Email Gets More Interactive

At the Direct Marketing Association's recent Email Evolution Conference, emerging techniques were discussed that could have profound implications on how we use email. For the BtoB marketer, it's all about getting the open and click-through rates up with the right targets. Several new innovations may help you do just that.

Interactive Email

Much of the talk at the conference focused on more interactive, dynamic email content. We have long been in an era of structured email templates, embedded photos and links. New, more functional, email will have features enabling action within the email itself—without the need to click out. DMA panelists cited such new and pending technologies as:

• Auto-play video within the email
• Automatic control of sending frequency
• Offers based on geo-location or time of day
• Social interactivity directly within an email

These enhancements haven't been widely utilized before now due to security concerns by email services. But new platforms are being developed that allow senders to run HTML5 code securely in their email messages—allowing video, for example, to work right in the inbox.

Google, Microsoft & Yahoo

Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo mail are implementing several of these new interactive features, enabling marketers to target users of these platforms with richer content. Take a look at this video from Hotmail Active Views:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62DyIIgiOxo

Commercial email clients, such as Outlook and Lotus Notes are not as active in this arena—yet.

BtoB Magazine quoted Aaron Smith, VP Campaign Services with Responsys, "Until now, there had been no real innovation in email technology since at least 1998. But today we're seeing platforms experimenting with enhanced capabilities that make email more attractive and accessible."

There are certainly issues to overcome that will make these innovations reliable, secure, fast, clean and stable—but there is no doubt that they will be coming soon.

Source: BtoB Magazine