by Lori Berson | Apr 3, 2024 | Email Marketing, Marketing
Email marketing remains a vital tool for businesses aiming to connect with their audience. However, the effectiveness of this tool is significantly influenced by how businesses choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) and personalization tactics. A recent Litmus report in partnership with Oracle provides an overview of the current landscape and the opportunities available with email marketing, revealing some insightful trends.
AI in Email Marketing: Underused Yet Potentially Transformative
AI-generated content and copy in email marketing, despite being a common use case, surprisingly ranks low in contributing to campaign performance improvements. This apparent underutilization is not a reflection of AI’s potential but rather indicates a nascent stage of adoption. With only one-third of marketers reporting a boost in email performance due to AI-generated content, it’s clear that those who have used generative AI are reaping significant benefits. This scenario presents a compelling opportunity for businesses to explore AI’s capabilities further and integrate them into their email marketing strategies.
The Unrivaled Impact of Personalization and Segmentation
The report highlights two critical tactics that overwhelmingly improve email marketing performance: subject line personalization and the use of emojis. An impressive 77% of email marketers have found that personalizing subject lines enhances campaign effectiveness, while 73% credit emojis with boosting performance. This data underscores the importance of crafting engaging and tailored content that resonates with the recipient, making the email more than just another message in their inbox but a personalized communication that captures their attention.
Beyond subject lines, personalization extends into the content of the emails themselves. Dynamic content, tailored to the recipient’s preferences and behaviors, has significantly increased click-through rates. This level of customization demonstrates a deep understanding of the target audience, making for a stronger connection between the brand and its customers.
Furthermore, an overwhelming 90% of surveyed email marketers acknowledged that segmentation plays a pivotal role in enhancing campaign performance. By dividing their audience into distinct groups based on specific criteria, marketers can deliver more relevant and impactful messages, thereby increasing engagement and conversion rates.
A Call to Action
The insights from the Litmus and Oracle report serve as a compelling call to action for email marketers. In an age where consumers are bombarded with digital communications, the ability to stand out through personalized, engaging, and AI-enhanced content is more crucial than ever. As email marketing continues to evolve, businesses must stay updated on these trends and leverage them to create meaningful connections with their audience. By prioritizing personalization, segmentation, and the strategic use of AI, marketers can transform their email campaigns into powerful tools for building lasting relationships and driving business success.
About the Data: The results are based on an October and November 2023 survey of more than 480 email marketers worldwide.
For help with your email marketing, schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | Dec 29, 2023 | Email Marketing, Marketing
In February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo will be implementing stricter email sending requirements for high-volume email marketers. If you send more than 5,000 emails per day through these providers, you’ll need to ensure your email campaigns comply with the following rules:
- Authenticate Your Emails
You’ll need to authenticate your emails using protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These authentication methods verify your identity as a legitimate sender and help prevent spoofing and phishing. Setting up proper authentication strengthens your sender reputation with ISPs.
- Streamline Unsubscribe Options
Recipients should be able to easily unsubscribe from your emails with one click. When someone opts out, you’ll need to honor their unsubscribe request within two days. Make sure your email service provider has automated features to handle unsubscribes smoothly.
- Maintain Low Complaint Rates
To stay in compliance, you’ll need to keep your spam complaint rate below 0.3%. This means sending high-quality, relevant content that subscribers want to receive. Monitor your complaint rate and optimize your lists and campaigns as needed.
While these new standards raise the bar for marketers, they shouldn’t cause panic. With some preparation, marketers can continue reaching inboxes and engaging audiences under Gmail and Yahoo’s new policies. Follow the tips above for a smooth transition that maintains deliverability.
For help with your email marketing, schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | May 10, 2022 | Digital marketing, Marketing, marketing technology
Overview
With pandemic shutdowns, the ‘great resignation’ (leading to millions of start-ups*), supply chain disruptions, and increasing inflation, it’s been tough to bring in new business.
We’ve seen many small businesses, professionals, and independent contractors struggling to either jumpstart sagging sales or get a new business off the ground. Many have considered hiring a marketing agency, a marketing consultant, or adding to staff but that can be expensive when budgets are tight and talent is limited. In looking for a way to help the business community that has been so good to us over the years, we came up with the idea to write ‘Ready-Made Marketing.’
Take the guesswork out of marketing.
Designed to help people succeed, the book is a quick and easy DIY marketing resource that enables those who don’t have marketing expertise (or the money to hire it) to market themselves, their services or their businesses and start seeing immediate results. Ready-Made Marketing is not about writing marketing plans or strategies; it provides practical, customizable templates for a variety of business-building situations, step-by-step instructions for using proven and effective marketing tactics, and over 400 technology resources that are affordably priced or free.
Abbreviate what you have to do to lighten your workload.
The book is action-oriented; it’s not a novel to read through nor does it require a major time commitment. For example, if you need to write a cold email, you can choose from a variety of templates or if you need a video script, you just go in and pick one. Or if you need a technology resource (e.g. video recording software, content creation tools, podcast hosting, among others) you can select from 21 categories or use the authors’ choices.
Whether you’re starting a new business, want to increase revenue for your current business, or know of someone who needs to jumpstart sales, this book is a game-changer.
To make 2022 a better year, check out Ready-Made Marketing.
*According to the U.S. Census Bureau:
- In 2020, there were more than 4.4 million new businesses; the highest total on record.
- This is a 24.3% increase from 2019; 51.0% higher than the 2010-2019 average.
- ½ million new businesses were started in January 2021 alone.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing and sales automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
