Essence of Email Weekly - Email vs. Web push notifications vs. SMS marketing

It's the battle to end all battles. Who'll come out on top is anyone's guess…

Anyway, at Essence of Email we are handling all of the three like pros! So, let's get to the story…

A recent article by Digital Commerce 360 focuses on a new study of 300 businesses, around 20% of which are retailers. The study found that 72% of businesses say mobile and web app push notifications offer a greater or equal return on investment than email. Meanwhile, 44% say the ROI from push notifications is greater than email.

However, less than 50% of mobile apps use push notifications, according to app analytics and optimization company Appfigures. Plus, only 24.3% of retailers in the 2020 Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000 have apps.

While analyzing the data, researchers also found that sending a mobile push notification drove up daily active users of apps by an average of 35% over a 30-day period.

Other retailers are finding success in another form of mobile marketing: text messages. Matthew Berk, CEO of online coffee subscription retailer Bean Box, says his company is also shifting resources to text messages.

According to a Digital Commerce 360 survey of online retailers in May and June 2020, 52% of retailers say they spend 21% or more of their digital marketing budgets on mobile. Additionally, 36% of retailers say SMS marketing has been effective and 26% say app-based notifications, such as push notifications, get good results.

While we're here: at Essence of Email, we recently had a client who wanted to test SMS marketing as part of their marketing strategy. Wanna know the results? Astonishing $40k in under a month from SMS. For the details, check the success story.

Interested in learning how Essence of Email handles these channels? Check out our SMS marketing and Web Push Notifications services to find out more.



EMAIL DESIGN TRENDS


It's all about that b...alance



Do you like playing around with new trends and trying out new tactics to elevate your visual game? Are you blindly following every new style to stay in the loop? Or maybe you're continuously recycling old stuff out of fear of trying new things and failing?

The bad news is that none of these approaches will help your visuals to stand out. Playing an old record over and over again, or jumping on the bandwagon, will ultimately result in the same thing: boring, uniform graphics that are similar to what everyone else is doing. Remember those 'hipsters working' photos that brands insisted on using? C'mon, anyone can do better than that.

Knak offers a solution to this problem: the key is to incorporate new trends within the brand voice your company has already established. To make your emails stand out, don't be afraid to:

• Use bold colors and introduce a secondary set of colors to your palette
• Experiment with 3D illustrations and artwork throughout your email, website, and content in general
• Sprinkle nice little gifs to add some playfulness to your content
• Try interactive emails, typographic hierarchy, and monochromatic layouts

Feel free to play around, but make sure to stay on-brand! And always remember that consistency is key.

For more inspiration and useful tips, check out this article.



EMAIL MARKETING


Email Superstar: Channel Seen As A Top Engagement Tool, Post COVID-19



Things just keep getting better for email marketing!

According to 'COVID-19 Marketing Outlook,' a study by Chief Marketer, email marketing has taken on a new cachet as a channel in the wake of COVID-19.

Of the polled marketers, 39% expect email to be one of the top 3 sources of B2C conversions post COVID-19, versus 28% pre-pandemic.

Prior to COVID-19, email was ranked behind search (35%) and referrals/word of mouth (33%) in producing conversions.

In another finding, 40% of marketers said they now see email as being one of their largest sources of B2C engagement. Once again, this is second only to social, with 54%. Email has grown from 29% pre-COVID-19, while social is up from 41%.

But regardless of the channels they're using, most brands are cutting back on their marketing spend. In the wake of COVID-19, 55% are decreasing their marketing budgets, 23% are keeping them consistent, and only 7% are increasing them.

This is a big change from the pre-COVID period, when 37% of brands expected to increase their marketing budgets, 38% planned to hold steady, and 14% intended to decrease spending. In both periods, 12% said they didn't know.

In this time of cutting back, email might look even more attractive because of the lower costs involved. It's a great opportunity for brands to maximize sales while sticking to a reduced budget.

If you're looking to level up your email marketing, feel free to reach out to us for more information.

Source: MediaPost



EMAIL DESIGN INSPO


Hello, welcome!



When we think of Slack, we think of connecting with coworkers, teammates, and communities. This welcome email communicates exactly that, using a simple design, minimal text, and an inviting hero image waving at us. The CTA buttons are clear and on-brand. Plus, it's easy to skim through the emoji bullet points (our personal favorite).

Why it's so good:

On-brand ✔Clear CTA ✔Waving emoji matches the subject line ✔Good hero image ✔Quick tips on how to use the platform ✔Easy to skim with emojis ✔