The world’s first email was launched in 1970, ushering the world into a new era of communication. It eventually became a part of marketing. Once that happened, the number of email users only grew. Today, email is the mainstay of marketing globally.

 As of 2020, revenue from email marketing was USD $7.5 billion across the world. It is said that by 2023, this will reach the USD 10 billion mark! While it is true that new marketing channels are coming to the forefront, few can match email marketing’s average ROI. Companies can expect to get USD 545 from every $1 they spend on ads. Thus, it is no wonder that this marketing channel has held its ground till now.

 Email marketing metrics, usage and performance

 Email marketing remains one of the most popular digital marketing channels. More than 80% of industry experts used it for marketing strategies in 2020. The CTR (Click-Through-Rate) of marketing emails in 2020 was 14%. The publishing sector claimed the highest share of these clicks. On the other hand, automated messages had more than 50% conversion rate. 

What do viewers think of email marketing?

Email marketing is designed to connect with customers, share information, increase sales, and more. But what do customers feel about this marketing channel themselves?

 Let’s find out!

 When users signed up for mailing lists and newsletters, they showed interest in the company. A survey conducted in 2020 showed that for 46% of all responding mobile users, email had been the preferred business communication channel. It shows that this channel has massive potential in customer targeting and marketing.

 However, studies show that the average time spent reading brand-related emails has dropped from 13 to 10 seconds. Thus, marketers have a much smaller window to engage and influence their audiences.

 Did you know?

–  Rate of marketers using email marketing- 82%

–  Percentage of marketers using automated email marketing – 65%

–  Share of companies using videos in email marketing campaigns– 47%

What is the trend in 2022 and beyond?

Number of email users worldwide from 2017 to 2025 (in millions)

Number of sent and received emails per day from 2017 to 2025 (in billions)

Importance of email marketing

 So far, we have seen how this marketing channel is performing now. We have seen how relevant it will be in the future. It’s now time to know the importance of email marketing.

The growth of email marketing has skyrocketed over the years, and it will only grow in the future. Every brand will try to make the most from it, giving rise to a competitive environment. So, you must focus on email marketing campaigns in 2022 and beyond.

First, we’ll tell you about the value of email marketing. Later, we’ll let you know about its current trends.

 People still use email

People who say that email is dead don’t understand the power of email marketing. 83% of customers say that they still prefer email for getting communications for companies. Email marketing is so important because it works.

If your company follows an email marketing strategy, you can continue using that. To succeed in marketing through this channel, you need to look at future trends and implement those strategies that will ensure success now and beyond.

According to Radicati, it is estimated that 4.25 billion email users will still have 1.86 accounts on average. In 2019, 4.33 billion people had internal[a1]  access, while 3.93 billion people had access to email.

Email strategy is faster to build and implement

You can develop and deploy an email marketing strategy overnight. It may not be easy, but it is undoubtedly more straightforward than other marketing options. By 2022, a business email shall be worth around $200 billion.

There are ample opportunities for you:

      – if you know how to grow your customer base

      – if you know how to use email marketing strategy

That, in brief, is why this marketing channel is still important.

Now let’s look at the email marketing trends.

Email marketing trends for 2022 and beyond

To remain competitive when marketing through this channel, you must know the latest email marketing trends.

Trend 1: User-generated content

You should undoubtedly generate and publish your content on emails, and you should implement user-generated content as well. It is essential for several reasons.

First of all, doing so gives you a chance to integrate multiple perspectives. You can personalize your messages.

Secondly, user-generated content also shows viewers that their satisfaction is a priority for you. For instance, some companies send emails with pictures of happy customers with their products. They may also give built-in social proof showing what benefits one can have by using their products.

Trend 2: Hyper segmentation and personalization

Gone are the days of sending out just one weekly email to your subscriber list. Today, segmentation and personalization are more effective. You need to send the right content to the right user, at the right time and through the right channel.

For instance, if your customers tend to buy around 6 PM, sending emails around this time can be more effective. The more personalized your messages are, the more interested they’ll be. However, segmentation can only go so far. You will also need to gather as much information as possible about your customers. It, however, will be a challenge for marketers this year, primarily due to the end of third-party cookies.

Trend 3: Omnichannel communication

Email is undoubtedly effective, but the effectiveness can multiply when combined with other channels. Such channels include social media, SMS, web-push notifications, and more. With just a few channels, restricting yourself may also limit your growth and reach.

Omnichannel marketing campaigns are more effective than multichannel marketing. You can adjust the messages on every platform to reflect a user’s activity. Thus you can personalize messages, which lead to more leads and sales.

Trend 4: AR and VR

These two are the most exciting emerging developments, crucial for business and personal lives. Different companies are taking baby steps to implement these technologies, but the marketers face challenges in implementing them. Thankfully, AR and VR are becoming more accessible across various devices and systems.

For instance, Apple has integrated AR into their iPads and iPhones. It lets its customers view AR content from their email app and other native apps. Users can send basic 2D images in emails, expanding into 3D AR objects on tapping or clicking.

Before you use AR and VR, know that desktop and Android users can still enjoy such AR content. It goes for VR content as well.

While the use of VR has rapidly increased, it is still used by less than 20% of people in the US.

Trend 5: Interactivity

Interactive content certainly attracts more viewers; they stand out as creative and unique. If you want your emails to stand out, you need to focus on making your content more interactive and engaging.

You can get authentic customer feedback through forms, surveys and polls. You can also emphasise how much you care about their experiences through these.

Gamification is gaining ground. For instance, Neil Patel’s blog had a ‘wheel of fortune’ for viewers to win random gifts.

To sum up

Email marketing is evolving every year, and these changes are due to maturing regulations, new technologies, and a few other factors. To stay ahead of your competitors, you must know the latest email marketing trends and adjust your plans and campaigns accordingly.