Email Marketing in 2023: What to Expect + Bulletproof Tactics

The old chestnut of an outreach email marketing is not dead. 82% of marketers globally still make the most of it, with a reported 4200% ROI ($42 Return On Investment from every marketing dollar spent).

But the competition to get into consumers' inboxes is fiercer. Scattergun tactics that worked before are a no-go anymore, and popular email marketing trends may fail to carry the same firepower as they once did. To catapult you to the top of inboxes (and your recipients’ minds), you need new chops: emerging email trends that appeal to email algorithms and put you in a pole position to win your prospects over. 

Email marketing in 2023, after all, is all about better outcomes with less effort. Thanks to the evolution of AI and email automation, the next era of outreach email marketing will further increase brand authority, strengthen connections, and guarantee ROI.

Ready to dump the old guard and embrace the new? Get your peepers at the ready as we go over 2023 email marketing trends that’ll define the future of email marketing.

Essential Email Outreach Trends To Consider in 2023

Several email trends are doing the rounds in 2023, and we've delivered them hot off the oven. These trends in email marketing come with statistical data and failproof recommendations on how to implement them neatly.

We’ve outlined them below to see which can help you deliver the best outcomes going in the new year:

1. Attention-grabbing subject lines

The fate of your email depends on the subject line you choose. Your open rate will improve if you use a catchy subject line to pique your reader's interest.  

• 47% of email recipients open an email because of the subject line.
• Personalized subject lines received open rates and CTR by at least a 50% boost.
• Catchy subject lines prompt 33% of email users to open emails.
• Subject lines with "Video," and "Free" increase the open rate by 7-13%.
• Including a sense of urgency and exclusivity in subject lines give emails a 22% higher open rate.
• Subject lines with emojis increase marketing effectiveness by 70%

2. Visually-appealing content

Text-only emails have gone out with the ark. Visual content, including video animation, GIFs, and images, are one of such email trends of 2023 that will bring your messaging to life, compel audiences and nudge them towards complying with your CTAs.

When it comes to whether or not to spruce up your 2023 emails with some visuals, look no further than these stats:

• CTR goes up by 96% when an email includes a video.
• 78% of marketers say adding videos increases their ROI.
• 90% of users say that videos influence their purchasing decision.
• Graphics-based emails have a higher open rate (27%) and CTR (4.5%) than text-only emails (20% and 3%). 
• Emails with an emoji in the subject line have a 56% higher open rate. 

3. Email list segmentation 

An average subscriber base is full of diverse individuals. As such, sending out generic emails is inefficient at best and leaves a bad impression at worst. It may drive a wedge between you and your audience. 

Segmenting your email list helps you relay information with your recipient’s interests in mind. You can segment them based on their previous purchases, what time of the year or season they visit your store, or whether they’re here for the discounts (discount-oriented users)

That way, you’re able to deliver more tailored messaging and forge stronger connections.

• Segmentation is the most used email marketing trend, with 51% of marketing influencers deploying this personalization tactic for optimum results.
• A survey reveals that segmented emails have a 94% open rate and a 38% CTR unlike unsegmented ones(42% and 4.5%).
• 58% of ROI can be traced to segmentation and personalization.
• Marketers who send segmented email campaigns notice a 760% increase in revenue.

4. AI automation

Perhaps the most influential driver of the future of email marketing, AI automation can be a real force multiplier for your email marketing campaigns. 

Whether it’s identifying the best time to send emails, personalizing messages, predicting which customers are more likely to convert, or automating repetitive tasks, Folderly’s AI automation capabilities ensure you’re not shooting your emails in the dark. 

Our unique AI-based platform combines the best of both — AI and Human-based approaches — to deliver your emails right into the client's inbox for optimal open rates, click-throughs, and conversion rates. 

• 64% of B2B marketers confirm  AI as a valuable technology for their sales and marketing strategy.
• 83% of early AI users have already achieved significant (30%) or moderate (53%) economic benefits.
• 61% of marketers say AI is a critical aspect of their data strategy, and 80% reported increased productivity.

5. BIMI for Brand Awareness and Email Authentication 

Help your target audience gain trust in your brand with BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). 

It’s a fast-growing email marketing trend that helps you display a verified sender logo next to the email in the user's inbox. It impacts your brand's visibility and delivers your emails to the right channel. See what these statistics say about the BIMI tactic.

• Using a registered logo in the avatar slot of an email has been shown to increase open rates ( 21%), conversion rates (34%), and brand recall (18%).
• Consumers' trust in brands that adopted BIMI increased by 90%.
• Consumers are 28% less likely to purchase after receiving an email that lacks a brand logo.

6. Email Automation

Email marketing in 2023, much like the preceding years, is a time of information overload. Another pointless email is the last thing your prospect wants to see. 

Besides saving time and increasing efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, like sending out weekly or monthly reports or sending personalized email responses to common inquiries, when you automate your email marketing, the improved accuracy and consistency of your messages will foster a stronger connection with prospects.

• Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than non-automated emails
• Email marketing automation saves time (30%), generates leads (22%), improves revenue(17%), retains customers (11%), monitors marketing campaigns (8%), and shortens the sales cycle (2%)
• 68.5% of responders agree that automation improved target emails.

7. Advanced Personalization

The only thing people love more than an email is an email that speaks to them. When you show warm regard for their person, they'll feel more at ease opening up your emails, or even responding — and the stats back this:

• 88% of recipients say that they will respond to an email positively if it looks like it's been created explicitly for them.
• Addressing recipients by their name can increase open rates and CTR by up to 35%
• The top benefits of personalization in email marketing are improved open rate (82%), higher CTR (75%), and better customer satisfaction (58%).

8. Mobile Optimization

Optimizing your email for smaller screens (mobile devices) should be on your email marketing trend 2023 bucket list since they now account for over half of all email opens. Might seem insignificant, but the stats suggest that huge gains are on the horizon for abiders:

• 81% of users check their emails on their mobile devices
• 42.3% of email recipients delete messages if they are not mobile-friendly
• 57% of users say they won't recommend a poorly designed mobile site.

2023 Email Outreach Marketing Overview

Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines

• 47% Personalized subject line
• 50% Increased click-through rate
• 33% catchy Subject line
• 7-13% open rate for video & free

Visual-Appealing Content.

• 96% CTR.
• 78% R0I
• 90% influence on purchasing decisions.
• 27% open rate for Graphics-based emails and 20% for text-only emails
• 56% open rate for Emoji-included subject line.

Data-induced Segmentation 

• Highest email marketing trend, with 51%
• 94% open rate and a 38% CTR
• Unsegmented ones have 42% and 4.5% CTR.
• 760% ROI

AI Assistance

• 64% of B2B marketers assert it is a valuable technology marketing strategy.
• 83% of early AI users have gained 30-53% economic benefits.
• 61% of marketers use AI for data strategy
• 80% reported increased productivity.

Brand Indicators for Message Animation (BIMI)

• open rates ( 21%), conversion rates (34%), and brand recall (18%).
• 90% increase in consumers' trust in the brand
• 28% of clients unlikely to buy from an unbranded email

Email Automation

• 320% revenue increase
• Saves time (30%), generates leads (22%), improves revenue(17%), retains customers (11%), monitors marketing campaigns (8%), and shortens sales cycle (2%)
• 68.5% of responders agree that automation improved target emails.

Advanced Personalization

• 88% positive response.
• 82% increase in open rates and 75% CTR  
• 58% customer satisfaction

Mobile Optimization

• 81% of users check their emails on their mobile devices
• 42.3% of email recipients delete messages that are not mobile-friendly
• 57% of users won't recommend a poorly designed mobile site.

Wrap Up

So there you have it! As email marketing evolves, your go-to-inbox strategy is best served with the latest trends in email marketing to power up email marketing outcomes and rack up ROI. 

And when it comes to email marketing in 2023, the winners are tactics that show a better understanding of your prospects or subscribers, warm regard for their emotions, pain points, and goals, with a focus on maximizing deliverability. 

So, what’re you waiting for? Take up the challenge to evaluate your current email marketing efforts and make the necessary tweaks to stay ahead of the curve while your competitors are still playing catch up.