The Future of Email Marketing: What to Expect in 2020

Over the past couple years, there's been a lot of buzz about big data in marketing. What can you use it for? How do you get it? How do you put it to work for you?

Those Q&A sessions are now in the history books. Marketers know what big data is and what it's capable of.

Now it's merely a matter of putting these tools to work in the most efficient, practical, and powerful ways possible.

That discussion will continue for some time, as marketers delve ever deeper into the data and use it to create more innovative, dynamic email marketing campaigns.

What does email marketing look like in 2020 and beyond? Here's where we're headed ...

Tomorrow's Email Marketing is Hyper Personalized

Personalized email marketing done wrong alienates the customer. Mrs. Smyth doesn't
like being called Mrs. Smith, and Kristie doesn't like to be called Christy.  

Personalized email marketing done right makes the marketer look like the customer's dear friend, someone who really has their back when they need it.

When done wrong, it alienates the customer. Mrs. Smyth doesn't like being called Mrs. Smith, and Kristie doesn't like to be called Christy.

Tomorrow's email marketing will utilize data from across channels, including Internet searches, social media, the IoT, location data, and their own personal preferences.

Using this rich cross-channel data, marketers can develop and deliver highly-personalized pinpoint-targeted emails at the right time, to the right customer, in exactly the right way.

The business wins with more loyal customers. The customer wins via a buying experience that meets their needs and helps them meet their goals.

Tomorrow's Email Marketing Platforms Take the Guesswork Out of It

Email marketing software is getting smarter.

Within just a few years, these systems will literally walk the marketer through the best practices regarding targeted emails, customer lifecycle management, and other relevant activities.

The latest rules for staying out of spam and junk filters will be built into these systems, but so will the best practices regarding creating a relevant, meaningful customer experience.

Tomorrow's Email Marketing Looks More Like an App Experience

In the future, thanks to machine learning, it's going to get even harder to stay out of spam folders.
That means marketers will have to up their game considerably.  

Email marketing software will leverage machine learning capabilities, and will enable the customer to view videos, make purchases, and more — right from their email inbox.

It sounds exciting, but it also represents a significant challenge for marketers.

Only the smartest emails with the most relevant content, according to the recipient's preferences, will wind up in the inbox. All the half-hearted attempts by marketing hackers will go straight into more robust spam and junk filters.

Consumer demands for personalization, combined with the power of machine learning, will bring about a harsher separation of the wheat and the chaff.

Tomorrow's Biggest Email Marketing Challenge is Keeping Top Talent

With computers and software taking on so much of the work, you'd think there would be less demand for top marketing talent.

The reverse is actually true.

As businesses strive to always improve the customer experience, from lead generation through creating and keeping loyal customers, there will only be a place at the table for the brightest bulbs.

Marketers that can't deliver high-quality leads and help push those leads through the marketing funnel with genius content won't make the cut.

The greatest challenge will be for businesses to keep their teams staffed with those who "get it" in regard to cross-channel marketing, next-generation email marketing tools, geotargeting mobile users, and other emerging technological trends.

The future is just around the corner. To get a jumpstart, download our FREE eGuide to learn how to identify the inbound marketing firm that can best connect you with your ideal customers.