In email marketing, the only constant is change. As we step into 2024, the email marketing landscape is seeing significant transformation thanks to technological advances (AI and machine learning, for starters), and changing policies (We see you, Apple!) And let's not forget the ever-changing tides of consumer behavior.
So, what does 2024 mean for the email marketing world? What trends are changing the way we market? How are new regulations and policies impacting the data we collect and how we track success?
Here are our crystal ball predictions for the most important email marketing trends in 2024 — and how you can stay ahead of the curve.
Email Marketing Trends for 2024
Jump ahead:
- Security and sender authentication
- Data privacy concerns
- The importance of personalization
- Email verification and list pruning
- Dark mode optimization
- Machine learning and AI
- Interactive email (AMP)
- Tracking abilities
1. Security and sender authentication gain importance
Noticed more spam in your inbox? We have too. That's because phishing and email fraud are on the rise.
According to one study, nearly 48% of all emails sent are spam — which makes it really hard to stand out. To combat the increase in spam, Gmail and Yahoo implemented additional authentication requirements for bulk senders in 2024. Companies that send over 5,000 emails in a day must set up DMARC, DKIM, and SPF to identify who they are and verify their messages haven't been tampered with.
While currently only required by Gmail and Yahoo, these changes will likely spill over to other email providers in the coming year — so now is the time to figure out what this means for your email campaign and make sure you've opted in if necessary.
Wondering how Gmail & Yahoo updates impact your Delivra account?
We’ve got everything you need to stay compliant and optimize your deliverability in light of the 2024 policy changes. Learn more
2. Data privacy concerns continue
Data helps marketers personalize campaigns, write smarter ads, and even build better products. But data is getting harder to come by as governments enact more data privacy regulations, industry giants like Apple give users more control over who can access their data, and big-name browsers continue to block third-party cookies.
While this might feel like a blow to your email marketing campaigns, it isn’t insurmountable.
For starters, too much personalization can become creepy if we're not careful. Also, data collected from third-party sources isn't always accurate. For example, if someone reads your email from their phone but converts at their office, those events might not be connected to the same email address/person.
So, are we back to sending out mass campaigns to every user? Nope.
This is where first-party data comes in. Gathering data directly from users increases accuracy and reduces the creep factor. If there's information you need, ask for it during the signup process. Adding a check box or drop-down selection for industry, location, and interests can help you improve email personalization — without making it weird.
33. The importance of personalization remains high
In 2017, 269 billion emails were sent and received daily. In 2024, that number will hit a whopping 361 billion messages. (That’s a 134% increase, in 7 years…a ton of emails!)s!)
How do we make sure our messages stand out in overflowing inboxes?
According to Oracle, personalization, segmentation, and automation make the most significant impact. And not only will personalization help your email stand out, it’s proven to increase customer lifetime value significantly over time.
What do we mean when we say “email personalization”?
Of course, we go way beyond "Hey <name>!" subject lines — we’re talking about how to create genuinely relevant experiences based on user behavior. For example, you might create a campaign that sends all new subscribers a 10% off coupon. Subscribers who use the coupon are then prompted to write a review, and then sent personalized product recommendations, while those who don't are nurtured with educational content.
44. Email verification and list pruning is more important than ever
The robots are taking over! — the internet, that is. According to Imperva's 2023 Bad Bot Report, 47.4% of all internet traffic was automated, a 5.1% increase over the previous year. Those bots don't just browse Reddit and watch YouTube; they also fill out forms and sometimes end up on our email lists. Requiring email verification at sign-up can keep bots off your email list and improve deliverability rates. Setting up automated pruning campaigns can clear out any bots that do manage to slip through.
There's another reason to prune your email list regularly.
23% of the email addresses on your list go bad every year
Every year, an estimated 23% of your email list degrades, meaning you could send thousands of emails to dead addresses. (And if you're in B2B, that number could be much higher, considering how often folks switch jobs!) Setting up automated pruning campaigns and requiring email verification at sign-up improves deliverability rates and keeps the bad bots at bay in 2024.
55. Dark mode optimization is crucial
According to Litmus, dark mode usage is up 34% on Apple Mail clients. This might seem like a small thing. How much does an increase in dark mode usage really impact your email marketing?
This 2024 email marketing trend made our list for a good reason — using dark mode drastically changes how emails are displayed, and (even worse) it's not consistent across email platforms. Some platforms fully invert colors, and some just add a dark background. This means the carefully designed email campaign with a white background and black text will display as a black background with white text, which might not be what you had in mind!
To optimize your email for dark mode, add a border to transparent icons (like logos.) You'll also want to use contrast to ensure your message and CTA are visible. For example, don't use black text and a gray background; make sure each element can stand on its own.
66. Machine learning and AI are getting smarter
Yes, you already know that 2023 was a big year for AI and machine learning.
Bing, OpenAI, and Google have all expanded their foray into AI and machine learning. While AI already made its presence felt in previous years, 2024 marked a pivotal year — and opened up a can or two of worms. It's clear that AI is getting smarter, making it a key email marketing trend for 2024.
For email marketers, AI shouldn't mean letting the bots write your emails, but about making your campaigns smarter. AI-powered content and product recommendations can steer subscribers towards content and products they'll love. AI can work with logic-based email rules to send ultra-relevant emails, increasing conversion rates by as much as 180%. AI tools can also help generate ideas for new subject lines and preview text, analyze consumer data, predict future behavior, and help us better understand metrics.
77. Interactive email (AMP)
AMP for email is a new format that enables subscribers to complete actions without leaving the email. Using AMP, you can create elements your audience can click, swipe, or interact with directly within the email, almost like a mini-website. Think quizzes, surveys, embedded videos, and image carousels — all embedded within your email campaign. While it's currently only available for a limited number of platforms, this will likely expand in 2024. Honestly, it's hard enough to get someone to open an email, much less click through to a landing page and complete another entire set of actions, so AMP offers a huge opportunity for email marketers.
88. Tracking abilities are changing
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection rolled out in 2021, and it's been making waves in the email industry since. It's also drastically reduced email marketer's ability to rely on (previously) gold standard metrics like open rates. According to the DMA Email Benchmarking Report 2023, open rates have drastically increased (from 19% in 2021 to 31.84% in 2022), primarily due to the fake auto-opens created by Apple to obscure real user data. Losing the accuracy of open rates also makes it harder to A/B test and track locations.
In 2024, marketers need to establish tracking capabilities via UTMs and develop better attribution models to determine what happens after an email is opened. Tools like Clickstream Tracking can provide a fuller picture of how audience members engage with your website after clicking on an email.
As we navigate the shifting landscape of email marketing in 2024, our focus at Delivra is on providing more than just tools; we aim to be a comprehensive partner in your email marketing journey. Our platform is tailored to simplify the creation of engaging email campaigns and effective drip strategies, while also embracing new trends like AI, dark mode optimization, and compliance with evolving regulations.
At Delivra, we understand the importance of adapting to these changes. We're committed to helping you stay ahead of the curve, ensuring your strategies remain effective and relevant.
