Trends in Digital Marketing: How Mobile Has Changed the Email Marketing Game

Trends in Digital Marketing: How Mobile Has Changed the Email Marketing Game

Aerio Staff

Did you check your phone when you first woke up this morning?

According to a recent study by Deloitte, 43% of consumers check their phones within five minutes of waking up. And throughout the day we continue to check our phones about ohhhhh, 47 TIMES!

How has the explosive growth of mobile changed email marketing?

  • More mobile opens- According to Kissmetrics, email open rates on smartphones have risen over 40% in the past couple of years and open rates for emails on desktop computers have dropped over 18%.
  • Email design– Since 69% of mobile users delete emails that aren’t optimized for mobile, smart marketers make sure their email designs are mobile-friendly to avoid being deleted. Or worse yet, the dreaded unsubscribe!
  • Type of content– Mobile users only spend a few seconds with each email so companies are shifting from the lengthy e-newsletter approach in favor of more conversational “check-in” emails. Shorter, more digestible content that is relevant to the reader wins.
  • Increased focus on segmentation– The Data & Marketing Association says marketers see a 760% increase in revenue from segmented campaigns. The more specific the mailing list and the more tailored the content, the higher the Return on Investment (ROI).

How can publishers & authors up their email marketing game to sell more books?

Here are some best practices to optimize email for mobile devices and increase engagement with your readers & clients:

CONTENT- Content is indeed king whatever the channel, but there are some mobile-specific guidelines.

  • Email content should be relevant, compelling & concise. Provide your content in easily consumable chunks, use readable fonts and incorporate clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs). Rather than lengthy updates on a variety of topics, try a quick reminder about a new book release with a "Pre-order NOW" button/link.
  • Experiment with engaging subject lines that readers can relate to. Keep subject lines under 25-30 characters and use pre-header text. This is another opportunity to give readers that extra push to open your email. A subject line might offer an invitation to a local event where you will be selling books and the pre-header text could read "Stop by and see us for 15% off!"
  • Make it dynamic – The use of content like videos, live social media feeds from book signings or release parties & images dramatically increases views & engagement. Just one caveat – make sure your file sizes are not too large because slow-loading media is exactly the opposite of “mobile-friendly.”

MOBILE-FRIENDLY – Litmus’ State of Email 2017 found that 43% of consumers marked emails as spam if the content didn’t display properly on their phone. Most email marketing tools today come with mobile-friendly options already built-in. If your email provider doesn’t spell it out, they are single-column formats. Use them!

TIME TO SEND – There really is no "right time" to send for publishers & authors. It depends on your particular subscribers and may require some experimentation on your part to see what delivers the best results. This article and infographic from Entrepreneuer.com offers some insight on the best times to send.

SEGMENTATION – Consumers today don’t have time for one-size-fits-all content. Play around with innovative ways to create different segments or lists within your audience. Groups of subscribers who favor certain genres might be a starting point. If you are not sure of subscriber preferences, send a survey! Segmenting by city can be handy when sending invites to trade shows or other book events.

AUTOMATION – Automation may sound complex, but it doesn’t have to be. A simple example of an automated email is the “welcome” email that's automatically sent when a new subscriber joins your list. Many programs allow you to easily build automated campaigns. As your email lists grow, it becomes difficult to provide customers with one-on-one attention, but with automated workflows, you can deliver relevant content that helps to build solid connections. Using an automated workflow to send book event registrants timely messages before, during and after the event is an ideal way to nurture leads and customers!

REPORTING – Every email service provider should provide email analytics. If you are not spending time with these reports, you should be. Email analytics measure your engagement success. Read your reports and act accordingly – modify future campaigns, clean up your email lists, pay attention to what your readers value and provide more of it. Learn what your customers are telling you through their behavior!

Don’t miss out on opportunities by failing to optimize your email for mobile! Reach the right people at the right time with the right message. By developing effective email campaigns that meet the needs of your readers you will build trust and loyalty with your audience and ultimately sell more books!