What is Email 2.0?

Email 2.0 is email in the world of social media and mobile. It is delivering what your subscribers want, when they want it, in the formats they use.

These are the differences between Email 1.0 and Email 2.0:

Email 1.0

1. People sign up for “newsletters”
2. There is no bonus or extra benefit for signing up in opt-in box. Websites just ask people for their email address and expect to get subscribers.
3. Email opt-in forms use single opt in
4. There is no segmentation of the email list based on interest, demographics, purchasing behavior or anything else.
5. There is no social media integration.
6. Email messages use static design and rendering.
7. Email messages have lots and lots of copy – all the content of the newsletter is within the email.
8. Subscribers have no control on how often email is received.
9. Email signups come from solely from the website.
10. Email subscribers get no extra information or benefits than anyone else. They just get information sent to their inbox.

Email 2.0

1. People sign up for “messages”.
2. There is a bonus for signing up. For example: 10% off first order or a free report.
3. Email opt-in forms use double opt-in.
4. Email list management uses lots of segmentation. It can be based on demographics, purchase behavior, or interest in topics defined at signup.
5. There is extensive social media integration. For example: Active social buttons are on the top and bottom of every email.
6. Email messages use responsive design or media queries for easy reading on all devices.
7. Email messages have less copy, more images, more teasers, more headlines. The messages are scannable. The goal is to get the click so the user goes to a landing page, where most of the selling/teaching happens.
8. There is an email subscriber preference center to let users control how often and which emails they get.
9. Email signups come from the website, social channels, printed material… they are in every communication from the company.
10. Email subscribers get special discounts, coupons or access to more information than non-subscribers. They’re “in the club”. There is a definite benefit for giving away their email address.

The “Death” of Email 1.0

You have probably heard the clamor about “the death of email”. Take it with a pound of salt. Even old Email 1.0 is still useful, but it is much less effective than it used to be. The marketers earning $40.56 for every dollar spent on email marketing have all shifted into Email 2.0 practices.

On the other side of the argument, “newsletters” are starting to look a bit stale. Traditional email newsletters still work for many organizations, but for retailers, it is time to go way past the newsletter. It is time to start using targeted messages that are segmented, social media enabled and formatted for mobile.

Despite the need to embrace the new practices, many retailers (even ones with sales over $5 million per year) are still using Email 1.0. If they want to compete with the likes of Amazon, it’s time to evolve.