Time and again, email proves how strong it is as a marketing channel, always proving to be a number one choice among marketers. That said, the folks at Yesmail recently conducted an awesome study into industry practices and goals that email marketers have in 2016. In total, 200 retailers took part in the study and were very open about their struggles and success. It shares some really awesome insight and we’re happy to bring all of the most important stuff to you!
One of the first questions posed to marketers was in regards to email collection, as 83% of them said that the bulk of the emails they receive are through their brand’s website. This was far and away above it’s competition, as 56% of the marketers claimed that they also collect emails in-store, and 55% through social media. Surprisingly, 10% admitted to the practice of buying third party lists – something that is extremely discouraged in the email marketing world; users need to opt-in to your lists!! 🙂
Marketers were then asked about email personalization, and it was found that 10% of them do not personalize emails at all. This is shocking considering how much it can impact email campaigns. Only 61% of marketers said that they personalize their email subject lines. One of the easiest things one can do when running a email campaign is personalize their recipient name, yet only 42% of marketers shared that they do. The good news is that 36% of marketers personalize email copy, and 34% personalize images. These are numbers that are certainly going to rise as email automation becomes more apparent with all brands. Despite this, 10% of marketers admitted that they don’t do any personalization at all, which is an extremely high number among brands.
One of the more interesting questions posed to marketers was whether or not they implement various types of triggered campaigns. For the most part, brands seem to be doing really well in this respect. For example, welcome campaigns were very popular among brand marketers, as 78% shared that they have one in place, and 13% do not, but do plan to implement one. The only type of email to beat the ‘welcome’ was the ‘purchase confirmation’ email – vital in the buying process. Furthermore, 14% said that they plan to implement ‘purchase confirmation’ email campaigns. Another campaign that’s more than worth it to emphasize is the ‘abandoned cart’ email… 72% of millennials in another study by SurePayroll found said they would finish their purchasing decisions if prompted with an abandoned cart email… so it’s something that cannot be ignored.
When asked about cross-channel marketing efforts, marketers seemed to acknowledge its effectiveness but shared that they didn’t really take part in it as much as they should be. Only 60% implement social media with their email campaigns, though 27% plan to do so in the future. That said, the vast majority of marketers shared that they look to fix this cross-channel marketing problem in the future, and make sure their offerings find their way to consumer
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