another email marketing best practice driven by increasing consumer concerns about how their data is used. Strict regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), and CAN-SPAM Act actively protect email recipients.
These regulations recommend:
- Getting explicit consent for data collection
- Telling users to know why you’re collecting their data
- Allowing users to access and remove their information
- Actively protecting your user privacy
Email marketers must prioritize these measures to ensure legal compliance, protect their brand reputation, and build customer trust. Keep the following data safety measures in mind:
- Use secure, encrypted servers to store subscriber data and implement strict access controls.
- Collect only necessary information and use it only for stated purposes.
- Ensure that the email marketing software you use strongly complies with existing regulations.
- Regularly review and update your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Ensure your “privacy policy” and “terms of use” are prominently displayed on your email subscription page. This way, leads can easily access them before providing their personal information.
At GetResponse, we take data security seriously. That’s why we actively take steps to guard your data and keep your customers’ information safe. We comply with all data protection laws and enable you to do the same.
Conclusion
Email marketing remains a powerful and effective tool for building and maintaining customer relationships. It offers a direct line of communication to engage potential customers and foster long-term connections with existing ones.
If you’re looking to up your email marketing activities, the above email marketing trends for 2024 will help.
There you go! We hope you can adopt these trends as you work on improving your email marketing strategy. Good luck!