2022 Email marketing trends

The rise (and rise) of email marketing 

Unlike SEO, PPC, and display ads, email marketing has been around for a long time and hardly seems noteworthy of the headlines anymore. It might even seem a bit boring to some.

But let me tell you this: Marketing emails can be far from boring.

They can be fun, exciting, and shiny too — but most importantly, they help you build a relationship with your target audience. How? Because emails are malleable and can be adapted and moulded to new trends. 

To stay ahead of these trends at Branch Road, we consistently A/B test email content to identify what delivers ROI for our clients — but keep it quiet! We want your competitors to continue to think email marketing is boring. 

So here are some 2022 email trends we’ve identified that are here to stay and worthy of your time. 

Sometimes smaller is better — a case for microsegmentation

You’re likely familiar with audience segmentation and know it delivers high conversion rates. 

But what if you go deeper?

Over time we have seen the more granular you go, the better the results are.

This means delving into the midst of your customer data, looking not only at obvious defining characteristics such as age and gender but also at your customers’ behaviour and personality, before assigning them to specific segmentation lists.

Research (McKinsey, 2022) has shown this method of micro-segmenting to be more effective than traditional segmentations as your audiences’ behaviour doesn’t stay the same; customers’ needs evolve and change and your email marketing needs to reflect this.

Simplify your email design

In 2022, we have seen emails shift from over complicated designs with multiple elements to a more crisp, simple and functional look, with web-safe fonts and optimised graphics and images. 

The key is to get straight to the point with your email copy, focusing on why it is relevant to your audience – rather than overcomplicating your message with a distracting design. By simplifying the approach, you declutter your emails and ensure focus and attention are drawn to the CTA. 

Step up your landing page game

With email design simplifying in 2022, high-quality landing pages are now more important than ever before. Your target audience journey starts when they (finally) click that CTA button you have been working so hard for them to notice in your email. 

But, don’t let it end there. By not investing in building a stand-out landing page that brings value, educates and ultimately converts your email subscribers/website visitors into customers, your email marketing efforts won’t have a business impact. 

Create an info-rich email journey

In 2022, customers were spending less time researching your brand (PwC, 2022). Now, if they struggle to find the information they need quickly, they’ll go to a competitor who has this information more readily available. 

So let your emails (and landing pages!) speak to your customers. Invest in creating case studies, customer interviews and videos. Content like this will stay evergreen on your website and will continue generating ROI in the future.

So what can — and should — you take away from the above?

Essentially this: Invest in your emails and CRM. It might sound like a lot of work – but it pays off. 

There is still no other marketing channel that can beat the level of personal connection a good email nurture can create. And then you have someone’s unconditional trust; they will keep coming back to you for more. They will be your biggest advocate, bringing new customers through your door. 

When you’re in control of your emails, CTAs and landing pages, you have complete visibility over the user journey and the impact your email marketing strategy has on your wider business. 

That’s why there is no surprise that email marketing still remains one of the best performing channels for both new customer conversion and existing customer retention.