Is inbox fatigue hurting your email marketing strategy?

Throughout the pandemic, teams, clients and customers have relied on email more than ever to communicate with their teams. And while some of these businesses are heading back into the office, the effects of inbox fatigue lingers on. Evenbefore we were all stuck at home, studies showed that inbox-related stress has a big impact on employees’ health. And after nearly two years of being bound to our computers, the sound of an incoming email is enough to send shivers down spines.

 

That’s a big problem for email marketers.

In terms of ROI, email marketing is hard to beat – we’re talking $36 for every $1 spent. Email is also easy to personalize and A/B test, and it provides tons of important data and KPIs. But if your target audience is avoiding their inbox at all cost, how can your business reap the benefits of email marketing?

Keep reading to find out.

Here’s how your email marketing strategy can combat inbox fatigue:

 

1. Add value with every email

First and foremost, your target audience should actually want to open your emails. Maybe they need to stay up-to-date on their industry, or they just want something interesting to read on their coffee break. Whatever the reason, you need to give them something to look forward to.

We’re not just talking coupons; your email content can add value to your subscribers lives through non-monetary means. Think entertainment, education and community.

For example, email newsletters like The Moz Top 10, Girlboss Daily and Morning Brew provide tons of valuable resources. From job listings to super-interesting articles from around the web, these newsletters prioritize content their subscribers truly care about. Of course, they also promote their services, events and more, but those aren’t the only things they do.

2. Include video content to beat inbox fatigue

Studies show that video can make or break your email strategy, especially when it comes to inbox fatigue.

Business Wire reports that a “neuroscience study by B2B DecisionLabs and Vidyard shows text-based emails create negative emotions, while video messages tend to emote pleasure [and] less fatigue.”

Some email clients (like Google) don’t support embedded videos. As a workaround, try experimenting with GIFs. You can also create an image of your video with a play button on top. Link it to the real video, and encourage your subscribers to click through.

Make sure to mention the video content in your email subject line to increase your open rate!

3. Make use of your metrics

By taking a deep dive into your email campaigns’ performance, you’ll obtain hard evidence of what your audience values, and what they don’t. Look through your best-performing emails’ metrics – what do those emails have in common? Was it the subject line? The subject matter? The layout? Examine your less-stellar emails too. How could they be improved?

If analyzing metrics isn’t your thing, bringing on a digital marketing agency could provide a major breakthrough for your email strategy.

Navigating digital marketing and communications in the work from home era isn’t easy. If you need support, we’d love to hear from you!