But, as in everything else in life, there are evolutions within systems that that bring them to an optimal state of operation. How will this change occur with email? I took a stab at it…1. One-on-one Dialog : Firstly, I strongly believe in email being more of a dialog than a digitized version of direct mail. And, it’s my belief that after seeing the proliferation of multiple communities on the web; be it social networks or similar interest groups online and understanding the importance of latching on to prospects unobtrusively, email will evolve to a level where a one-on-one sales pitch with a prospect or customer will be a given. Of course, a good back end with strong database management capabilities will be essential.

2. CRM integration : This is key. One of the biggest problems with email management is finding efficient ways to utilize email campaign data. If data points such as a product information request or dealer location request are available, they need to be disseminated instantly to sales, so that these prospects can be communicated with while interest levels are high. CRM solutions like Salesforce.com, Siebel or Sugar which already have email integration will require this kind of advanced tracking in the future to make their offerings more robust.

3. Micro-marketing with automated tools : Consider a email campaign decision tree – After an email blast, if a cluster of customers opened the email and clicked on say a Sony Vaio laptop link and browses the content on the page, I’d want to set up a follow-up email which will be sent to them a week or so later advertising a special on Vaio laptops. Based on the response of that email, I’d want to sent another one to the sub-segment that explored this follow-up email. This way, I’ve segmented my customers based on their interest and will send them emails with content relating to laptops for a while. Only after a couple of months, would I add this segment into the bi-weekly or monthly mailer. So, strong segmentation and the ability to trigger messages based on actions will be essential here.

4. Dynamic content : This is a natural evolution that the web 2.0 landscape where crisp and clean information is presented alongside unobtrusive dynamic content. Why cant the same take place with email? It’s possible that customized messages enhanced with subtle dynamic features embedded in emails will come into play

5. Rich video : I’m a believer that email will go this way but bearish on this about the near future. Inserting videos into emails is tricky and not all folks like it. Internet bandwidth is also a problem though with newer technologies being implemented like Verizon’s FIOS, the bandwidth problem could be overcome. Perhaps one way to drive this cleverly is to bring the customer to a landing page where they can watch a video.

6. Email on Social networks : This could be a big one. While this is said to be the next big thing, I don’t think that Facebook has the same kind of dynamic offering that say a Google email has plus there’s always the issue of storage. Yahoo’s now offering unlimited storage – what that means that the cost of unlimited storage of the web just hit $0. Can Facebook match that?

7. Preview Panel Stats : This is a big one. Hopefully, email in the future will be able to give me preview panel statistics so that I can understand who viewed my message briefly and didn’t think it worthy enough to open it up fully. Seriously, this data will help me recast my message, perhaps tailor a message specifically to this segment so that the impact’s visible in the limited preview pane space.

Caveats : We’re in a situation where emails are not just viewed on PCs or notebooks but hand held devices and the big question is whether some of those devices would be able to handle the enhancements discussed above? In line with #7, will passive views of an email on a hand-held device be tracked efficiently? Definitely something to wonder about. But, we’re progressing so rapidly plus we need to bear in mind that every market is different. The youth market requires different messages and a different mix of the ideas above, ditto with baby boomers, parents, B2Bs etc. That ‘s it for now. till the next post…

However, things have changed. Email Marketing’s now a digitized version of Direct Marketing and even though sophisticated analytics allow you to track lead generation, e-Commerce, newsletter sign ups, contact form fills and landing page visits, click-throughs on an average have declined. Here are my thoughts on how email marketing’s going to transform in the next 10 years.

1. One-on-one Dialogue : Firstly, I strongly believe in email being more of a dialogue than a digitized version of direct mail. And, it’s my belief that after seeing the proliferation of multiple communities on the web; be it social networks or similar interest groups online and understanding the importance of latching on to prospects unobtrusively, email will evolve to a level where a one-on-one sales pitch with a prospect or customer will be a given. Of course, a good back end with strong database management capabilities will be essential.

2. CRM integration : This is key. One of the biggest problems with email management is finding efficient ways to utilize email campaign data. If data points such as a product information request or dealer location request are available, they need to be disseminated instantly to sales, so that these prospects can be communicated with while interest levels are high.

Why Email sends on Wednesday make the most sense

3. Micro-marketing with automated tools : Consider a email campaign decision tree – Suppose I sent out an email like Microcenter, advertising a wide variety of electronic products like PCs, laptops, LCD TVs etc.  After the email blast, if a cluster of customers opened the email and clicked on say a Sony Vaio laptop link and browsed the content on the page, I’d want to set up a follow-up email which will be sent to them a week or so later advertising a special on Vaio laptops. Based on the response of that email, I’d want to sent another one to the sub-segment that explored this follow-up email. This way, I’ve segmented my customers based on their interest and will send them emails with content relating to laptops for a while. Only after a couple of months, would I add this segment into the bi-weekly or monthly mailer. So, strong segmentation and the ability to trigger messages based on actions will be essential here.

4. Dynamic content : This is a natural evolution that the web 2.0 landscape where crisp and clean information is presented alongside unobtrusive dynamic content. Why cant the same take place with email? It’s possible that customized messages enhanced with subtle dynamic features embedded in emails will come into play

5. Rich video : Given the expanded bandwidths on which the Internet is delivered these days, I’m a believer that email will go this way but bearish on this about the near future. Inserting videos into emails is tricky and not all folks like it. Perhaps one way to drive this cleverly is to bring the customer to a landing page where they can watch a video.

6. Email on Social networks : This could be a big one. While this is said to be the next big thing, I don’t think that Facebook has the same kind of dynamic offering that say a Google email has plus there’s always the issue of storage. Yahoo’s now offering unlimited storage – what that means that the cost of unlimited storage of the web just hit $0. when will Facebook match that?

7. Preview Panel Stats : This is a big one. It’s like going to a party and not knowing if the girl you’re interested in has looked at you or just ignored you. Hopefully, email in the future will be able to give me preview panel statistics so that I can understand who viewed my message briefly and didn’t think it worthy enough to open it up fully. Seriously, this data will help me recast my message, perhaps tailor a message specifically to this segment so that the impact’s visible in the limited preview pane space.

Caveats : We’re in a situation where emails are not just viewed on PCs or notebooks but hand held devices and the big question is whether some of those devices would be able to handle the enhancements discussed above? Definitely something to wonder about. But, we’re progressing so rapidly plus we need to bear in mind that every market is different. The youth market requires different messages and a different mix of the ideas above, ditto with baby boomers, parents, B2Bs etc. That ’s it for now. till the next post…”