We caught up with our Head of Email Marketing, Christie Woodhouse, to get her thoughts on what's likely to be up and coming in the world of email marketing in 2024; 

• Better use of AI to generate subject lines and/or predict segments 
• Subscribers become more of the focal point within a brand strategy - niche targeting to heighten engagement 
• More interaction within email campaigns to enhance the user experience  
• Bigger push towards SMS to work hand in hand with email marketing 
• Increased use of Lo-Fi within emails to enhance authenticity 

Better use of AI 

AI is vital when it comes to email marketing due to its cost-effectiveness and direct approach, so how can marketers take advantage in 2024? 

From drafting subject lines that will increase open rates by 5-10% (according to Phrasee) to personalising email copy in no time with very little input from you, it’s a no-brainer when it comes to efficiency. AI goes a step further than improving efficiencies, it can be utilised to understand customer lifecycles, customise retargeting and even make product recommendations, all of which ensure your campaigns are tailored to individuals. 

Subscribers become the focal point

At a time when subscribers need to feel loved by brands, now is the perfect time to optimise your segmentation to ensure subscribers are the focal point of your strategy, by heightening engagement with personalised content. A highly engaged audience leads to higher conversions so now is the time to ditch the ‘send to all’ approach and start considering what content your audience wants to receive. 

Increased interaction 

Subscribers remember an email that they’ve had a good interaction and experience with, so how do you add this level of interactivity to your campaigns? Dynamic content plays a big part in personalising emails to specific individuals and is in the form of live polling and/or reveals. Adding these elements to your campaigns allows your audience to interact in a fun way whilst putting your brand at the forefront of their mind. What does that mean for you? Not only do you have a highly engaged audience but you’re also collecting vital data that can be used to optimise your future campaigns.

Introducing SMS 

Build stronger, one-to-one relationships with your audience by connecting with them directly, when they are most active. According to Klaviyo, 73% of consumers have bought as a result of a brand’s text, therefore introducing SMS alongside your email campaigns is a must when it comes to increasing conversions. 

Increased use of Lo-Fi 

2024 is the time to ditch hours of editing to embrace the imperfections of imagery, creating a sense of relatability and authenticity. Why is this so perfect? Not only will brands be able to use raw imagery, but it also helps those who have a slightly lower budget to showcase themselves in a new way. Remember, the more people can relate to your brand, the more likely they are to purchase. 

Our predictions for 2024 highlight a transformative era where AI, subscriber-centricity, interactivity, SMS, and Lo-Fi aesthetics should be considered to redefine the email marketing landscape and engagement with both subscribers and customers alike.