The From Line
Sending, Managing & Monetizing Email
2 minutes reading time
(394 words)
Trend: Consumers Demand (& Win) In-Box Overhauls
Marketing Trends & Takeaways
Consumers Demand (& Win) In-Box Overhauls
Here Come the Opportunities for Marketers...
Web-based email has recently experienced a wave of changes, aligning with consumer expectations for several things -- improved user interfaces, seamless integration with everyday needs and an upgraded approach to in-box control.
Trend: Consumers Demand (& Win) In-Box Overhauls
Here Come the Opportunities for Marketers...
Trend
Web-based email has recently experienced a wave of changes, aligning with consumer expectations for several things -- improved user interfaces, seamless integration with everyday needs and an upgraded approach to in-box control. Providers such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail have made innovative changes to address these needs and unburden users via simpler message management. Things like automated filtering, labels, message categorization and seeing social links of email senders have enhanced the user experience. In addition, many new browser or Gmail extensions aid in the process of merging social media with email.
Takeaway
Email client usability directly correlates with an increase in opportunities for marketers. Rather than hindering marketers' ability to reach consumers, it opens the doors to many new and creative email tactics. As email interfaces help people manage messages as part of their daily lives, marketers need to think of how they can fit into that equation.
Examples
Authentication
Gmail security features to prevent phishing add ebay and PayPal icons next to authenticated messages. This points to the growing use of filters that look for authenticated email senders. Overall this cuts down on scams, increases your deliverability and benefits the email community.
Social integration
Rapportive, a Gmail plugin, shows social profiles of email senders. Marketers that associate their sending domain with social profiles can then deliver additional brand information via Facebook and Linkedin profiles.
Personalization and relevancy
Hotmail alias inboxes give users one-login access to multiple email accounts. More and more, users want the convenience of single logins while still separating their personal messages from marketing messages. Sending personalized campaigns will help create trust between sender and subscriber, ensuring increased open rates over time.
In addition to these, we've previously written about priority inboxes and new placement metrics. Marketers should use seed lists to test how emails get delivered based on global filtering rules. Understanding how email is treated by each ISP is key.
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