As the name implies, interactive emails are a type of email that allows the recipient to interact with the content inside the email itself, rather than simply reading or clicking through a link. Interactive emails can include elements such as animations, videos, quizzes, polls, and other types of interactive content, which allow the recipient to engage with the message in a more immersive way.
What Are The Benefits Of Interactive Emails?
There are several benefits to using interactive emails as part of your email marketing strategy, such as:
- Improved engagement: Interactive emails can capture the recipient’s attention and keep them engaged for longer, as they encourage the recipient to interact with the content inside the email itself.
- Higher click-through rates: By providing a more engaging and interactive experience, interactive emails can help to increase click-through rates, which in turn can lead to more conversions and revenue. After all, your customers will learn to expect these types of email and look forward to their arrival, clicking them more immediately when they do arrive.
- Better personalization: Interactive emails can be tailored to the recipient’s interests and preferences, using features such as quizzes and polls to gather feedback and insights about the customer’s needs and preferences, all while making the customer feel seen, important, and catered to.
- Enhanced brand awareness: By using interactive elements such as animations and videos, interactive emails can help to showcase the brand’s products or services in a more memorable way, which can increase brand recognition.
Increased customer loyalty: By providing a more fun, personalized experience, interactive emails can help a company build stronger relationships with customers, which in turn can lead to a stronger relationship between customer and brand.
What Are the Different Types of Interactive Emails?
Interactive emails are a fun, creative way for customers to engage with a brand, product, or service. However, building the wrong kind of interactive email can produce the opposite effect. Emails which are large, complicated, poorly customized to the recipient, and inconsistent with current marketing efforts can present themselves as difficult to use, unnecessary, irritating, or confusing.
The good news is, you can follow examples from other, successful campaigns. The most common types of interactive emails used by companies to keep their email marketing feeling fresh, different, and innovative include:
- Interactive product demos: These emails allow customers to interact with a product or service directly inside the email, using features such as hover-over animations or interactive sliders to showcase different product features or options.
- Interactive quizzes and polls: These emails invite customers to participate in a quiz or poll, which can help gather feedback or insights about the customer’s preferences or interests. It also encourages the customer to spend more time on the email or even visit links provided in the message.
- Countdown timers and scratch-off cards: These emails use interactive elements such as countdown timers or scratch-off cards to create a sense of urgency or excitement around a product or offer.
- Animated gifs and videos: These emails use animated gifs or videos to showcase product features, demonstrate how to use a product or service, or provide a behind-the-scenes look at the brand or its products.
Just be sure to balance the interactive elements against the total weight of the email. Having too many features at once, or improperly embedding the number of features you do choose, could make the email difficult to open or receive. At the least, too many features can lead to a cluttered appearance in your email, which makes it harder for customers to interact.
Picking one or two elements, and doing them well, is the key to making an impact.
Interactive Email Examples
Interactive emails can help brands stand out in a crowded inbox, which is why many of the top companies use this email marketing strategy. Here are some examples you can reference:
- BuzzFeed: BuzzFeed is known for its engaging quizzes and interactive content, and its emails are no exception. BuzzFeed’s messages often include interactive quizzes and polls, which invite subscribers to engage with the brand by sharing their opinions. These emails also contain links that encourage recipients to follow through and continue with additional quizzes or content.
- Sephora: Sephora’s emails often include interactive product demos and tutorials, which allow customers to interact with products and see how they look and work in real time. This encourages readers to explore buying options further and follow through onto the site.
- IKEA: IKEA uses interactive emails to showcase its products. For example, one email campaign included an interactive “try on” feature, which allowed customers to see how IKEA furniture would look in their own home using augmented reality features.
- Litmus: Litmus is an email marketing platform that uses interactive emails to showcase its own product features and capabilities. For example, one email campaign included an interactive “live preview” feature, which allowed customers to see how their emails would look on different devices and email clients.
- Netflix: Netflix uses interactive emails to promote its original content and encourage customers to engage with the brand. For example, one of their email campaigns included an interactive “choose your own adventure” feature, which allowed customers to select the storyline for an upcoming show.
By using these interactive email plans yourself, you can boost your engagement and foster better connections with your recipients. The key is ensuring your versions are customized, effective, and to the point.
