Since it came in the context of the email marketing landscape, it has become the hottest topic today. It is a design element that is now compulsory for brands seeking attention.
The reason- the addition of interactive elements in automated emails delights subscribers. It also levels up click rates and boosts conversions. An average consumer receives approximately 120 emails per day. It’s necessary now for brands to think out of the box and stand out in a crowd of email inboxes to acquire customer loyalty.
As per the data given by the Content Marketing Institute, 81% of email marketers rely on interactive content to grab the attention of their subscribers more than the conventional design of email.
What does it convey?
There is enormous competition in the email inbox. With the advent of interactive content, brands must utilize it in proficient ways to attend to customers’ demands and continue getting attention.
There are a few points to remember before getting on the track and making interactive content. It’s necessary to point out what elements the subscribers feel interested in. Brands need to know how they can teach them in an all proof strategy. Now we will look at some exclusive ways for how interactive elements can help raise our conversions in automatic emails.
The truth behind interactive elements in automated emails
They are just anything that asks the subscriber to involve with the content entirely. In short, interactive elements move the cursor throughout the email with tapping, swiping, etc.
From GIFs to changeable CSS hover states, never-ending possibilities are open for designers to add interactive elements in email designs. But it should also be noted that email service providers like Outlook and Gmail haven’t fully taken up all the technical abilities. Being interactive is never a one-time problem solution. So keeping a plan-B in case a design doesn’t work is wise.
Are interactive elements practical?
Now the question is- How interactive elements change the ability of traditional email. In short, it can be said that interactive features increase the opening rates by 73%.
Emails with interactive contents double up the percentage of conversion numbers. Subscribers don’t want serious work, and also they need entertainment too. Just telling about products and promoting them is not necessary.
Customers need to be engaged and manipulated by design. With a mentality that’s interactive, subscribers would be delighted and become long-term loyal customers.
6 ways interactive elements can be used emails to engage with subscribers
Interactive elements have taken pace up with the necessity trend. Someone who wants to stand out in the crowd has to adapt to it. Here are a few ways to follow to make emails stand out.
1. Asking for feedback with survey forms.
Asking for feedback from customers is an integral part of both marketing strategy as well as customer service. Surveys are the best way to know more about customer’s insights by asking for their thoughts and opinions.
With the help of surveys, you permit space for your customers in your brand. In return, the communication between the brand and customers is kept open, and they keep giving feedback about their opinions, praises, etc.
Survey emails are the best to send out automatically after sending a product or accomplishing a service. To make it interactive, it can be instilled in the email body despite linking to a new landing page containing it. With punctual delivery and smooth customer opinion, brands feel reliant on getting a more positive response.
2. Using image rollover effects to display product features
Image rollovers are usually used in a website to deliver a close-up of a product. However, it can also be used in emails to:
Introduce a new product: Adding small teasers of elements in the email that attracts customers’ eyes. It instigates a thought in customers about the content. Don’t give away everything at once
It shows hidden product descriptions: using a hover text to display information about a product to the customer.
Tooltips displaying details:
Mainly on Instagram, subscribers can know about a particular product’s features and get to a landing page.
Rollover effects are unique ways to use email spaces more efficiently to expose more details without making the subscriber expect too much about the context. It can be used for messages for a more personal approach in an automatic email.
3. Exipermenting with video into emails.
Video contents in automatic running emails boost up opening rates by approximately 6%.
Marketing with videos has been a hot trend running lately. Many email marketers have invested in developing resources to up their game in this strategy. However, all emails must be tested for subscribers to ensure that the videos are set in the right place— otherwise, fallback images or GIFs can be used.
For automatic emails, videos are a great plus-point in a welcome email series to showcase the brand’s services. It is best to keep videos for 30 seconds or 200 KB to grab the attention of customers.
The power of using videos in email is that it makes the connection entertaining between brands and customers. It also makes the relationship transparent for the customers. It keeps the customers engaged with the email and also converts them to loyal buyers.
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4.Have fun with gamification.
Gamified emails are next level elements to add in emails. They have a severe effect on subscribers and inspire them into sales.
Interactive elements are categorized into three main steps: Engagement, Award, and Competition. Using gamification in emails to enlighten subscribers about the product build expectations around a launch. It can also keep the audience entertained.
For reaping the best results with the help of gamification, the approach should be to understand the best things the audience engages with. They are instilling a scratch card plug-in, giving away a prize looking at the purchase history.
Brands can develop quests that keep customers engaged. This helps, especially if it’s a long series. Gamification is a tool newly introduced in email marketing. The most effective email campaign can be made better by testing and analyzing the data consistently.
5. Draw attention with animated buttons.
CTA buttons are often included in emails to increase the conversion rate. It can also be animated. It can be developed to change colors as the mouse cursor is moved over CTA or clicked on it.
Another essential part of email is CTA. So these elements in emails drive better results.
Two techniques can implement animated buttons:
You are inserting changeable CSS code in the email code with a color grading of brands.
We are using image rollover by snapping a screenshot of two contrasting buttons.
With CTA buttons, link a page URL to invite more action with subscribers.
Interactive email best practices:
Interactive elements in emails surprise subscribers. But best practices must still be followed. Sending run-of-the-mill designs and messaging can be prevented easily by taking into account the following while creating interactive emails:
Remember the subject line:
Well planned and created email is of no use if it remains unopened. A subject line should be such that it interests the subscribers’ thoughts and instigates their interest in opening the email. Always have a test copy to understand what affects the audience.
Being Personal is still the key:
Organize surveys and quizzes to peek into subscriber’s interests and thoughts. After getting that, making content according to their needs is an easy task.
Be funny within the limits of a sales goal:
It’s always tempting to push a brand promotion in every email. But building loyalty among and with customers is a prior activity. Send holiday emails that are entertaining and interactive newsletters with funny company updates.
Monitoring overall performance:
Keep an eye on the progress- how many click rates are getting in, number of subscribers and unsubscribers, which content is working better than others. Examine the analytics and perform accordingly.
Conclusion
The email marketing landscape is stable and evolving constantly. So errors are inevitable in trying out new designs. However, with the right design and strategy implementation, the audience will stay entertained, and conversions will also stay up.
Keep in mind the following elements while instilling interactive features in emails:
- Feedback surveys for subscribers to voice their opinion.
- Image rollover effects that provide teasers and details on products and services
- Videos to get the audience involved with various media formats
- Gamify to motivate fun and activity in email
- Animated buttons that bring conversions