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videos
Videos in emails can be an effective way to show how your products or services work and add personality to your brand.
The following example from Wistia uses an embedded video in an email.
Source: Really good emails
One caveat with video: it's not supported everywhere. When you add a video to your next email, be sure to include it a good throwback. Wistia's example above uses a thumbnail fallback for unsupported clients.
(Want to learn more? We cover the specifics of Email video here).
Surveys
Polls are a great way to get a quick overview of what your subscribers are Really want. It's a cost-effective opportunity to learn more about your audience while also being an engaging way to add interactivity to your emails.
The following example from Bulk goods uses live surveys to collect real-time interest indicators. As subscribers open and click through, votes are updated. Recipients can revisit the email to view live survey results. Additionally, click data collected from live surveys can be used as additional data points for greater personalization. Win-win!
Source: Litmus' Email Gallery
Add to cart
The Add-to-Cart feature allows subscribers to browse their options before clicking through to make their payment. This eliminates the need to click through to a landing page, resulting in a smoother checkout process.
Below is an example of an add-to-cart email from Google. Subscribers can switch between color choices before adding the product to their cart.
Source: Really good emails
Opportunities and challenges with interactive emails
With the examples above, we've only scratched the surface of the possibilities for interactivity in email. Other types of interactive email elements include:
- Tabbed content
- Hamburger menus
- Hotspots
- quiz
- Anchor tags
- Forms or radio button selection
- Accordions
- Offer reveals
- Review and rate submissions
- Entries in the search bar
With such a wide variety of elements, the future of interactive email looks bright. When we asked our audience on LinkedIn whether or not they use it in their emails, 38% answered “Yes – and we will continue to do so.” The most common answer to the question of whether or not an email marketer has used interactivity was “No, but we plan to try,” with 39% of responses.
Survey on Litmus' LinkedIn
Let’s take a look at what’s holding so many marketers back.
Interactivity can seem intimidating (or frivolous).
Coding an interactive email design can be intimidating. Email service provider (ESP) support for various interactive elements has changed in recent years, which may make designers wary of implementing interactivity.
We suspect that email marketers also view interactivity as a tactic reserved for the largest companies and “best” email developers. It doesn't help that most current examples come from well-known companies. When an email marketer goes to Really Good Emails Examples of interactive emailsthey would see Xfinity, Taco Bell, Adidas, BBC and more. If you look a little closer at examples of well-known names, like this one from the BBC belowYou may find that not all interactivity is overly complex. There aren't many different effects or elements at play in this email.
Source: Really good emails
Some email marketers may also consider interactivity a bit dubious. In email games and quizzes Taco Bell's Christmas MazeThere is an undeniable fun factor.
Source: Really good emails
In the grand scheme of things an email marketing team needs to handle, it may not seem worth learning a new skill for one email per year. Perhaps email interactivity will become more widespread as companies start using different elements in the emails they send regularly.
The end result? Interactive emails don’t have to be scary – and they don’t just have to be used by large companies.
Where should curious email developers start?
The first place for beginner interactive email developers to start is Hover effects. Adding a hover effect to an email element, such as a link or an image, makes the email more appealing and indicates clickability. You can add hover effects to almost every aspect of the email, from text to images to buttons.
Another place to start is email accessibility. An estimated 1.3 billion people live with a visual impairment, and interactive elements like high-contrast toggles ensure every customer can enjoy your emails. In a previous newsletter from us (which you can interact here), our email team adapted Paul Airy's Accessibility Switcher to create a fully interactive email with switchers and hover effects. If you want to try these effects on your own emails, Alice Li will show you how this litmus community post.
Interactivity is common on websites and apps, but this popular design trend isn't yet widespread in email marketing. Some teams have experience with this, but there are still many who are yet to commit. If you've been putting off trying interactivity, you're not alone. Here are some great resources to get you started using interactive elements in your emails:
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
