Is Email Marketing dead?

While email marketing as a marketing tool remains relevant, certain practices associated with it have become outdated. These include using impersonal email address lines, disregarding GDPR regulations, neglecting user experience, and failing to track important metrics.
Marketing
February 22, 2023

To boost your email marketing return on investment (ROI) in 2023, we recommend to retire the following practices:

Impersonal subject lines

To make email marketing effective, the subject line is crucial. Using impersonal subject lines can lower open rates, which is the number of subscribers who open your emails. To make your emails more personalized and engaging, try using emojis in your subject lines. This can help your email stand out and make it more likely that people will open it.

Think about what in your email is the "must-know" takeaway, and create a short subject line that taps into emotions to get subscribers clicking.

Ignoring GDPR standards

In short, ignoring GDPR rules means not getting clear permission from readers to receive marketing emails. Following GDPR standards ensures that sending marketing emails is legal and protects consumers' personal information. It's beneficial for marketers since email campaigns will only be sent to interested users, and it guarantees compliance with the law. Email marketing software should comply with GDPR standards, and HubSpot has a helpful guide on this topic.

Using templates that aren't mobile-friendly

Nowadays, people check their emails on their mobile phones. Emails that are not optimized for mobile devices can result in a higher bounce rate due to poor user experience. It is important to create mobile-friendly emails that are appealing to readers. Most people open emails on iPhones or Gmail, so it's important to prioritize mobile-friendly emails for your audience. When creating email designs using automation software, make sure to check both mobile and desktop previews. If the template is difficult to understand or unappealing on mobile, consider switching to another one.

Poor email design

It's important to design emails that delight readers. Businesses are using exciting email marketing efforts like animations, GIFs, and embedded videos to grab reader's attention. Emails with quick loading times, bold CTAs, and colorful visuals perform best. Personalized emails with emojis, beautiful infographics, and engaging copy also make a difference. On the other hand, long paragraphs, old templates, and unchanged CTAs can be boring and unappealing to readers. Consider how each email can visually tell a story.

Not strategically using metrics

Metrics help to understand email subscribers' behavior and identify areas for improvement in marketing efforts. Marketers should regularly check metrics to gain important details, including the number of email interactions, open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. Metrics can save time by showing what's working and what's not, and guide marketers on what to focus on improving in their next email marketing campaign. To track metrics, consider using email software like HubSpot that offers built-in reporting and tracking features. Remember, email marketing isn't dead, but improving your strategy is key to seeing better results.

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Ben van Rooy

Strategy Director

Nick Brown

Marketing Director