Email Design Trends that Shape 2023 Email Marketing Campaigns
Some email design trends fade away in a few months, while others remain for many years. If you care about your future, you need to pay attention to these trends. We wanted to share our take on this year’s email design trends, so here you go:
Deep personalization
Personalization has been a trend in email marketing for a few years now, and it’s not going away anytime soon. By using data such as browsing history, purchase history, and location, businesses can create highly targeted and personalized emails that are more likely to be opened and acted upon.
The advantages of deep personalization include increased engagement and conversion rates, as well as the ability to create more relevant and compelling content. However, it may also require significant data collection and analysis, and privacy concerns should be taken into consideration.
Dynamic images and content
In 2023, one significant trend in email design will be the use of dynamic images and content. This means displaying images or text that change according to the recipient’s profile or actions they’ve taken. For instance, a customer who recently purchased a specific product might receive an email featuring complementary accessories or an article about how to get the most out of their purchase. Dynamic content creates a sense of personalization and enables marketers to ensure their emails stay relevant and engaging for each individual subscriber.
Templating languages and no-code templating tools to create personalization logic
Another major trend to watch for in email design is how templating languages and no-code templating tools are empowering marketers to create more complex personalization logic without needing advanced coding skills. By using these simple but powerful tools, email designers can tailor content based on different factors, such as past behavior or demographic information, and create an experience that feels personalized for every recipient. This ultimately leads to more effective campaigns with higher engagement rates.
Real-time data integration
As data becomes increasingly important in tailoring personalized experiences, real-time data integration will become a key trend in the email marketing industry. By incorporating real-time information from social media, CRM systems, or other databases directly into their email designs, marketers can create content that is timely, hyper-personal and increases conversions. The timely nature of real-time data ensures that subscribers receive content that is in line with their current interests and allows businesses to capitalize on emerging trends or viral moments.
Videos + Animations
Video and animation are becoming more popular in email marketing as more email clients now support them. Videos and animations can help to grab the attention of recipients and increase engagement with the email. The advantages of using videos and animations in email marketing include increased engagement, attention, and conversion rates. However, creating videos and animations can be time-consuming and costly, and not all email clients support them.
Expect to see a rise in the use of animated gifs, videos, and interactive elements within emails to create rich, immersive experiences for users that seamlessly illustrate each part of an ongoing narrative. The fusion of animation and interactivity will also make way for cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to become more common in email marketing campaigns.
Overlapping design elements and funny backgrounds
Email design is becoming more creative and playful with the use of overlapping elements, vibrant colors, and fun backgrounds. These elements can help to make emails stand out in recipients’ inboxes and increase engagement. The advantages of using creative and playful design elements include increased engagement and attention. However, it can be challenging to balance creativity with usability and accessibility.
The psychology of color should not be underestimated. Brands will focus on leveraging color palettes that evoke specific emotions and align with their desired narrative tone, creating visual experiences that resonate with users on a deeper level. In 2023, it’s likely we’ll see more creative use of color gradients, textures, and patterns in email designs to reinforce various storytelling themes throughout the year.
Storytelling throughout the annual email cycle
Email storytelling is a way of connecting with your audience and building a relationship with them through the use of storytelling techniques. It allows businesses to create a narrative that runs throughout the annual email cycle and keeps the audience engaged.
Email design trends are expected to further emphasize this narrative aspect. With increasingly sophisticated marketing automation tools at your disposal, marketers will have more opportunities to craft detailed, multilayered stories that build progressively over time. Such an approach will create more personalized and intimate connections with subscribers, ultimately leading to increased brand loyalty and higher conversion rates.
Email laws and privacy changes
With the introduction of new laws and regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), it’s important for businesses to be aware of the legal requirements when it comes to email marketing. This includes obtaining explicit consent for email subscriptions and providing easy opt-out options. The advantages of compliance with laws and regulations include avoiding legal penalties and building trust with customers. However, it can also be time-consuming and costly to ensure compliance.
Uprising trends this year
Dark mode in email design
With the increasing popularity of dark mode on smartphones and desktop devices, email designers are starting to incorporate dark mode styles into their designs to improve readability and reduce eye strain. Some email clients, like Apple Mail, now even automatically switch to dark mode when the user’s device is in dark mode.
The advantages of dark mode in email design include improved readability and reduced eye strain, especially in low-light environments. However, implementing dark mode in email design can also be challenging, as not all email clients support it, and it requires additional design and coding work.
Accessibility and inclusive design for emails
As email usage continues to increase, it’s important to ensure that everyone can access and use emails, regardless of their abilities. This means designing emails with accessibility in mind, such as using high-contrast colors and providing alternative text for images. The advantages of designing emails for accessibility include making them usable for a wider range of people and avoiding legal issues. However, implementing accessibility can be time-consuming and requires additional design and/or coding work.
Focus on accessibility and inclusive design should not be overlooked when discussing email design trends in 2023. As the marketing industry becomes more diverse and inclusive, it’s essential for businesses to consider different needs and preferences when creating email campaigns.
By designing accessible emails that cater to various audiences’ needs (such as individuals with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities), brands can reach new demographic segments and create a positive user experience for all subscribers. This approach not only benefits the end user but also boosts brand loyalty and positioning as a thought leader among diverse audiences.
The rise of Email design systems
With the increasing complexity of email design, more and more companies are turning to email design systems to streamline and standardize their design process. Email design systems can help ensure that emails are consistent across different devices and email clients and make it easier to make updates and changes. The advantages of using an email design system include increased efficiency, consistency, and scalability. However, it may also be costly to implement and maintain, but we can see that there are tools and services that solve this problem efficiently.
AI everywhere
As we dive into 2023, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize the landscape of email marketing. For those working in the industry, staying ahead of these trends is crucial in delivering engaging and effective campaigns. In this section, we will discuss the most prominent AI trends shaping email design in 2023.
- Personalization Driven by AI
- Smart Subject Lines & CTAs
- Automated A/B Testing
- Predictive Analytics & Churn Prevention
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) & Email Interaction
Down or out of trend
AMP for emails (it works well with transactional emails tough
AMP for emails, which was designed to make emails load faster and offer a more interactive experience, is not as popular as it once was or as it started. While it’s still useful for transactional emails, it’s not as widely used for marketing emails. There are tools that made it available without coding this year so it can be a feat easy to implement but again: the value added might not be worth the effort.
600px wide email design standard not used as the ONLY one anymore
With the increasing number of devices and screen sizes, designing emails with a fixed width of 600px is no longer the standard. Instead, email designers are using responsive design techniques to ensure that emails look good on any device. Consistent branding became more important than the 600px standard, so if your brand can gain attention/value from having a wider email template, switch to that, and don’t forget to check the mobile version before sending.
Heavy email footers are boring and outdated
This is my personal take but I insist to forget the heavily-stuffed email footer. Email is not a website where we put a lot of links to the bottom for the sake of search engine bots and inquisitive website auditors. Email is a 1-on-1 communication form where you – luckily – have one key message to go through. Stuffing links to the bottom (where no one scrolls) is a desperate attempt to show we tried something. I advise you to check the clicks to those links in your analytics – if you have a smaller number to any of them then unsubscribe clicks, then just remove the link.
Summarize
So much technological advancement happened in the past few years that marketing specialists can incorporate into their email marketing strategy. These new possibilities still keep email marketing on the top so do not hesitate to get into it. However, the development has brought about changes in people’s behavior and legislative actions that prompt us to break out of old habits. It is the best time to review your emails and start working on them with the help of our guide.