The growth in popularity of mobile email today is, in general, down to the dramatically increased use of mobile devices. Everywhere we look people are using their mobiles; on buses, in shopping centres, at work. This mobile media era we are living in revolves around immediacy and the need for an instant response. Some have said that 2012 will be the year in which mobile completely takes over conventional computers.
Thanks to smartphones, many users are now even checking their email and social media profiles as frequently as every hour. In this respect, the focus of email marketing is no longer finding the right time to send you emails or newsletters, as users are now checking their emails several times a day.
So if timing is not a key issue in mobile email marketing, what are the main factors we should be considering? Firstly, while content is still vital, the actual physical format of the email and how it appears in the mobile device is of primary importance. The emails need to be tailored to suit the smaller screen of smartphones. This includes avoiding really large images which require the user to scroll horizontally, and instead using thumbnails to allow the user to zoom in.
Other key tips for mobile marketing include adjusting the size of emails so they load more quickly. There’s nothing more off-putting than waiting a life-time for a page to load on your mobile, especially if you are in a rush. Some have said that the mobile version of the newsletter should be a “diet” version, both in terms of its content, i.e. less copy and fewer images, as well as its design.
Remember to get rid of what is not essential.
In addition, calls to action are extremely important in mobile email campaigns for encouraging users to continue scrolling. Some email marketers say the best location for your main call to action is in the top right of the screen. Make sure that these are large enough for them to be easily tapped, so that they can be clicked with a finger tip. Many companies are now also opting to send newsletters in the form of a single vertical column with large, eye-catching logos.
In order to keep track of how users are responding to your emails, setting up analytics is recommended for any email marketing campaign. This way you can see what percentage of emails are opened and which areas of your email get clicked on.
