5 Email Engagement Tips for 2019

Since taking the world by storm in the 90s, email has redefined how brands engage with their audiences. However, email all too often takes the form of a mass produced, one-size-fits-all mailer rather than a more personalized letter from a company to a customer. This article will focus on 5 important email engagement trends for 2019 and why you should focus on them.

1. Segmentation - Your customers are not all the same and neither are their interests. Segmenting your subscriber database into various areas of interest will allow you to deliver more relevant content. This is easily achieved by allowing your subscribers to manage their own preferences and pick and choose which subcategories they find interesting. This will increase open rates and engagement since the content of the email is more on par with what the subscriber wants to receive. Subscribers who feel they are getting the type of content they signed up for are far less likely to unsubscribe.

2. Personalization - This is nothing new, but it’s more important than ever. Using personalization, like a subscriber’s name, in the subject line can increase the chance of engagement with the email. It makes an email feel less like a mass produced sales mailer and more... well, personalized. It humanizes the experience and helps your email stand out from the rest. If you don’t have your subscriber’s names, send out an email encouraging them to update their email preferences.

3. Responsive Layout - In 2018, the majority of all emails are opened on mobile devices. Because of this, it’s important to create responsive emails which are flexible and change size to accommodate the exact viewport dimensions of the recipient’s device. This places readability above all else to ensure the subscriber can view the email without having to fumble around with zooming in etc.. Studies have concluded: if an email is not responsive or doesn’t display properly on a mobile device it may be deleted within 3 seconds.

4. Email Length TL;DR - The length of your email is also an important factor. It’s better to have shorter emails with succinct messages as opposed to a long email newsletter packed with everything that’s happened in the last 6 months. This also goes hand-in-hand with #3, in that an already long email gets even longer when it’s being viewed on a mobile device. It’s better to get to the point quickly and limit the number of topics in any given email to one main topic, two to three smaller topics (if necessary).

5. Eye-Catching Call(s)-to-Action - Every email should have an obvious call to action that stands out to the subscriber. You want to avoid hyperlinking regular text for this. Brightly colored buttons typically work best. This increases the chance that a subscriber will click the link and engage with your email. If the call to action isn’t clear it will be missed. If your call to action is at the very bottom of a long email it will be missed. Your call to action should also be succinct and to the point. RSVP Here, Buy Now, View Product Website, etc.

These email tips work well in conjunction with each other and will help you engage with your subscribers in a more lasting and meaningful way. That way everyone stays happy and no one ever dreams of hitting that unsubscribe button.