Email Marketing Trends 2018

With just a few months left before 2018, in this post we’ll take a look at the key email marketing trends for 2018.

We’ve already published several prediction posts on web design trends for 2018 and graphic design trends for 2018. Now it’s time to look ahead and get ready for the new year by exploring the email marketing trends that will shape 2018.

According to trend reports from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, over 60% of B2B companies reported that their email marketing strategies were more effective in 2017 than the previous year.

So, let’s dive into the top email marketing trends for 2018.

Email Marketing Trends 2018: Personalization and Closer Connections

A conversational tone

Using a conversational tone will be one of the key approaches when it comes to copywriting for your email marketing campaigns.

It’s crucial to consider the audience you’re targeting with your email marketing campaign. This allows you to use language that resonates with your potential customers. For instance, if your emails are aimed at users aged 18 to 26, you can incorporate trendy words like TOP, COOL, TRENDING, and so on.

By doing this, you’ll connect with your customers or users in a much more direct way, which will definitely boost your open rates. Don’t be afraid to use a friendly, casual tone and start building a strong brand image.

Use animated gifs

Yes, you can use gifs now. Most email services already support embedded gifs in the body of emails, making this one of the key email marketing trends for 2018 and beyond.

Using gifs to give your users a “mini video” experience will increase open rates across your email marketing campaigns. Whenever possible, use gifs to draw users deeper into the experience of your product or service.

Once the user clicks through to your landing page, you can show the full video—since that’s likely what they’ll be expecting.

Icons and emojis

You can also use emojis and icons within your email copy to further engage your audience.

Emojis are something we all use when chatting on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Using them wisely will help you connect with your audience—making this another major email marketing trend for 2018.

If emojis don’t fit your brand, you can always design custom icons to serve the same purpose. The goal is to avoid overwhelming users with dense blocks of text that make them want to close your email immediately.

Responsive email design

It’s no secret that mobile usage is on the rise, and in fact, mobile internet users now outnumber those on desktop or laptop computers.

If you’re not designing your email marketing campaigns for all devices, you’re missing out—poor email rendering means lost clicks.

Creating emails that display correctly on any device isn’t difficult, so make the most of this opportunity. Responsive design is definitely one of the top email marketing trends for 2018.

Visual, visual, visual

Long-winded emails just don’t work in email marketing. We’ve known this for a while, but it’s worth repeating.

Give your users visual content. People are happy to read when they pick up a good book, but opening an email is a completely different scenario. No one wants to read a wall of text—at least, not right away. First, you need to entice your users with visual elements like images, shapes, and graphics.

If you want users to click your email, give them an irresistible hook.

Between 75 and 100 words is the sweet spot, according to various studies. If you want to dig deeper, check out the following link for more insights:

boomerangapp.com

Instagram-style image grids

Instagram is the trendiest social network right now, so it’s a great idea to use Instagram-style image grids to connect with your audience.

The images you use in your email marketing campaigns have a huge impact. If you can achieve a look and feel similar to Instagram, you’ll attract more attention and ultimately drive more clicks.

Personalized signup forms

The standard “Subscribe to our newsletter” form is becoming less and less effective. Instead, aim to offer your users a much more personalized and creative call to action. If a user is reading a post in a specific category, use that context to tailor the message—so each person receives a customized signup request, making it much easier to gain new subscribers.

If done right, this will also allow you to segment your subscribers, so you can send each user content tailored to the categories they’re interested in—driving higher engagement.

Conclusions

As we can see, personalization and a human touch will be among the most important email marketing trends for 2018. Visual appeal and anything that makes content easy and enjoyable to consume will also be key. Ultimately, we need to be empathetic with our users and never ask them to do something we wouldn’t do ourselves.

To sum up, here are the top email marketing trends for 2018:

1. Use a conversational tone, study your audience, and speak their language
2. Add animated gifs to your emails to make them more dynamic
3. Don’t hesitate to use emojis and icons
4. Think mobile-first and design responsive emails
5. Prioritize visuals over lengthy text—no one wants to read a novel in their inbox
6. Take inspiration from social networks like Instagram for your visual approach