Email marketing is not the same as it was in the 19's. Today customers are more informed. They are open to hundreds of choices that reduce your chance of converting customers through emails.

All this end with a toll EMAILS ARE DEAD. Most people think that email does not have the potential to reach and convert a target audience into customers, which is far far away from the truth

Why Do Digital Marketers Think It's Dead?

It’s a trend that every year people say ‘email is dead’ and every year, we know that’s a false prediction. The introduction of social media, mobile apps, and other forms of advertising have led digital marketers to believe that email is not as convincing as it was at its peak.

However, with the recent crackdown on privacy policy reform and the data collection protocols, has also led many marketers to adhere to the belief of email marketing death.

But, 

Emails are still one of the winning platforms for building trustworthy relations, nurturing your prospects, and boosting your sales funnel.

The popularity of Klaviyo and the features they provide is a strong demonstration that if your emails are not converting, it’s not because emails are dead, it’s because your strategy is not working. 

Email Marketing Is Still ALIVE And Thriving. 

Email always succeeds in being a much more coherent means of reaching or staying in front of your customers. Above all, if you have set the right expectations for your users. If the content you produce seems relevant to what people are going through, then they will fall in on trying to subscribe to your subscriber list. Whether the newsletters you publish include news, promotions, gifts, or weekly recipes, it helps set the right expectations, which drives users to subscribe.

Unlike ads, you have full control over your inboxes. That indicates they will be more likely to be interested in your email rather than your social media or banner ad. And since reports suggest that around 90% of adults online use email, that practically guarantees the eyes.

It's time to explore all the key email marketing trends set to shape your strategy in 2020.

The average expected ROI is $32 for every $1 you spend on email marketing - worth the effort, time, and resources you utilize. In 2020 the emails would be more precise, data-driven, and based on customer-focused strategies. Certain technologies like Klaviyo has made the email marketing way easier than it was before.

The features that make Klaviyo stand out from the noise are automation, artificial intelligence, and deliverability. 

For details Read -  

How to Fill Up Your Conversion Funnel in 2020 Through Emails

Let's start with the basics of email marketing; 

• Emails that are sent at the right time grab more user attention - the right time varies from email to email. For example, you should send a welcome email right after someone subscribes, whereas you must wait for at least wait for 2 - 3 hours before you send an abandoned cart reminder email.  

• Your subject should be catchy and relevant - 56 percent of brands using emoji in their email subject lines had a higher open rate, according to a report by Experian.
• Incorporate visuals in your eCommerce email designs - Once your subscriber has opened your email, it's time to keep his interest in the loop. Visuals are best to make your email look and feel good. 

The Data That You Should Be Obsessed With 

Personalized emails increased sales by 7.8% over a short time, and that online retailers monitoring their personalization efforts have seen increases in sales by an average of 19% across the board.

Segmentation is one of the best ways to personalize your email marketing. Segment your subscribers in different groups and send emails based on segmentation. Some of the best performing eCommerce retailers segment emails based on customer behavior. So if two people visit the site at the same time but view or purchased different items, the retailer's follow-up emails will be completely different for both.

There are two major types of data sets that you help target your prospects effectively; 

• Behavior Data - is based on customers' behavior like abandoned cart, interest, purchase history, etc. 
• Customer Data - is based on customers' data like gender, age, location, etc. 

Abandoned Cart Emails

About 75% of online shopping carts are abandoned. That is more than three quarters.  

The moment web visitor puts an item into their cart that means they are interested but not completely sure about the buying decision.

Here comes in the abandoned cart emails. They are super-effective in improving cart recovery and sales. The average open rate of abandoned cart emails is 43%, whereas the average clickthrough rate is 21%. Half of those people make a purchase.

Best Email Sequence For An Abandoned Cart 

While creating an abandoned cart strategy, the first thing you must keep in mind is that you have to send multiple emails. I would recommend a set of three emails at different intervals. 

According to recent research, customers who receive multiple abandoned shopping cart emails are 2.5 times more likely to convert than those who receive a single follow up email. 

Abandoned Cart Email Goal

The abandoned cart email goal is simple: to close the sale. Here is the list of critical elements you must have in your abandoned cart email series: 

• Urgency
• Brand Value 
• Scarcity 
• Incentives 

If you have successfully incorporated all these elements, even your first email will be the winner. 

Abandoned Cart Email Series

Email #1 - Reminder Email

The first email should be sent 1-2 hours after the customer abandoned their cart. That is the ideal time when the prospects need the product and are still considering options. The combination of nurture and reminder would help them to come back and finish the checkout process.  

This email will be the plain reminder email with just the details of the products they left in their cart — for example, Lulus email, with the striking headline, product image, and the CTA. 

Email #2 - Encourage Them Through Cross-sell

The second email is sent after 24 hours. If the customer does not open your first email, it's time to send another email, that would help you stay on top of their inbox and mind.

About 48% of customers abandoned their cart due to high shipping costs. In your second email, try to offer free shipping if possible else come up with an incredible cross-sell offer, that your customer can't refuse. Cross-selling is one of the most effective ways to boost your average order value, and thereby increase sales.

Here you can see how Asics offers free shipping in their second abandoned cart email. 

Email#3 - Offer Incentive or Free Gift

When there is no positive customer action, even after the second email, you should give it a last try and send one more email. In this email, try to lower prices for discontinued products or discounts, offer great deals, or give special gifts. Such incentives may cause customers to cross the line to make the purchase.

Ideally, the third email is sent with a gap of 2-3 days after the second email. Here is how Lovely Skin has offered a free gift in their third abandoned cart email.

 

Note: If someone recovers their cart after the first email, don't keep on sending the complete series. 

 

Wrapping Up: 

Email marketing has challenged its critics by continuing to provide a range of benefits to marketers, from building trust to delivering some of the best ROI from all digital channels. When putting it all together, the eCommerce email campaign has a very bright future. As it continues to evolve in the years to come, it will require marketers to remain flexible and open to experimentation.

However, there are two types of data set your eCommerce email campaign depends on; Behavioral data and customer data. No matter which form of data you will be using, your ultimate goal will be to boost your sales. 

Are you ready to start building your 2020 email marketing campaign?