With nearly half of marketers (46%, to be exact) using email newsletters, they have become the second most used email form.
We don’t think the number is shocking.
There are a few reasons for the popularity of email newsletters:
- Lets you show off your unique brand personality.
- Nurture direct connections with your subscribers.
- Share helpful content.
- Increase retention.
Dan Oshinsky from Inbox Collective believes newsletters are one of the best tools for building relationships. People love hearing from brands, nonprofits, and individuals they trust. In fact, they expect those updates in their inbox. So, if newsletters aren’t in your marketing strategy yet, well… they should be.
But even then, creating more innovative, personalized, and engaging email newsletter templates requires going the extra mile. And you can cover that extra mile with AMP and email interactivity.
AMP for email newsletters brings different types of interactivity to your email campaigns, which, in turn, enables you to create more engaging content, increase user engagement, and increase time spent within the email.
So, what exactly is AMP for email? How can you use it to create interactive email newsletters your audience can’t ignore? Let’s find out.
What is AMP in Email Marketing?
Guess who has broken the mold of traditional email newsletters?
That’s right—interactive email newsletter design templates have revolutionized email marketing to a totally different level, all thanks to AMP technology.
The AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) in emails allows marketers and developers to create dynamic, interactive experiences within an email. No more extra hoops to jump through and be redirected to the webpage.
This means so much to marketers. With AMP, they can embed forms, have animated image carousels, and include “like” buttons, social polls, and quizzes within their email campaigns.
Why does it matter in the first place?
Interactive email newsletters are much more convenient for subscribers to engage with than traditional, static ones, wherein clicking a CTA button, filling out a form, giving feedback, etc., usually sends you to a website.
AMP eliminates the extra steps.
With AMP to design your email newsletters, you can shorten the marketing and sales funnel by enabling users to take action within the email itself. And the fewer steps it takes, the more likely they are to do it.
Why Interactivity Matters in Email Newsletters
Sending interactive email newsletters instead of static newsletters offers the following advantages:
- You can capture your audience’s attention more effectively.
- You invite more active participation from the user. By enticing them to stay longer, interactive emails drive higher click-through rates and conversions.
- They deliver user-centric, real-time functionality without requiring the recipient to navigate away from the email inbox.
- You find it much easier to encourage subscribers to complete the AMP-based survey and gather valuable data.
- You can take personalization up a notch by integrating dynamic email content that automatically updates in real time.
- They are more appealing and fun to interact with. Period.
5 Simple Ways to Use AMP Technology For Interactive Email Newsletter Design
1) Image carousels
An image carousel transforms static images into smooth slideshows. It lets subscribers navigate visuals directly within the email. With buttons on either side, it’s an interactive way to showcase multiple elements in a compact space.
Plenty of ways to place them in your email newsletters:
- Showcase new products or features.
- Build step-by-step guides.
- Promote offers and discounts.
- Display event highlights in a sleek photo gallery.
- Tell a story through a visual narrative.
2) Live Polls, Quizzes, Surveys, and Ratings
A great way to instantly know subscribers’ preferences without leaving the email. Incorporating them in email increases response rates compared to redirecting to a form.
Plus, you can analyze the result using valuable data points and inform future newsletters.
- Live poll: Track subscriber sentiment, boost engagement, and improve CTR.
- Quizzes: Test subscriber knowledge or gather insights on new products. Make it fun to keep subscribers engaged.
- Surveys: Collect valuable opinions on preferences and satisfaction.
Image Source: Litmus
- Star Ratings: Let subscribers rate products, content, or experiences directly within the email.
3) Accordions
Email newsletters tend to be a bit longer than your average email. And if that content is not organized neatly, it will surely receive cold treatment from your readers.
Enter the accordion.
This nifty interactive feature allows marketers to condense your newsletter into collapsible sections. With a click, users can expand or collapse each section and focus only on what is relevant.
Image Source: Really Good Emails
When to use an accordion in your email newsletter:
- When you’ve got a lot to say about a product and don’t want to overwhelm your reader.
- When your email contains multiple event details, you need to keep it clean and easy to navigate.
- When you share educational content in a more digestible format.
4) Social Proof
Social proof boosts trust and engagement in email newsletters, and AMP technology makes it easier to include. With AMP, you can,
- Embed Instagram or other social feeds to keep subscribers updated.
- Highlight the number of clicks or interactions a product or service has received. Flaunting these numbers provides tangible social proof, indicating desirability.
- Add “like” buttons similar to those on social media. The live counter counts and shows the number of likes for products or content within the email. It also encourages further interaction.
5) Gamification
The most obvious benefit of gamification is adding a dash of unexpected fun to your email newsletters.
Image Source: Stripo
Games are also a tool for deepening customer engagement, encouraging repeat interactions, and, most importantly, making your brand memorable to subscribers.
Here’s how to bring games into your newsletters:
- Luck and Chance Games: Quick, thrilling games like spin-the-wheel or scratch cards.
- Puzzle Games: Engage users with tasks requiring logic and problem-solving tasks.
- Educational Games: Combine learning and fun to share valuable knowledge.
- Discovery Games: Immerse users in exploratory activities like virtual scavenger hunts or mystery revels.
- Creative Games: Let subscribers design something unique related to your brand.
Wrapping Up
AMP-driven interactivity is one of the best ways to jazz up your email newsletters, promote your products, and compel subscribers to take action.
Nonetheless, implementing AMP can be complex. However, with the support of a professional email design agency like Email Uplers, you can definitely simplify the process.
To make interactive email newsletters work for your brand:
- Choose a reliable ESP with AMP support.
- Use intuitive, user-friendly interactive elements.
- Prioritize responsive design and test for compatibility.
