LOG IN TO ACCESS:
Counts System
Order Management System
Tracking Platform
The trend of labelling major advances to technology or strategy as “2.0” comes with its share of skepticism and cynicism, but the way that email marketing is poised to make drastic changes at all levels of the industry definitely merits the designation. Although as Site Impact’s experts can tell you, the changes that are forecast have been in the works for quite some time--years in some cases--and they aren’t exactly shocking, there is a strong argument to be made that email is changing so thoroughly as to render first-generation marketing efforts in the channel completely obsolete, and a thing of the past. But what, exactly, comprises email 2.0?
First generation email marketing efforts focused on building lists that were as big as possible, to maximize reach. One effect of this is that the accepted practices for decades included minimal screening of subscriber lists, and making signup the default--sending subscribers out chasing the ways to unsubscribe. But more recently, best practices have trended towards putting the customer in the driver’s seat: the CAN-SPAM act began the process, and GDPR and other privacy regulations have furthered it, but it’s unmistakable that the industry as a whole is turning to a more symbiotic relationship between brands and consumers. Email marketing 2.0 doesn’t just make it easy for prospects to subscribe and unsubscribe from lists; it also puts the subscriber in the driver’s seat in regards to how much information they’re willing to share, how often they receive emails, and even what types of emails they want to receive. The new generation of email marketing privileges quality engagement and qualified leads over blasting as many people as possible in the hopes that some will take the offer.
The new generation of email is driven by data, which means more and more of it can be done automatically. With the advent of functions even on the consumer level to time email sends for precisely the right moment, email marketing professionals increasingly have the ability to “set it and forget it,” allowing them to manage multiple campaigns efficiently. Analytics have also taken a big leap forward, allowing brands and marketers alike to drill down to every level of their campaigns to determine the effectiveness of each element--and tweak accordingly. Testing and machine learning algorithms mean that each campaign can be tailored to the specific audience it’s meant to reach, with a much higher rate of relevance and a stronger chance of engagement in the form of clicks and conversions.
Email marketing is entering a new era--so much so that it’s not out of place or presumptuous to refer to it as a completely new generation, or “email 2.0.” This year’s crises have only accelerated the changes that were already in development, and brands of all sizes can benefit from the increases in automation, the improvement of analytics, and the incorporation of new best practices that will ensure better performance. Contact Site Impact to learn how we take the best elements of the new technology and strategies and make them work for our clients.
