Change is the only constant in life. And that sentiment rings loud and true in the email marketing industry today. What's new in email marketing, you ask? Plenty.
AI and automation have taken the industry by storm. Privacy and data protection have become non-negotiables. Newsletters are now the go-to channel for meaningful audience engagement.
Long story short, the email marketing playbook is being rewritten (again), and marketers must listen, learn, and adapt to stay ahead.
This article explores the hottest email marketing trends and stats of 2024 to help you run informed campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive results.
Email Marketing Statistics
Before diving into the latest email marketing trends, let’s take a brief detour to see key email statistics for 2024. These stats provide a sense of the direction the industry is taking.
In other words, understanding them gives us a holistic view of what works and what doesn’t today.
Stats on Email Marketing Effectiveness
It's been over 50 years since email was introduced. Yet, it remains nearly unbeatable for reaching and engaging audiences today. This is especially impressive considering the rise of flashier alternatives like social media.
The numbers don't lie:
- 30% of marketers consider email marketing to offer the highest ROI among all digital marketing channels (Statista).
- Email marketing delivers an average return of $36 for every $1 invested (Litmus).
- 87% of companies say email marketing is vital to their business success (Litmus).
- 60% of consumers have decided to make purchases because of a promotional email (OptinMonster).
- Automated emails can produce 320% more revenue than non-automated emails (Campaign Monitor).
- The most effective email marketing campaigns use strategies like segmentation (78%), personalization (72%), and automation (71%) (HubSpot).
To sum up, email marketing remains a top contender for marketers today and shows no sign of a downturn anytime soon.
Stats on B2B Email Marketing
The importance of email marketing is even more prominent in B2B communication and lead nurturing.
Here’s the proof:
- 77% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted via email (Sopro).
- 81% of B2B marketers rely on email newsletters as their primary content tool (Content Marketing Institute).
- Emails announcing new products or features have the highest click-through rates according to B2B marketers (HubSpot).
- The average open rate for B2B emails is 15.1% (DMA).
- B2B marketing emails have a 23% higher click-to-open ratio compared to B2C emails (Backlinko).
With more B2B clients preferring email, it has become a no-brainer for all B2B companies to start prioritizing their email marketing operations.
Stats on Email Marketing Use Cases
The most comprehensive study of the use cases of most email marketing campaigns comes from a 2024 Statista study:
As shown above, 16% of email marketers say product awareness and promotions are the primary objectives of their campaigns. Newsletters and customer retention came second, each at 14.6%, followed by transactional communication at 7.2%.
Stats on Mobile Email Marketing
The stats are in. Optimizing your emails for the mobile experience is a necessity to get the most out of your campaigns:
- 55% of emails are opened on mobile devices (HubSpot).
- 41% of all email views come from mobile devices, with 75% of Gmail users viewing emails on mobile (MailButler).
- 35% of email marketers prioritize mobile-first or mobile-responsive designs (Litmus).
- Roughly 1 in 5 email campaigns are not optimized for mobile devices (SuperOffice).
- Roughly 42% of recipients will delete emails that aren't optimized for mobile (SaleCycle).
- Optimizing emails for mobile can increase mobile clicks by 15% (MailChimp).
With more emails being opened on smartphones, failing to optimize for mobile means missing out on a significant portion of audience engagement.
7 Email Marketing Trends to Pay Attention To
The seven trends below are reshaping the email marketing industry in 2024. Marketers must, therefore, adapt to keep on top of their game.
AI and Automation Take the Center Stage
The biggest trend in email marketing today is undoubtedly the arrival of AI and automation. In just a few years, AI has penetrated nearly every industry—and email marketing is no exception.
Among many use cases, marketers are using AI and automation to:
- Determine the best times to send emails
- Automate content creation while maintaining brand voice and style
- Predict unsubscribes to proactively launch re-engagement campaigns
- Monitor email deliverability and spam scores for higher inbox placement
- Personalize content based on user behavior, preferences, and buying history
- Optimize subject lines, email content, and calls to action for maximum impact
The best part? You can effortlessly implement all these and more with a platform like Instantly.ai. Simply put, you decide the strategies while Instantly takes care of the operational heavy lifting.
Even better, Instantly doesn't stop at email outreach. You also get access to Instantly CRM and lead database to optimize your entire marketing processes for stellar results. Try it out for free!
Privacy and Data Protection are Priorities
Privacy and data protection aren’t so much a trend as a legal requirement. Despite a general fundamental right to privacy, some marketers have been known to overlook privacy and data protection in their operations. Well, no more.
Thanks to anti-spam laws and regulations like the GDPR, privacy and data protection are no longer optional.
Marketers must be completely transparent in their affairs and give their audience more control over their data. How? By observing procedures like double opt-ins, simple opt-outs, and one-click unsubscribes.
ESP regulations are also a top concern for marketers. And not following the rules means risking a poor sender reputation—or worse.
Segmentation and Personalization are Here to Stay
Segmentation and personalization aren’t new in email marketing, but their importance continues to grow.
A MailChimp study found that, on average, segmented campaigns generate 14% higher open rates and 100% higher click-through rates than non-segmented ones. At the same time, a McKinsey report tells us that 71% of consumers expect personalized communication and 76% get frustrated when they don’t get it.
With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that segmentation and personalization are at the forefront of email marketing strategies today.
Optimizing for Mobile is a Necessity
As mentioned, over half of all emails are now opened on mobile devices. In other words, mobile optimization is non-negotiable for forward-looking marketers.
In practice, you need to adopt a responsive design to ensure your emails display well on any screen size. How?
- Use tap-friendly calls-to-action buttons
- Keep your email copy as concise as possible
- Shorten your subject lines and preheaders for full mobile display
- Make your content scannable with short, well-spaced paragraphs
- Use lightweight images and ensure they scale properly on mobile screens
- Regularly test your emails on different devices and ESPs to ensure compatibility
Newsletters Are Making a Comeback
Newsletters are arguably bigger than they’ve ever been. With today’s information overload, high-quality content regularly delivered straight to inboxes is now the way forward.
And it makes perfect sense. Among their many benefits, newsletters help you:
- Provide unique value and stand out from the noise
- Keep your brand top-of-mind and strengthen connections with your audience
- Let you adapt various content formats as needed—articles, tutorials, interviews, industry insights, etc.
In short, brands are moving away from hard-sell tactics. Now, they’re looking to showcase expertise, share updates, and build relationships through insightful, entertaining newsletters. Here’s an example from Osano providing insights into the data privacy space:
It’s also worth noting that there’s a rise in paid newsletter subscriptions, especially in niche markets. The key to success? Consistency, quality content, and a distinct voice that strikes a chord with your audience.
BIMI is Steadily Gaining Traction
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a new standard that allows verified brands to display their logo next to their email in subscribers' inboxes. This visual cue helps recipients recognize and trust the sender, potentially increasing open rates.
As more ESPs support BIMI, marketers are starting to take note and implement it for two reasons:
- Higher Brand Recognition & Trust: Seeing a familiar logo builds trust and helps subscribers identify legitimate emails from your brand. It also reduces the risk of phishing attempts.
- Better Inbox Placement: It’s unconfirmed but some ESPs may start prioritizing emails with verified BIMI logos, potentially leading to higher deliverability.
There are a couple of steps involved in implementing BIMI. But it's best to start by setting up your SPIF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols (if you haven’t already). For brands serious about their email presence, implementing BIMI is becoming a must.
Interactive Emails are Booming
Interactive email is another key trend shaking the industry today. It refers to emails with elements like image carousels, quizzes, surveys, embedded videos, and clickable menus.
Basically, any feature that encourages recipients to take action without leaving their inbox is interactive.
Why are they booming? Because these emails add a fun factor to make your emails more dynamic and enjoyable. And because they offer engaging experiences directly within the inbox, they’re great for boosting engagement and dwell time.
But their biggest selling point is that they transform emails from mere messages into immersive brand experiences.
The Future of Email Marketing Awaits
The email marketing industry is ever-evolving, but with these changes comes opportunity. By embracing these trends, you can take your campaigns to the next level and drive unprecedented results.
A few things to keep top of mind for successful outcomes:
- Success in email marketing today demands keeping up with the latest trends and adapting your strategies for better impact.
- AI and automation are arguably the biggest drivers of success in email marketing today. Don’t miss out on their potential.
- Privacy, segmentation, personalization, mobile optimization, newsletters, BIMI, and interactive emails are other key areas drawing the most attention in 2024’s email marketing landscape.
Instantly's suite of services is designed to help you seamlessly adapt to the latest trends. Don't just keep up with the future of email marketing—lead it with Instantly. Sign up for a free Instantly trial today!
