Despite the rise of social media and texting as frequent means of communication, more traditional e-mail {marketing} has not gone the way of the dodo. According to survey data from Wanderful Media, 66 percent of respondents indicated they made a purchase based upon a promotional e-mail, compared to just 20 percent for Facebook and even less for text messaging. E-mail still drives consumers to take action, whether it?s a sale or some other engagement with the brand; e-mail remains a vital piece of every marketer?s planning.

According to Digital Strategy Consulting, 67 percent of customers give their e-mail addresses to companies to receive discounts and promotional offers. This willingness to share e-mail information illustrates e-mail?s continuing status as a primary means for companies to broadcast their specials and also build their brand identity. While e-mail retains its place as a valuable communication tool, it still needs to be treated as a dynamic channel that need to continuously adapt to new technology advances and trends.

Reaching the Mobile Consumer

The increasing usage of Smartphone and tablet devices to complete actions once only performed on the desktop ranks as the biggest trend facing many {marketing} channels, not just e-mail. According to Nielsen survey data, more than 40 percent of U.S. mobile Internet usage is dedicated to email-based activities. With easy-to-install apps from the leading mail providers and instant ?push? notifications, users know about new e-mails instantly.? The e-mail trend will continue in 2013 with more e-mails opened on mobile devices than using Outlook or via the Web (through Google or Yahoo for example.) Nielsen data states checking e-mail is still the dominant activity on Smartphones, increasing from 37.4 percent to 41.6 percent comparing 2011 to 2012 (measuring percentage of total usage time spent on e-mail).

What does this trend mean for marketers? There are multiple best practices that e-mail campaign managers should implement to produce the most mobile-friendly e-mails.

• Single column layouts are the most readable. Avoid scrolling, which can be tedious on a mobile device.
• Increase the font size to typically 16 or 18 pixels for body text and 21 or 22 for headlines.
• The restrictions of the mobile screen size reinforces the rule of ?simpler is better.? Each e-mail should offer one message through direct language.
• You want the recipient to click a link or button? Make them big enough so they are easily clicked with one finger. Don?t make them zoom-in necessary and don?t make the recipient perform hand gymnastics just to click a link.
• All links need to hit a mobile-optimized landing page or site to offer a seamless process from e-mail open to desired customer action.

Integrating in a Social Way

Despite its reach and interconnectedness, social media is still a collection of different sites, whereas e-mail is a more permanent platform embedded into the daily lives of many individuals. It will take quite some time before social media platforms entirely supplant e-mail as the preferred way to communicate and retain information. The ideal approach is to take a multi-channel approach by integrating social networks within e-mail to provide the recipient with a broader brand experience.

So how do you do it?

• Make sure you start by including social icons into each e-mail message.
• Push your e-mail audience to actively share your content with their networks.
• Embed an e-mail signup form on your Facebook page to boost your opt-in list.
• Maintain brand consistency with your fonts, logo and wording choices so consumers will maintain a positive image of you across platforms.

Triggered E-mail Trends

Triggered e-mail programs will increasingly provide savvy marketers with a competitive edge because they are a relevant action that is sparked by the consumer?s action. This mix of relevancy and immediacy really makes an impact with consumers, especially with mobile phone access and instant ?pushing? of e-mails. Do such triggered e-mail rates perform better? According to research firm Epsilon?s study, triggered e-mail click rates are at 108.6 percent over business-as-usual e-mails. And the study further states this type of messaging is growing at a 19.1 percent year-over-year growth rate because of 75.1 percent higher open rates during the study period compared to standard messages.

Best practices for triggered e-mail campaigns to reach optimal click and open rates:

• If users click a certain area of content, then send them a related e-mail that provides more in-depth information and offers resources who can answer questions.
• For businesses with physical product shipments, sending a confirmation of shipment with any tracking information sends a professional image and allows consumers to plan ahead.
• After a purchase, send a triggered e-mail about a related item that may interest the consumer, for example, suggesting surround computer speakers for those who purchased a new game that boasts impressive sound and graphics.

Avoid the Spam Filter

While it?s certainly not as sexy or visible as building mobile-friendly content or encouraging social interaction, the dreaded spam filter deserves a considerable amount of attention. Customers can?t take any action if the message is never received. Smart marketers concentrate some of their efforts on creating content that will be less likely received as spam. As marketers introduce new channels, every e-mail that ends up in spam is a lost branding opportunity.

These marketers are also increasingly tied to performance metrics, and those who can reduce spam rates in 2013 through best practices can see marked improvement in those metrics:

• Build a good list that is frequently cleaned and 100 percent opt-in.
• Stay current on changing ?spam words? when writing subject lines and e-mail content.
• Prominently display the unsubscribe link. This might seem counterintuitive, but it?s better for a consumer to unsubscribe than to mark your e-mail as ?spam? just because they don?t want to search for the unsubscribe link.
• Avoid using too many images in your e-mail.

Multiple Channel Engagement

This year will very likely be the year of ?multiple channels? for marketers. According to a ?July 2012 Customer Experience Management? piece by Aberdeen Group, companies that use three or more channels achieved 48 percent better year-over-year results for the number of website visitors. Multi-channel shoppers spend on average 30 percent more per year in stores than the typical single-channel shopper, according to data from Multichannel Merchant.

Some best practices to consider in this regard:

• Consider your marketing strategy as a whole and if all parts truly work together. Does your e-mail {marketing} aid or disrupt your offline program?
• Use e-mail to push consumers to in-store sales or other special events.
• Include your e-mail and social sites on all printed collateral.

E-mail remains a simple tool, and this simplicity has allowed it to last as an important communication tool for companies. With the rise of mobile and the ubiquity of social networks, e-mail?s importance is not diminished, it simply means marketers need to be smart and create compatible e-mail content. For 2013, savvy marketers will embrace all of these trends and best practices and continue to participate in the ongoing evolution of e-mail {marketing}.

Kevin Gao is the founder and CEO of Comm100 Live Chat, a leading provider of live chat software for business. As a software developer as well as a small business expert, he?s always ambitious to revolutionize the way of online customer service and communication. Connect with Kevin on Goolge+ to find out more about him.

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Social, Mobile and other Transformative Changes Coming to E-mail Marketing in 2013

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