The future of e-mail
6-2-2020
The end of e-mail has been announced several times. How is it possible that this widely used medium is still popular after more than 20 (!) years and is still developing? We discussed this subject with other experts during the DDMA E-mail Elite.
Doornvogel has been an expert in e-mail for a while, but “young people” (18 – 35 years old) still remain a somewhat elusive group. This generation of the future is first in line when it comes to trends, is difficult to capture and a little stubborn. The combination of young people with the old trusted e-mail medium does not immediately seem like a match made in heaven, but according to everyone present, the future looks pretty bright. And this idea can also be well substantiated. Curious about the entire article that MarketingFacts wrote about the session? Read it here.
We noticed a number of things. For example, Millennials and Generation Z prefer a personal approach, they find authentic brands interesting, but they have a short attention span. They don’t use online channels in a traditional way and want a brand to be genuine and open for dialogue. They more easily embrace brands with a human side. But once you get into their hearts, you can almost do whatever you like. But how to get there is a constant search.
And now what?
It is said that e-mail has reached the third phase of its life: from text-only via HTML to AMP. Orientation and search processes are shifting from web to inbox. And what else? Push messages and apps will (partly) take over the function of mail. Making your inbox more of an offline mailbox, for personal mail.
It is also important that teams from different disciplines work together and learn from each other. It is becoming increasingly difficult to create relevant segments. Don’t be afraid of a lower engagement score per channel, but use each other’s strengths: consult, coordinate objectives and keep renewing to use e-mail successfully.
