Deliverability is dead. Long live Marketing!

In the very near future, the shift from internet service providers and mail service providers will be complete, thus ensuring that the process of filtering emails will be far more precise. Building a seamless marketing program that maintains the interest of subscribers will no longer be an option but a rule. The new challenge will be how to implement targeted and appealing programs, and not how to send high volumes of emails. These changes are just around the corner; therefore it is essential to be well prepared. What better way to see the forthcoming norms than pressing the fast-forward button to say, 2020? Here is an overview of the changes that are coming.

ISPs and MSPs will specialize in predicting what their users interests are, making it more challenging for brands to get their emails into the inbox.

A favourable environment has allowed this change in perspective. The combined efforts of States and the different stakeholders in the email industry (Associations, ISPs, MSPs) have brought about a huge decrease in illegal spam.

Such a development has made it likely that all spam will be eliminated by 2020. Instead, ISPs and MSPs will focus on other issues to satisfy their users; especially on the notion of legitimate messages and how to only deliver messages that are expected. To achieve this, the current trend of relying on content filtering, such as the system of tabs set up by Gmail in 2013, would suggest that the future will bring the development and implementation of better tools. The R&D services of ISPs and MSPs are also currently designing predictive algorithms that will identify which messages appeal most to their customers.

In the future, only emails that are wanted will be accepted. The notion of spam as we know it will have disappeared, in line with the predictions of the prospective study ‘Five in Five’ unveiled by IBM in 2011.

Deliverability experts will focus on technology and data intelligence.

ISPs and MSPs are adopting systems that will be based on a behavioural study of their user’s responses to the messages that they receive. Therefore deliverability experts will refocus on creating a more technical routing system that will ensure better deliverability (IP authentication protocols, etc.) They will also become more and more specialized in the field of data intelligence (the development of predictive marketing tools, studies of customer data, etc). In spite of this, the founding values of good deliverability will continue, namely, a respect for the legal framework, for consent and for the way they engage with their users. Experts will also continue to fulfill a monitoring role for their clients and guide them on good practice.

The integration of predictive ISPs and MSPs that can filter their clients messages, alongside the development of an alternative area of expertise, will bring about a radical change and new rules in the area of deliverability.

Prepare now by employing an efficient marketing strategy

In order to tackle the changes that are coming, developing an efficient marketing strategy now is a must and not an option. But what type of marketing works best?-Responsible marketing: brands must never forget that they have competitors who also send communications via email. Behind every e-mail address there is a person. An inbox is like a mailbox, it can quickly become inundated with announcements and promotions. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the amount of emails sent for marketing purposes.

- Bold and innovative marketing: with a particular tone, picture, message and something that differentiates you from your competitors.

- Marketing that is free of standard solutions and 'false good ideas’: our centers of interest are evolving, but this is not necessarily the only criteria to be taken into account. To see a bigger picture, the key is to create ‘intelligent’ data that differentiates your marketing strategy: welcome your new customers and make them want to stay loyal to you, as opposed to continuing to search desperately for new customers. It is especially important to develop your own recipes and adapt existing ones for your business. It is essential that you avoid succumbing to standard email marketing trends by adopting a modus operandi that does not correspond with your own objectives.

-Marketing a marketer: you must go beyond the typical level of research. You must learn to differentiate yourself from your competitors in order to stand out from the crowd.

To conclude, what are the main points to remember?

- Don’t wait too long before jumping on the bandwagon; you need to prepare for change now.

- Choose your partners wisely, a capacity to anticipate and follow your creativity is crucial if not mandatory

- It is a brand’s ability to adapt that will make them successful. Long live agile marketing!