This guide breaks them down, shows how they differ, and helps you choose the right approach for your business.

What is cross-channel marketing?

Cross-channel marketing is all about coordination. You still use multiple channels, but now they work together. The goal is to guide customers along a journey, with messaging and campaigns aligned across touchpoints.

• Channels share some data and insights
• Messaging is coordinated across platforms
• You can track how different touchpoints influence behavior

When cross-channel works best:

• You want more cohesive experiences without full omnichannel complexity
• Your audience interacts across a few key channels regularly
• You want to use engagement data to optimize campaigns and personalize interactions

Here’s an example: 

A customer sees an abandoned cart email, then receives a push notification reminding them about the items, with messaging consistent across both.

What is multichannel marketing?

Multichannel marketing means using multiple channels to reach your audience, such as email, social media, your website, mobile apps, and in-store touchpoints.

• Each channel usually operates independently
• Messaging can differ from one channel to another
• The focus is on broad reach rather than a fully seamless experience

When multichannel works best:

• You want to increase visibility across multiple platforms
• Resources or technology are limited for deeper integration
• Your audience interacts on some channels but a completely unified journey isn’t essential

Here’s an example: 

Sending promotional emails, posting on social media, and running paid search campaigns independently, without linking customer data across them.

What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is the gold standard for seamless, fully integrated customer experiences. All channels, online and offline, are connected so your customers can engage with your brand smoothly across touchpoints.

• Channels share a unified customer profile and real-time data
• Messaging, content, and offers are consistent across every interaction
• The focus is customer-centric: anticipating needs and guiding the journey

When omnichannel works best:

• Your business can integrate multiple systems (CRM, ecommerce, POS, analytics)
• You want premium, personalized customer experiences
• You want to understand behavior across the full journey and optimize in real-time

The benefits:

There’s growing consensus that omnichannel, or a well-structured cross-channel strategy, can significantly boost customer satisfaction, retention, engagement, and lifetime value, especially when data and personalization are used.

Here’s an example: 

A customer starts browsing on a mobile app, receives a personalized email with recommendations, purchases online, and picks up in-store, all with a consistent, seamless experience.

Recap of multichannel vs cross-channel vs omnichannel

How to choose the right approach

Picking the right strategy is about what fits your audience, your team, and technology. So, think of these approaches as a spectrum, where each step builds on the previous one:

1. Start with multichannel

• Focus on the channels where your audience is most active
• Keep campaigns simple and separate to avoid stretching resources
• Gather baseline performance data like open rates, clicks, and conversions

2. Move to cross-channel

• Coordinate messaging and timing across key channels
• Use shared data to track customer movement between touchpoints
• Align campaigns to guide audiences along a journey rather than broadcasting messages
• Begin personalizing interactions based on behavior and engagement patterns

3. Evolve to omnichannel

• Integrate systems to create a unified customer view
• Deliver consistent messaging, content, and offers across all touchpoints
• Use insights from the full journey to anticipate needs, automate follow-ups, and optimize campaigns in real time

Some extra tips for choosing your path:

• Map your audience’s most common journeys first. This highlights where coordination or integration has the biggest impact
• Consider your resources and tech stack. Moving straight to omnichannel without the right systems or team can create complexity instead of results
• Treat it as an evolution. Even small steps toward coordination or integration can improve the customer experience

Measuring success

Tracking performance is essential to know if your approach is working and where to improve. Metrics should match your strategy stage. Here’s what that looks like:

1. Multichannel metrics

• Individual channel performance: open rates, clicks, website visits, social engagement
• Conversion tracking: did a message lead to a purchase, sign-up, or other goal?
• Use this to identify which channels are most effective

2. Cross-channel metrics

• Customer movement between channels: are emails driving traffic to your website or app?
• Attribution insights: which touchpoints contribute most to conversions?
• Engagement patterns: see how customers respond when messaging is coordinated across channels
• Use this to refine content, timing, and channel strategy

3. Omnichannel metrics

• Full customer journey tracking: first touch to purchase and beyond
• Retention and lifetime value: see how seamless experiences improve long-term engagement
• Cross-device and offline-online integration: measure impact across all touchpoints
• Customer satisfaction: surveys, net promoter score, and feedback loops
• Use these insights to personalize, automate, and anticipate customer needs

Some extra tips for successful tracking:

• Always start with clear goals. Metrics are only useful if they’re tied to your objectives
• Use combined dashboards to spot patterns and opportunities across channels
• Don’t ignore qualitative feedback. Things like surveys and reviews reveal gaps that numbers alone won’t show

How Dotdigital helps your cross-channel marketing strategy

Here at Dotdigital, we know the importance of implementing comprehensive marketing tools tailored to your business goals and target audience. That’s why we’ve developed an innovative cross-channel platform as an all-in-one solution to help manage your channels.

With the Dotdigital platform, you can:

Connect with your customers on all their favorite channels

Your customers move across channels, so your marketing should too. With Dotdigital, you can reach them seamlessly across email, SMS, social, and more, making every interaction count.

Create seamless customer journeys

Dotdigital’s marketing tools help you send personalized messages to customers through email, text messages, and social media. By enhancing their experience at every stage of their journey, you’ll be able to build stronger relationships and drive engagement.

Supercharge your email marketing

Email is a powerful way to stay in touch with customers who want to hear from your business. Dotdigital’s email builder makes designing eye-catching emails a breeze so that you can grab your customers’ attention and inspire them to take action.

Turn texts into sales

Have you considered using SMS marketing to reach your customers? It’s a quick and effective way to connect with them in real time. With Dotdigital, you can integrate your text messages with other channels like email and social media to increase your chances of making a sale.

Grow, convert, and retain with social media retargeting

Looking to expand your customer base? Dotdigital has got you covered. With Facebook Lead Ads, you can easily acquire new leads and grow your marketing lists. Plus, keep your current customers engaged by showing them targeted ads after they visit your website.

Reduce barriers to purchase with live chat

Forrester says using live chat on your website can increase conversion rates by up to 40%. With Dotdigital’s live chat feature, you can make it easy for customers to get the help they need while also increasing their happiness and likelihood of buying from you. 

Reach customers anywhere with push notifications

Dotdigital helps you stay connected with customers by sending them timely push notifications on their smartphones. These messages remind customers of your business and encourage them to take action, like making a purchase.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right marketing approach is about delivering experiences that your customers actually want:

• Cross-channel keeps your message consistent
• Multichannel gets you seen
• Omnichannel makes every interaction seamless and personal, boosting engagement, loyalty, and lifetime value

Start where you are, learn from your data, and evolve your strategy. Even small improvements in how your channels work together can make a big difference, turning one-off interactions into lasting relationships.

A content calendar helps you plan, organize, and track your content efforts so that you can deliver the right content to your customers at the right time. 

This guide will cover the benefits of using a content marketing calendar and provide a step-by-step process for creating one. Whether you’re an experienced marketer or just starting your content journey, this resource will give you the knowledge to enhance your content strategy.

What is a content calendar?

A content calendar, also known as an editorial calendar, is a strategic planning tool that you can use to schedule and organize your content creation and distribution across various channels. 

Your content calendar serves as a central hub, bringing together the likes of your:

• Social media calendar 
• Blog calendar
• Email marketing schedule

It offers a complete overview of your content strategy, enabling you to synchronize and coordinate various marketing activities across multiple platforms and channels.

Why are content calendars important?

When it comes to improving marketing results, having a solid plan makes all the difference and a content calendar can be your roadmap to success (literally). Let’s take a look at the key benefits of switching to calendarized content, and how it can transform your marketing efforts.

Improved organization

Creating content at the last minute can be chaotic. Planning your content in the form of a calendar helps you avoid stress and last minute rushes. It also allows you to think about all the content you’ll be producing across the month, quarter, or even year in a joined up and connected way. This allows you to create content journeys, rather than ad-hoc one of pieces, which immediately improves searchability and the customer experience. You’ll also have a clear view of what needs to be done and when, allowing for a smoother workflow and the ability to approach each piece of content with intention and purpose.

Increased consistency

Consistency goes hand in hand with engagement. When you stick to a regular publishing schedule your audience knows when to expect new content from you, which keeps them coming back for more. Whether it’s weekly blog posts or daily email updates, a consistent rhythm builds trust and loyalty among your audience.

Better collaboration

A content marketing calendar can also help with cross-team collaboration. When everyone has access to the same calendar, it becomes much easier to align your content strategy. Team members can see what others are working on, share ideas, and coordinate efforts without stepping on each other’s toes. This transparency leads to more cohesive content that reflects your brand’s voice and goals.

Enhanced efficiency

A well-planned content marketing calendar doesn’t just help with organization; it also boosts efficiency. By mapping out your content in advance, you can optimize your resources and avoid wasting time on last-minute tasks. So you can focus on creating high-quality content rather than scrambling to meet deadlines.

Improved SEO

Let’s not forget about the search engines. By strategically planning your content around relevant keywords and topics, you can enhance your SEO efforts. A content calendar allows you to think ahead about how each piece will fit into your overall SEO strategy, helping improve your website’s visibility over time. With thoughtful planning, you’ll not only engage your audience but also attract new visitors through organic search.

How to create a content marketing calendar

Creating a content calendar simply requires a clear process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating an effective calendar.

1. Define your goals

Before getting stuck into the details of your calendar, first clarify your marketing goals. Are you aiming to:

• Increase brand awareness?
• Generate leads?
• Boost engagement? 

Having clear objectives will help you shape your content strategy.

2. Identify your target audience

Next, define your target audience. Who is your content intended for? Understanding audience preferences, challenges, and interests will enable you to customize your content to effectively meet their needs.

3. Conduct keyword research

Keyword research helps you identify the search terms that your target audience is using. This information can be used to optimize your content for search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more organic traffic. This is particularly valuable for blog posts and paid advertising campaigns.

4. Create your content calendar template

Selecting the ideal content calendar tool depends on your team’s size, workflow, and specific needs but you don’t need to overcomplicate it. Many marketers start with simple spreadsheets like Google Sheets or Excel, which are easy to customize and share across teams. If you need more advanced features, consider digital platforms that let you schedule, track, and collaborate in real time.

Or, if you’d like a ready-to-use template and examples of tools that work for different teams, our content marketing plan can help too.

5. Brainstorm content ideas

With your goals, audience, and schedule in place, it’s time to brainstorm content ideas. Gather your team for a brainstorming session or use tools like Google Trends and AnswerThePublic to identify trending topics in your industry.

Consider creating a mix of evergreen content (topics that remain relevant over time) and timely pieces (content related to current events or trends). This variety will keep your audience engaged throughout the year.

6. Determine your content types and channels

Next, decide on the types of content you want to create. Some content types you may want to include are:

• SMS messages
• Email newsletters
• Blog posts
• Videos
• Infographics
• Ebooks
• Webinars
• Social media posts
• Case studies

Also, think about where you’ll distribute this content. Different channels may require different types of content. For example, social channels like Instagram and LinkedIn are more visual than longer form channels like blogs and emails. By outlining both your content types and channels upfront, you can ensure a balanced approach.

7. Map out your content

Now comes the fun part; populating your calendar! Start filling in specific content pieces based on your brainstorming session. Include:

• Publication dates: When will each piece go live?
• Content types: What format will it take?
• Titles or topics: What will you write about?

This is also a good time to assign responsibilities—who will write it? Who will edit it?

8. Establish a posting schedule

How often do you want to publish new content? Setting a posting schedule supports consistency. Consider factors like:

• Your team’s capacity
• Audience preferences (e.g., do they prefer daily updates or weekly deep dives?)
• Industry standards (how often do competitors post?)

Once you have a frequency in mind (e.g., three blog posts per week or two emails a week) you can start mapping out when each piece will go live.

9. Include key details

For each piece of content in your calendar, include essential details such as:

• Target keywords: What keywords are you aiming to rank for?
• Content or email brief: A short outline or description of what the piece will cover.
• Calls-to-action: What action do you want readers to take after engaging with the content?
• Visual assets needed: Will you need images or graphics? Note those down.

These details will help streamline the creation process and ensure everyone knows what’s expected.

10. Build in flexibility

While having a plan is great, it’s equally important to remain adaptable. Leave some open slots in your calendar for timely or reactive content, this way you can jump on trends or address current events as they arise without disrupting your entire schedule.

11. Review and adjust regularly

A content marketing calendar isn’t set in stone; it should evolve as your business needs change. Schedule regular reviews, monthly or quarterly, to assess what’s working and what isn’t. Look at performance data to see which types of content resonate most with your audience and adjust accordingly.

Plan your year with our marketing calendars

Make executing your content strategy even easier with our region-specific marketing calendars.

Choose your edition:

• UK

• USA & Canada

• Australia & New Zealand

• Southeast Asia & Japan

Some common mistakes to avoid

Even the best marketing calendars can hit some bumps. Here are some of the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them:

Skipping audience research:

A content calendar is only as effective as your understanding of your audience. Make sure every piece of content aligns with what your audience cares about.

Overloading your schedule:

More isn’t always better. Don’t cram in every idea at once. Focus on quality and consistency rather than quantity.

Ignoring key dates and events:

Seasonal campaigns, product launches, or industry events can make or break engagement. Missing these opportunities can leave your calendar feeling flat.

Not reviewing performance regularly

Your calendar should evolve with your results. Check what’s working, what’s not, and adjust your plan accordingly.

Neglecting cross-channel coordination:

If your email, social, and blog teams aren’t aligned, your messaging can feel disjointed. Keep everyone in the loop to maximize impact.

Forgetting to plan for flexibility:

Marketing never goes exactly to plan. Leave room for spontaneous campaigns, trending topics, or last-minute updates.

Taking the time to avoid these mistakes can make your content marketing calendar a powerful tool, rather than just a to-do list.

How to use a content calendar to improveyour email marketing strategy

A content calendar can significantly enhance your email marketing strategy by helping you plan, execute, and optimize your campaigns more effectively. Here’s how you can use your content calendar to boost your email marketing efforts:

Plan email campaigns in advance

Utilize your content calendar to schedule regular newsletters, promotional emails, and drip campaigns well in advance. This forward-thinking approach ensures a steady flow of communication with your audience and allows you to align your email content with other marketing initiatives.

Maintain consistent communication

With a content calendar, you can establish and maintain a regular cadence for your email communications. This consistency helps build anticipation among your subscribers and keeps your brand top-of-mind.

Segment your audience

Plan different email streams for various subscriber segments within your calendar. This allows you to tailor content to specific interests, behaviors, or stages in the customer journey, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your emails.

Optimize send times

Make use of your calendar to test different sending times and days. You can utilize Dotdigital’s send-time optimization to determine the ideal time to send, based on your contacts’ past click behavior. It will then schedule individual sends at this time to maximize engagement.

Balance content types

Your content calendar helps you maintain a healthy mix of email content. Plan to mix promotional emails with value-added content like tips, industry news, and exclusive insights. This variety keeps your audience engaged and positions your brand as a valuable resource.

Incorporate seasonal themes

Map out emails around holidays, industry events, or seasonal trends relevant to your audience. Your content calendar allows you to plan these timely campaigns well in advance, ensuring you don’t miss important opportunities to connect with your subscribers.

Schedule A/B tests

Plan regular A/B tests for subject lines, email content, and calls-to-action. You can improve your email performance over time by scheduling these tests in your content calendar.

Coordinate with other marketing efforts

Use your calendar to align your email content with your overall marketing strategy. This ensures that your email messages complement and reinforce content shared across other channels, creating a more cohesive brand experience.

Quick tip

Remember to integrate your email marketing strategy into your content calendar. This will help you create a more strategic, data-driven approach to engaging your audience through email. Planning and coordinating at this level will improve key email marketing metrics, such as higher open rates, improved click-through rates, and ultimately, better conversion rates for your email campaigns.

How Dotdigital enhances your marketing strategy

Here’s how Dotdigital helps you distribute your content across key channels:

Email marketing 

Dotdigital’s email marketing tools allow you to execute your email content strategy seamlessly. You can schedule and automate email campaigns aligned with your content calendar, ensuring timely delivery of newsletters, product updates, and promotional content to your subscribers’ inboxes.

SMS messaging

Extend your reach beyond email with Dotdigital’s SMS capabilities. Integrate SMS messaging into your content calendar to deliver time-sensitive updates, exclusive offers, or reminders directly to your audience’s mobile devices, enhancing engagement and immediacy.

Web personalization

Leverage Dotdigital’s web personalization features to dynamically adjust your website content based on visitor behavior and preferences. This allows you to display tailored content, product recommendations, and offers that align with your overall content strategy, creating a cohesive experience across channels.

Social retargeting

Amplify your content’s impact through Dotdigital’s social retargeting capabilities. Synchronize your social media advertising efforts with your content calendar and retarget website visitors or email subscribers with relevant content on social platforms. 

Cross-channel automation

Dotdigital’s automation features enable you to schedule content across multiple channels. This automation ensures your content reaches your audience at the right time, as planned in your content calendar.

Create your content calendar today

Creating and maintaining a marketing content calendar is a powerful way to streamline your content marketing efforts and achieve better results. Following the steps and strategies outlined in this guide, you can develop a content calendar that keeps your team organized, your content consistent, and your marketing goals on track.

Remember that your content calendar should be a living document, evolving as your business grows and your audience’s needs change. Regularly review and refine your approach to ensure that your content calendar remains an effective tool for driving your marketing success.

With a well-planned content calendar, you’ll be better equipped to create high-quality, strategic content that resonates with your audience and supports your business objectives. So start planning, stay consistent, and watch your content marketing efforts flourish.

Here’s our marketing calendars to help you plan your campaigns

Take the guesswork out of your content planning. Download our region-specific marketing calendars to map out your campaigns month by month:

• UK

• USA & Canada

• Australia & New Zealand

• Southeast Asia & Japan

After investing time into crafting compelling copy and designing a beautiful email, none of it matters if your audience doesn’t open it. The subject line is your first impression, and if it doesn’t spark interest, your campaign risks being ignored.

The good news? There are proven best practices that can help you write email subject lines that consistently drive opens. In this guide, we’ll walk through the techniques that make subject lines irresistible and help your emails stand out in even the busiest inboxes.

But first, why email subject lines matter

Your subject line is the first (and sometimes only) chance to capture attention in a cluttered inbox. It’s the gateway to your email message, deciding whether your message gets opened, bypassed, or deleted. 

With inboxes overflowing and attention spans shortening, a compelling subject line can be the difference between a successful campaign and a missed opportunity.

Think of it as your email’s title: it needs to be relevant and compelling. Whether you’re driving conversions, clicks, or merely staying top-of-mind, your subject line sets the tone and expectation for what’s inside. Get it right, and you’ve already won half the battle.

Best practices for creating email subject lines

We’ve compiled a list of 15 essential best practices and tips to help you create the best possible email subject lines and ensure that your email campaigns stand out.

1. Know your audience

It feels like it goes without saying, but for any marketing campaign to be successful, you need to know your audience. If you don’t know this, then you don’t know how you should be approaching, addressing, and marketing to your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to devise subject lines that work for you. 

2. Personalize but don’t overdo it

If you want to increase your open rate, it’s important to personalize your subject lines. You can grab your reader’s attention by using data fields to pull in information about the customer, like name, location, or other relevant information. 

Additionally, targeting your message to the right audience is crucial. Personalization not only makes customers feel valued and understood, but it also provides useful content that can make their lives easier. In an inbox full of generic messaging, personalization can set your email apart.

But personalization works best when it’s thoughtful and sparing. Overusing tactics like first-name insertion can feel generic or even manipulative, especially now that consumers are more aware of marketing strategies.

Helpful tip:

Instead, focus on targeting the right message to the right audience. When personalization feels natural and delivers genuine value, it builds trust and engagement. Keep it fresh by varying your approach and testing what resonates. 

Here’s a few examples:

• Personal and value: “Josh, your October campaign results are in”
• Timing and context: “Your customers are holiday-ready — are your automations?” 
• Personal: “Thanks for joining us, Josh”

3. Tell your readers what your email is about

Your audience’s time is limited, so clarity is important. Subject lines should clearly communicate the value of opening your email. Be direct; tell readers what they’ll gain, whether it’s access to a new product, an exclusive offer, or helpful content. 

Clear subject lines also build trust. When your emails consistently deliver on what the subject line promises, recipients come to expect relevance and honesty from your brand. That trust leads to higher open rates and stronger engagement over time. 

For example, if you’re launching a new summer product line, state that clearly. Avoid vague or overly clever phrasing that could confuse or mislead.

The following examples are clear and to the point: 

• Our new summer range is here, look and shop now 
• Available now: summer styles 
• Shop our new summer range today 

If anyone opens these emails, they should know exactly what they’re going to see.  

4. Don’t mislead the reader

Following on from the previous tip, you don’t want to mislead your readers, as that can be damaging to your relationship. 

Don’t promise anything in your subject lines that your email doesn’t deliver on. Not only is this disingenuous, but it’s also spammy. If you take this approach your email campaigns will be winging their way to spam folders in no time at all. Either that or your hard-earned subscribers and customers will be searching for that unsubscribe link. 

One misleading tactic that I’m genuinely surprised to be still seeing from brands is the classic ‘RE:’ approach, to make you think it’s a reply to an email that you’ve already sent or received before. It may get you opens, but it also gets deletes, spam reports, and low click-through rates. 

5. Be relevant

Relevancy is key. Whether it’s your email copy or your subject lines, shoppers will only answer your emails if it’s going to benefit them.

Don’t be vague or mysterious. Intriguing subject lines might generate good open rates, but your end goal is click-throughs and conversions. And you’re not going to get those if your email isn’t related to your subject line. In the long run, this could actually be detrimental to your brand. By misleading them, you could erode their fragile trust in you.

Helpful tip:

Keep your subject lines related to your key message. It’ll increase the quality of opens and consequently improve your click-through rate.

6. Keep your subject lines short and snappy

Nearly 50% of all emails are now opened on mobile devices. This brings another issue for you to deal with when writing engaging subject lines for your email marketing campaigns. Smaller screens mean less space to work with. 

With most mobile email clients, you’ll probably only have around four or five words before your subject line is cut off. 

Therefore, it’s important to make your subject line pop in those first four or five words. If you can make a strong subject line in just four or five words (or less) then do it. 

7. Vary email subject line length but keep it clear and concise

Many email clients like Gmail and Yahoo cut subject lines when they’re being viewed by web-based readers. Usually, the cut-off point for this is around the 55-character limit. Mobile inboxes, on the other hand, commonly cut off subject lines at about 30 characters.

To ensure that your subject lines are making an impact, be sure to check your campaign reporting. This will help you identify the device on which your customers are opening. Then, you can plan your email subject lines around this suggested length.

Helpful tip:

Now,this doesn’t mean that you must strictly stick to these character limits. One of the best parts of working on subject lines is the ability to experiment. Don’t think about it as trial and error – think of it as trial and trial and trial until success.

8. Avoid spam words

It’s every email marketer’s nightmare to have their hard word flagged as spam. With billions of emails sent and received every day around the world, it’s increasingly difficult to stand out from spam.

After all the work that goes into creating a fully optimized email marketing campaign, you don’t want to be the one in five that gets caught by the spam filter.

Spam filters are constantly checking for specific triggers that indicate an email might be spam, such as:

• Specific word choice
• Messages in ALL CAPS
• Emails without an unsubscribe button
• Links to unknown or questionable websites
• Colorful, hard to read, and different sized fonts
• Stay away from heavy use of exclamation marks!!!!!!!! 
• Avoid overzealous use of currency signs ($$$$$ or £££££, for example) 

Typically spam filters look for suspicious words or phrases associated with scams, schemes, free gifts, and more.

So, with that in mind, here’s what to avoid:

• Spam words that make exaggerated claims and promises, e.g. #1, 100% satisfied, earn money, free consultation, and satisfaction guaranteed.

• Words that create unnecessary urgency and pressure, e.g. act now, apply now, get started now, please read, while supplies last, and more.

• Spammy words or words that imply shady or unethical behavior, e.g. cancel at any time, no hidden charges, meet singles, etc.

• Words that are considered jargon or typically used in legal documents, e.g. as seen on, bonus, certified, cheap, join millions, this message contains, a quote, and more.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t EVER use these words in your emails. It just means to use these words and phrases responsibly.

Helpful tip: what are the best performing email subject lines?

The best performing email subject lines have included words like ‘reasons’, ‘introducing’, ‘discover’, and ‘recent’. This indicates that customers are looking for content that inspires, such as ‘introducing our new range. They want brands to do more than simply push a product, they want you to sell it.

9. Emojis have their place but use them wisely

Emojis have found their way into almost every aspect of everyday life. Heck, they even made a truly awful movie about them. So, don’t be afraid to give them a whirl in your email marketing campaigns.  

Back in the day, early emoji adopters certainly stood out in their recipients’ inboxes. But slowly marketers have come to realize that these cheeky little icons can help you catch the reader’s eye.  

So, when used effectively, emojis can help your subject lines stand out. Econsultancy summed up its recent research into emoji usage in subject lines, noting that an emoji ‘makes a good subject line better’, or ‘makes a bad subject line worse’. 

So again, you need to ensure that you’re using emojis in the right way for them to be effective. 

It’s important to consider some pros and cons when using emojis in subject lines.  

Some of the pros include:

• They can help your email subject lines stand out. 
• They’re more emotive. 
• You can use them to get a point across without the need for words. 
• Especially useful for mobile. 
• When used properly, they can add context to your email subject lines (again, useful for mobile). 

And some of the cons include:

• Improper use can be detrimental. 
• Inconsistent rendering across mobile devices, platforms, and email clients (a good resource to check the differences is Emojipedia – The ‘grimacing face’ emoji is a great example of how emojis can look very different cross-platform). 
• Some audiences won’t like them (which takes us back to the first tip – know your audience). 
• Irrelevant use can be confusing – is it immediately obvious what the emoji is, and why it’s being used? If the answer to either is no, don’t use it. 
• Some emojis can have multiple meanings, so make sure you understand any and all meanings before you use them.  

10. Tell, don’t sell

Steer clear adding unnecessary descriptive adjectives to your subject lines. Words like ‘amazing’, ‘unbeatable’, and ‘stunning’ actually do very little to convince recipients to open.

Our Global benchmark report revealed that false urgency in subject lines doesn’t perform well. Words that were once considered to inspire action are driving inaction. Especially in retail sectors where the worst performing subject lines included words like:

• ‘exclusive’
• ‘days’ 
• ‘ends’
• ‘save’
• ‘extra’
• ‘last’

Keep it simple and tell readers what they can expect from your email. There’s no need to make grand promises and oversell what is simply a new product launch, event, or mid-season sale.

Once again, this will improve the quality of your opens. When it’s clear to the reader what’s inside you’re giving them more reason to convert.

11. Show some brand personality

Most of the subject lines that lead me to open emails in my inbox are either to the point or have a bit of personality shining through. Adding personality to your subject lines can be a powerful tool in getting recipients to open. 

This tip relies heavily on your brand’s tone of voice:

• Are you a playful brand? 
• Can you be cheeky? 
• Are you a leading authority in your field? 

Your tone of voice is your brand personality, so you must have a clear understanding of it before you start writing your subject lines.  

Even better, if your tone of voice allows you to have some fun with your subject lines, then do it. As long as you keep it relevant, it opens up a world of limitless possibilities for your subject lines.  

12. Ask questions

One of the best ways to get a customer to complete an action is to pique their interest and curiosity. Asking a question in your email subject line is the perfect way to do this. 

For example, if you’re a retailer, it can be as simple as asking whether the recipient wants to see your new collection, or even better, receive a discount on their next order. Or if you’re a B2B business, you can ask a question that is relevant to some content that you’ve produced, as we did with our global benchmark report: 

The reader’s natural curiosity is enough to make them want to click. When they do, it’s up to you to make sure you keep them curious enough to click through the email.

13. Include a call to action (CTA)

You want customers to complete an action. That’s why you’re emailing, so why not be clear about what you want? Positive action verbs are a good option as long as you’re careful not to come across as spammy. Think along the lines of:

• “get yours”
• “discover”
• “save”
• “join us”
• “book today”

If you’re worried about coming across as a spam sender (we’ll be covering how best to avoid this later) then try making key benefits or propositions the CTA in your email subject line. If the key benefit of shopping with you comes from your offer of free shipping, push this in your subject line. If you’re offering student discounts, shout about it to drive opens.

Helpful tip:

Essentially, you should be thinking, “What will drive my readers to convert?” Whatever the answer, try running with it in your email subject line.

14. Overcome writer’s block with artificial intelligence (AI)

To ensure your email subject line is clear, relevant, and engaging enough to convert, you should be writing it last.

After you’ve finalized your email design and written your copy, you’ll know the exact message you’re trying to communicate. With that in mind, deciding what to include in your email subject line will be much easier.

Have a look at our AI playbook to explore the best practices of editing and proofing AI copy.

15. A/B test your subject lines

Perhaps the most important tip of all is to make sure that you’re always testing your subject lines and measuring their performance and impact. 

What worked well for one segment may not work for another, and what worked yesterday may not work today. By A/B split-testing your email campaigns, you can identify what works best and tweak your subject lines accordingly to get the best possible performance from your campaigns. 

Tips on testing your subject lines

Here’s what to consider when testing your subject lines: 

Don’t get caught up in what you think your recipients expect

While, to a certain extent, you do have to predict what your recipients want, that doesn’t mean you know what they’re expecting. Keep them on their toes with your campaigns, and they’ll become more inclined to open your emails. 

Don’t be cautious

Playing it safe is fine if you want to do okay. But most of us want to do better than okay. So that means throwing caution to the wind with your subject lines and stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s okay to brainstorm some really ridiculous subject lines, before scaling them back to something that you are happy with. 

Monitor what works and what doesn’t

Make sure you’re tracking any tests that you’re doing so that it’s easy to look back and see which type of subject lines worked best. Otherwise, you’ll end up not knowing which types of subject lines work best for certain types of campaigns. 

Don’t stick with a subject line that worked once, or worked well two years ago

While it may be easy to stick to the old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, this doesn’t really work with email subject lines. While you may want to stick to a certain formula if you’re sending regular, consistent email campaigns, you should also consider that recipients will get used to seeing the same types of subject lines. In time, they could become blind or oblivious to them. 

One approach you can use is to ensure that the first part of your subject line identifies the type of email you’re sending, before specifying the content it contains. 

Let’s take an email example

Let’s say you send a monthly newsletter to your subscribers, but all you do is change the month. So, your subject line looks like this: 

May Newsletter

It’s not the most inspiring or eye-catching subject line that you can use here, is it? This is where emojis can be useful. You can add context to them, and over time your recipients will begin to associate that emoji with a certain campaign. Seeing as we’re talking about a newsletter campaign, let’s use the newspaper emoji. 

Then you also add a callout to some specific content that’s included in your newsletter. This will make the subject line different every time, while still being clear about its contents. Put these elements together, and you end up with a subject line that looks like this: 

May Newsletter: email tips, cookie update, and features

Sure, it’s a lot longer, and the full subject line will likely be truncated on some displays, but it’s better. By using an emoji and adding clear information about what the email contains, it’s already more appealing to the recipient.  

Key metrics to track and measure success

While a high open rate might feel like a win, understanding how well your subject lines are really performing means looking at a few key numbers. These metrics offer deeper insights into whether your compelling headlines are actually leading to engagement and results. 

Here’s what you should be tracking:

• Open rate: This is the percentage of people who opened your email out of everyone it was sent to. It’s the first indicator of how well your subject line grabbed attention.

• Click-through rate(CTR): This shows the percentage of recipients who clicked on a link within your email after it was delivered. It tells you if your subject line led to further engagement with your content.

• Click-to-open rate(CTOR): This metric looks at the percentage of people who clicked a link out of those who actually opened your email. It helps you understand how relevant your content was to those your subject line attracted.

• Conversion rate: This tracks the percentage of recipients who completed a desired action (like a purchase or sign-up) after clicking through from your email. It’s a key indicator of whether your subject lines are driving business goals.

• Unsubscribe rate: This is the percentage of recipients who opted out of your email list after receiving a particular campaign. A sudden spike could indicate issues with your subject line or content.

• Spam complaint rate: This critical metric shows the percentage of recipients who marked your email as spam. High rates can damage your sender reputation.

Now you know how to write email subject lines

By experimenting with these subject line tips and analyzing your audience’s response, you can identify what resonates best with them. Remember to keep it concise, intriguing, and relevant to the content of your email. 

Dive into our guide, “Don’t be a copywronger”, and uncover expert tips for creating irresistible subject lines and competitive campaign copywriting.

Both are essential, both are demanding, and all too often, one comes at the expense of the other.

It’s no surprise that so many teams feel stretched thin, especially when you consider that 1 in 10 marketers is the sole marketer in their business. With limited time and resources, balancing creativity with the growing demands of data-driven marketing can feel like an impossible task.

So how do you deliver measurable ROI without losing the creative spark that makes marketing memorable?

Creativity vs. data

Marketing is about connection. It’s people talking to people, and no machine can fully replicate that. A platform can tell you that someone clicked an email, but it can’t know why. AI can suggest the right send time, but it can’t build a story that makes a customer feel seen and understood.

Creativity, empathy, and storytelling are what make a campaign resonate. It’s what makes a welcome email feel warm, a seasonal promotion spark excitement, or a customer feel valued when they receive a thank you message. These moments are the heart and soul of marketing.

But carving out the space for creativity is easier said than done when you’re juggling reporting, performance metrics, and the sheer operational demand that comes with creating cross-channel marketing journeys.

That’s where technology steps in to lend a helping hand.

• Automation ensures no customer is forgotten
• AI and analytics turn mountains of data into actionable insights
• Cross-channel orchestration helps you meet customers wherever they are, with the consistency they expect

It is important to note that not every marketer sees this as entirely beneficial to them or their team. According to our research in ‘The secret lives of marketing teams’, 13% of marketers fear AI will replace their role within the next 12 months, while 22% say the hype around AI makes it feel like their job could be at risk.

But technology isn’t here to replace your role. It’s here to take the weight of complex data crunching and decision making off your shoulders, giving you the headspace to focus on the things only humans can do. It gives you the room to be creative.

The pressure to find a balance

There’s often a disconnect between creative ambitions and leadership expectations.  ‘The secret lives of marketing teams’  report found that while engagement is the top metric most marketing teams track, senior leaders emphasize profitability and revenue-linked outcomes. Junior marketers focus on brand awareness and social media, while leaders cite generating more qualified leads, followed by profitability, as their top priority.

This tug-of-war is one reason marketing feels like an increasingly data-driven discipline. But customer expectations are also changing the game. Customers want personalized, frictionless experiences, and delivering that requires mastering customer data, automation, and cross-channel journeys. Without the right tools and support, it’s an overwhelming ask.

That leaves marketers in a Catch-22. Creative, people-led initiatives often get deprioritized unless they can prove measurable impact. Yet, if you lean too heavily on technology, campaigns end up feeling robotic and disengaging. Rely only on people, and the workload quickly becomes unsustainable.

The answer lies in finding balance where creativity and data complement one another. Technology handles the heavy lifting and simplifies complexity, while you and your team bring the strategy, creativity, and human insight.

5 steps to help balance creativity and data-driven marketing

1. Acknowledge the challenge

First, it’s okay to admit it’s tough. Many marketers feel the strain of competing priorities: the need to be both an artist and an analyst, a storyteller and a data scientist. You’re not imagining it; marketing today really does ask you to wear all these hats.

And while 49% of marketers say they balance data and creativity, only 26% lean toward creativity, with senior leaders much more likely to favor data-driven decisions.

Recognizing the struggle is the first step. The solution isn’t to choose one side. It’s to create a system where creativity and data feed into each other instead of fighting one another.

2. Use data to power your creativity

Data doesn’t have to stifle creativity; it should fuel it. Customer insights about behavior, preferences, and timing give you the foundations to design campaigns that truly resonate.

• Use segmentation to ensure your creative hits the right audience
• Let performance data guide experimentation, not limit it
• Lean on AI to uncover opportunities you might miss on your own

When you use data to understand your customers, your creative ideas will land with more precision and impact.

3. Automate the complicated stuff

Too often, marketers lose hours wrestling with workflows and reporting instead of focusing on strategy or creative work. Automation changes that.

• Automate repetitive journeys like welcome or re-engagement campaigns
• Use cross-channel automation to design seamless experiences across channels
• Let AI flag your most valuable or at-risk customers and build segments automatically

This frees up your time and mental space, giving you the freedom to think big and create something special.

4. Add a human touch every step of the way

Technology makes execution possible, but you bring campaigns to life. Empathy, creativity, and context can’t be automated. That’s why balance also means ensuring you have space to add a human touch and tweak your brand voice.

Regularly review campaign performance not just by the numbers, but through the lens of customer sentiment. Ask yourself, “Does this still feel human?” This is especially important when using AI for content generation. The best results come when people refine, contextualize, and inject brand voice into AI-generated outputs.

5. Partner for success

Finding balance doesn’t have to be something you tackle alone. Choosing the right tools is only half the battle; ensuring you have the right skills and support to use them to their full potential is just as important. That’s where your technology partner should step up.

At Dotdigital, we see every customer not just as a user of our platform, but as a partner. We’re a platform powered by people, committed to giving you the knowledge, confidence, and guidance you need to get the very best out of your marketing.

With 40% of marketers admitting they aren’t using their tools to their full potential, it’s our responsibility to help close that gap. That’s why we have dedicated teams and resources designed to empower you every step of the way.

Here’s how we help:

• Customer Success Managers to guide you through best practices
• The Dotdigital Academy offers courses and certifications to upskill your team
• Training programs to build your confidence and skills on the platform
• Creative services to ensure your campaigns don’t just work, but truly stand out
• Strategy consultancy to connect everyday activity with long-term business outcomes

Finding your balance

Creative and data-driven marketing can both be achieved if you’re ready to embrace new ways of working. By letting data fuel your creativity, using automation to strip away complexity, and keeping human insight at the center, you can build campaigns that both inspire and deliver measurable results.

And with Dotdigital’s people and platform, you don’t have to choose between creativity and data; you can have both, working in harmony.

We dug deep into the secret lives of marketing teams to identify the trends, tools, and tactics that are shaping the final stretch of the year. This isn’t about copying the competition, it’s about outsmarting them.

Step 1: Lock in your campaign and content calendar

Before you get stuck into specific tactics, think about the bigger picture. Summer is almost over and the final quarter of the year is packed with marketing potential.

Actions:

• Build campaigns around these dates now and start sending at least two weeks ahead of each key date so you can include multiple touch points across multiple channels
• Focus on an email plan first for general updates and countdown/coming soon messaging to warm your audience up for the launch of campaigns and promotions. (39% of marketers say email platforms are one tool they can’t live without, and 65.9% of consumers are happy to share their email address with brands) then bring in WhatsApp and SMS messaging for more personalized in-the-moment contact when the time is right and the content is relevant
• Don’t just sell. Educate, entertain, and build trust with content that shows your audience who you are as a brand. If you’re running promotional campaigns around the above dates and holidays, create some supporting behind the scenes and culture content on the same theme for your socials too. Check out Dotdigital’s LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram for some inspiration

Step 2: Work smarter with AI – while keeping the human touch

AI is now so prominent in the marketing industry that 80% of marketers believe their organization would replace human employees with AI tools if they could, and 13% of marketers fear they could be replaced by AI within the next 12 months.

While the fear itself is very real, the practicalities of replacing marketers with AI tools are still a long way off in most areas. And there is no denying that AI can quickly and easily help us better understand audience wants and needs, create first drafts of some content pieces, and give us a kick up the creativity when coffee alone isn’t doing the trick. But all of this is still completely reliant on a talented human marketer knowing exactly what to ask the AI in the first place and how to fact check, edit, and refine the results.

We’ve put together a handy AI checklist to help you create the perfect AI prompt and editing process for refining AI-generated copy in your brand tone of voice.

Actions:

• Use AI to help with content outlines, audience insights, and quick testing. All of which falls in the category of enhancing marketing capabilities and doesn’t even come close to replacing them
• Keep a human and on-brand tone of voice at the front and center of all your copy and creatives. Some good questions to ask yourself as an authenticity test are:
  When I read this out loud does it sound like a normal conversation, or a sales pitch? If it’s the later – it needs another edit
  Are there and words or sentences in here that I would never use? If yes, it’s time for some switching
• If you’re in a senior role, talk openly with junior staff abut the realities of AI within marketing. Confidence trickles down and we don’t have to believe everything the tech-bros are saying on LinkedIn!

Our AI playbook has lots more advice and tips.

Step 3: Double down on email (and no, we’re not bias, we love all marketing channels equally)

Email is thriving. Especially when it’s personal, automated, and relevant. The more relevant you make your email messaging, the more frequently your audience will be happy to hear from you.

Our 2025 Global Benchmark Report revealed that November is the busiest month for email sends, up 22% compared to October. The holiday season is big business and what were once region-specific holidays, such as China’s Singles’ Day and America’s Black Friday, are now celebrated around the globe. With inboxes busier than ever, segmentation, personalization, and compelling subject lines are essential.

Action:

• Segment like a pro. Don’t just batch and blast, tweak and tailor for each audience group
• Use email to build anticipation for holiday campaigns, adding in personalized images, videos, product recommendations based on previous buyer behavior, personal coupons and discount codes
• Create a preference center that allows your audience to opt of campaigns that are focused on holidays they may not celebrate or feel sensitive about – and then think about what communication you can send the ‘opted out’ cohort instead
• Use AI to help with subject line writing and testing, but always review and edit where needed to retain heart and authenticity

Step 4: Build real relationships on your social channels

37% of Gen Z marketers told us that social media is their top priority for the next 12 months. And from an audience perspective you’ll find every generation hanging out on at least one social platform from Facebook (Baby Boomers, Gen X and elder millennials) to Instagram (Millennials and elder Gen Zs) to TikTok (younger millennials and GenZ) and of course LinkedIn, for basically anyone with a corporate-ish job. Social media platforms are the perfect place to build brand trust. And where your audience decides if they like you enough to buy from you.

Action:

• Show up consistently. Not just with promos, but with personality
• Use TikTok shops and Instagram reels to showcase products in action
• Engage. Reply. Be human. Social is a two-way street
• Work with social media influencers (our friends at Social Snowball can help with this if you work with Shopify) and lean in to user generated content (UGC) for reviews and product recommendations
  

Step 5: Balance data and creativity

49% of marketers say they value data and creativity equally when it comes to making marketing decisions. If you want to get more granular, Gen Z marketers lean slightly more toward the creative, and Gen X leans toward data. Ultimately – you need both. But you already know that!

Action:

• Use data to guide decisions, not dictate them. If you understand your audience well enough to know that your amazing campaign idea will resonate with them, it’s absolutely worth trying it – even if you don’t have the data to prove you should. Marketing instinct and experience is a form of data in itself
• Let creative ideas lead, then validate with performance metrics. Especially if your department is measured on ROI, ROAS, or sales. These are the numbers the wider business will want to see
• Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis, apply the TIMITI tactic. Try it, measure it, tweak it – then try it again!

Step 6: Fix what’s broken (tools, data, collaboration)

We won’t sugarcoat this, we’ll let the survey results do the talking:

• 16% of marketers say they don’t have the right tools to do their job well
• Only 14% of marketers say they have no issues with data
• According to the majority of marketing teams – IT, HR, and finance are the hardest departments to work with. Yet these are the teams who are often responsible for, or influencers of, marketing headcount, budget and tech. Oh dear.

Action:

• Audit your tech-stack. Make a list of what tools you have, what tools you’re using, what tools you’re using well, and how much its all costing. Is anything slowing you down that you could replace or simplify? Does the team need training to make better use of what’s in place? Are you happy with all your providers?
• Get your data house in order before Cyber Week. Chat with your IT team about what migrating to new platforms could look like if your current ones aren’t doing what you need. Openly share the data challenges you’re facing and see if other business functions can help. People want to feel valued, heard, and given the opportunity to share their expertise, this might be all it takes to solve that blocker that’s been in your way for months
• Build bridges with tricky teams. Ask for one small win, even if that’s just a meeting to start the discussion. Offer something back in return. Then build from there
  

Step 7: Prioritize your brand

Brand awareness is the #1 priority for marketers over the next 12 months. And for good reason. Performance marketing is great, but costs are continuously getting higher (especially across Meta platforms) and the channel is getting more saturated every day. Brand campaigns build trust, loyalty, and long-term growth. And they no longer have to break the bank.

Action:

• Invest in video. It’s the most engaging format across platforms. Investing doesn’t always require more budget, it could just mean freeing up a team member to do a training course or letting your social media manager experiment with new formats
• Use generative engine optimization (GEO) to make your brand discoverable in AI-powered search. This requires structuring some landing pages in an ‘answer first’ format and think about structuring content in a way that aligns with AI search queries
• Tell stories. Real ones. From real people. And don’t be shy about showing off your team and your company culture. People buy from brands they like – and they recommend brands they love!

Final thought: stay positive – you’ve got this!

83% of marketers believe they’ll hit their goals this year. That’s not blind hope, it’s confidence backed by action and planning. You’ve got the tools (or you know what’s missing), the insights, and the drive. So take this plan, tweak it for your team, and absolutely smash the rest of 2025.

More like a gathering of minds than a typical seminar, the session explored topics like practical goal setting, what it means to be bold with your email strategy, and how relevant messages can inspire customer loyalty. Read on to find out our top takeaways from the day.

Be SMART about your GROWTH

Have you heard of the GROWTH framework? The GROWTH framework is a super scalable approach to planning and executing your marketing activities. You can use it for everything from top-level strategy to single-run campaigns because it helps you stay focused, data-driven, and agile. Here’s how…

What is the GROWTH framework?

GROWTH stands for:

• Goals: Without clear goals, you can’t measure success. Setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals will increase focus and accountability
• Reason: Understanding the ‘why’ keeps you focused on the customer needs and business value
• Observe: Review your current efforts to prevent duplication and reveal opportunities for optimization
• Work the plan: Execution without a plan leads to inefficiency, creating a clear roadmap keeps you on track
• Test and learn: Experimentation drives innovation and continuous improvement, so never be afraid to try something new
• Hone and optimize: Regularly refine and adapt your plan for long-term success and better ROI

The power of SMART objectives

Businesses that plan their marketing efforts are 538% more likely to achieve their objectives – but only if marketers have clear goals. SMART objectives like “increase newsletter sign-ups by 15% within the next quarter” will produce better results than simply aiming to “improve engagement.”

To turn objectives into results, marketers should embrace a culture of testing and continuous improvement. Every campaign is an opportunity to learn. Try these top testing tips:

• Test one variable at a time
• Set a clear goal or objective
• Define your success metrics before launching
• Use (Dotdigital) testing tools to help
• Document everything you learn, even if it fails

For more on smarter testing, check out our guide on the A/B/Cs of split testing.

Be brave enough to try something new: Insights from The Royal Ballet School

Maddy Carroll, Audience and Insights Executive at The Royal Ballet School, shared how she used automation to take her email strategy to new heights. Here‘s her story: 

Starting with a blank canvas

Maddy joined the marketing team at The Royal Ballet School shortly after the brand onboarded with Dotdigital. As a result, she inherited something of a “blank canvas” – there were no automations, messy mailing lists, or outdated segments to work her way through. Seeing this as an opportunity instead of a setback, Maddy decided to make the most of her untouched customer data.

Building a foundation for growth

1. Segmentation and integration
   Maddy’s first move was to segment her audiences according to location and interests, and connect Dotdigital to the school’s ecommerce platform. This helped her to track interactions like donations, purchases, and class sign-ups and use that data to inform her campaigns. 

2. Automations that free up time
   With insights into customer interactions, Maddy was able to build automations based on recent engagements and purchase behavior. This freed up her one-person team to focus on high-impact initiatives and creative outreach.

3. Testing, learning, and evolving
   Automation is a great place to test and experiment with your email strategy. When you start small, you can monitor results as customers flow through. If there is an issue, a typo, or a broken journey branch, the program can be paused and issues resolved quickly. As Maddy explains, “it never feels like a big risk.” 

Top advice for marketers

Maddy’s top piece of advice was simple: “Be really brave and don’t hold yourself back.” Do your research, prepare thoroughly, and take the leap to experiment with automation. Agility is key, especially for small or one-person teams. A willingness to adapt and try new approaches can lead to seriously good results.

What customers really want from your brand

The loyalty divide report found that while 78% of consumers feel brands are personalizing their marketing well, only 23% find those messages relevant. Your audience wants more authenticity and relevancy from their favorite brands. Here’s how you can close that gap:

1. Segment and personalize across channels

Email remains the top choice for 61% of consumers, but other channels are gaining ground. Gen Z is more open to push notifications, while Millennials are 34% more likely to engage on messaging apps like WhatsApp – segment and target customers to reach each group on the channels they prefer.

2. Choose the right rewards

Points-based programs and cashback are super popular, but Gen Z and Millennials also value gifts and freebies. Free shipping and birthday discounts are also top drivers of loyalty, so take the time to discover what your customers really want.

3. Identify your brand loyalists

The report revealed that brand loyalists – those are your most dedicated repeat customers – are often women, over 40 years old, who like receiving freebies, birthday rewards, and free shipping. Engaging this audience consistently with value-driven content will see them flourish and grow.

By taking the time to get to know your audience and adapting your approach, you’ll inspire deeper loyalty and keep customers coming back.

Discover hidden gems inside Dotdigital

Even if you’ve been using Dotdigital for years, there are always a few features that slip under the radar. But these sweet little hidden gems can make a big difference to the success of your marketing campaigns. These are some of the standout tools and tricks shared at our event:

1. Personalize without preferences

You don’t always need a full preference profile. Use link groups and campaign tags to target customers based on recent actions, like grouping all donation links to spot interested subscribers, or tagging campaigns to easily identify engaged audiences. This makes segmentation simple, even with limited data.

2. Prevent personalization fails

Avoid awkward “Hi {First_Name}” moments with dynamic content blocks. These let you personalize messages when you have the data (like “Hi Jenna”) and skip it when you don’t, so every customer gets a seamless experience.

3. Manage links even after they’re sent

Never panic over a broken link again. Dotdigital’s link manager lets you update campaign links even after sending, and highlights which URLs are valid or invalid, so you can fix issues before customers notice.

4. Easy image editing in-house

You can resize, filter, and add alt text to images right inside the platform using our image manager, saving you a trip to external editors. Plus, when you add alt text in the image manager, it updates the alt text for that image everywhere. 

5. Streamline cross-channel campaign creation

Creating cross-channel campaigns doesn’t have to add to your day-to-day workload if you use AI to convert your emails into SMS campaigns. With WinstonAI, you can create an SMS based on your top-performing email campaigns with just the click of a button.

The good news is that these features aren’t really hidden. They’re right on hand to help you manage and optimize your campaigns every day. With these tools, it’s easier than ever to personalize your campaigns, manage your content with confidence, and reach customers across multiple channels.

That’s a wrap

The best marketing results come from staying curious and keeping your audience at the heart of every decision. The stories, strategies, and practical tips shared at our event show that even small changes, like refining your segmentation or testing a new channel, can spark big wins. Good marketing isn’t about ticking boxes or following trends. It’s about real connections, creative thinking, and having the confidence to try something new.

So, keep experimenting, keep learning, and, most importantly, keep it connecting. Because when marketers share successes and learnings with other marketers, that’s when the magic happens.

This echoes the findings of our latest consumer research report, The loyalty divide. We polled 3,000 consumers to ask what drives loyalty, and charity donations came out as a low motivator for both Gen Z and Millennials.

As economic uncertainty continues, with many households looking for ways to cut outgoings, it’s naturally a tough time for non-profit marketers. Coupled with a generational attitude shift, this could be a real problem for charities. Charity marketers have to make waves with the younger generations sooner rather than later. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the reasons for this shift alongside advice and strategies for marketers to combat this. These strategies will help drive support among the younger generations, which is essential for long-term sustainability and growth. 

Why are Gen Z and Millennials disillusioned with charities? 

The obvious and simplest answer to why these generations are donating less is that they have less disposable income. The headlines around younger people increasingly struggling to get on the property ladder or be able to afford raising a family are plenty. That avocado toast really adds up you know. 

But really, we live in a time of economic uncertainty and most people are tightening up their budgets – especially those at the start of their career and without the security of owning a home. So it’s finances, end of right? Not quite. Data shows that those with less tend to give more in relative terms. Studies show poorer communities donate a higher proportion of their income to charity than the wealthy, with one study finding 2.2% vs 0.5% respectively. So it can’t simply be finances driving the decline.  

If we put finances aside, attitudes must be at least partly driving this shift. One theory here is that the younger generations are more sceptical. Having grown up in the age of the internet, younger generations are naturally more cautious about believing information off the bat.

A cultural moment 

Charity Link found that 12% of people who don’t donate said it’s simply because they do not trust charities. You have to wonder if huge cultural movements like Kony 2012, named one of the most viral videos of all time by the New York Times, have changed how online-first generations see charity organizations. The Kony 2012 movement was a huge shift in how charitable causes could be shown to potential supporters, allowing unfiltered footage to be shown to the masses. There was a huge swell of support, with celebrities like Bill Gates and Rihanna sharing the video. 

The attention quickly changed course as people began asking questions about the charity behind the video. People were critical of the way the charity spent its money, and began to raise concerns about the ethical impacts of such a campaign. The founder then had a public breakdown, covered by TMZ, and this became the main story – the perceived flaws and untrustworthiness of the charity behind the video, instead of the importance of the cause. This blog isn’t here to debate that one incident, but it was certainly a cultural moment in how Millennials at least viewed and trusted charities and was an important shift the role of social media for charities. 

This was the start of social media activism, or ‘slacktivism’. ‘Slacktivism’ is coined by Merriam Webster as ‘the practice of conspicuously showing support for a cause (as by posting on social media or hanging a flag or sign) without taking any real steps to effect change’. The term is generally derisive, and its usage is controversial. 

Despite its shaky start, social media is a very powerful tool for charity marketers. When it’s used correctly, social media can boost awareness, support, donations, and drive policy change too. 

The importance of visibility 

Another consideration is that people like to know their money is making a definite impact. This is true for all generations, and younger generations are used to being able to find information easily. 

Thanks to the internet, there is now an ability to see the public accounts of charitable organizations, such as running costs and CEO salaries. When these costs are high, supporters can feel like their donation is lining the pockets of office workers rather than directly helping the people in need. 

Charity marketers need to show supporters exactly how their support is helping in order to maintain momentum. This also ties into the lack of trust, by showing your audience the clear impact their support is having, you can alleviate those concerns. 

So, we’ve discussed what could be causing this disconnect. Now let’s look at four strategies charity marketers can take to bridge that gap, encourage donations, and create loyalty.  

4 tactics to boost support with younger generations 

1. Use loyalty program tactics 

Our loyalty report showed that customers are less motivated by charity rewards in ecommerce loyalty programs. However, what we did find is that across all generations and regions, loyalty programs were a favored loyalty driver. And loyalty means revenue, or in this case, donations. 

While you may initially think loyalty programs are for ecommerce, there are ways to apply the formula to charities. No one is going to expect money off or cashback from a donation, but there are low to no-cost ways to gamify and reward supporters. 

One of the best examples of this is the UK’s NHS blood donation reward scheme, where donors are given pin badges to mark milestone donation amounts. This scheme rewards donators and encourages advocacy by allowing supporters to show their support in everyday life by wearing the badge proudly. 

Ways to gamify support include:

• Setting clear, achievable goals. This taps into Gen Z’s love for purpose-driven action. Whether it’s raising £1,000 for a local shelter or planting 10,000 trees, goals give young donors a tangible outcome to rally behind. Break these down into milestones to create a sense of progression and achievement, much like levels in a game.
• Progress tracking. Visual progress bars, countdowns, or interactive maps showing how many people have signed a petition or donated from different regions can make participation feel dynamic and impactful. It makes support not just about donating, but builds community by showcasing being a part of a growing movement. This also encourages repeat engagement, as users return to see how their contribution is helping the cause move forward.
• Shareable Badges. Recognition matters as it boosts feelings of satisfaction and makes your supporters feel good. Making this recognition easily shareable spreads awareness among peer groups, especially among younger audiences, boosting visibility and growing your organic reach. Create digital rewards for different types of support, such as donation or fundraising milestones, volunteering hours, or completing a challenge. 

2. Use mobile-first marketing channels

It’s a bit of a trope that young people are glued to their phones, but it’s true, and actually, the data shows we all are. The global screen time average sits somewhere between six and seven hours per day, depending on the study. So, mobile-first marketing is going to boost your reach to the more disengaged generations, such as Gen Z and Millennials, and still benefit your overall audience strategy. 

Mobile-first marketing centers on the channels that are just for mobile devices. So we’re talking: SMS, MMS, push notifications, and WhatsApp. 

Ways to tap into mobile-first marketing: 

• Make your cause visible. Use rich media marketing channels like multimedia messaging service (MMS), and WhatsApp to share photos and videos. Sharing real-life evidence of your cause and the impact your organization is making is a great way to add trust, evoke emotion, and drive support.
• Start the conversation. Use these channels to hold two-way conversations such as sharing thank you messages, answering queries, or sharing relevant information around events. We dive into this more and share examples of winning WhatsApp campaigns in our WhatsApp playbook. 
• Make donation simple. Another, more practical consideration is to make sure your donation journeys are mobile-first. A fast, card-based checkout and the ability to create one-click repeat donations are essential for supporters with limited time or short attention spans. 

3. Generational tap-in 

We’ve just discussed how the younger generations are on their mobile phones more, and a lot of that screen time is being spent on social media. A strong social media strategy is essential for engaging Gen Z and Millennials. 

For a social-first digital strategy, you need to build a presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook where users are active daily. 

Ways to use social media for good: 

• Embrace social shares. Turn the negative connotation around ‘slacktivism’ on its head and tap into the value that social shares can bring. Fun challenges can reach a huge audience, without costing you a cent. A great example of this is the ALS ice bucket challenge which went viral in 2014 and is now being revamped in 2025. Some supporters won’t have the disposable income to donate regularly, or at all, but might have a large audience made up of people who do have the means to support financially.
• Build trust and motivation. Your social channels should be educational, informative, and engaging. A balance of what you need and what you’re already doing will keep supporters motivated. Supporters need to trust your organization, and the best way to build trust is with transparency and proof. This can be created by showcasing the impact your work is having.  
• Keep your audience updated. People want to feel their money is making a difference. Updates using real stories and images whenever possible builds trust and clearly demonstrates progress to supporters. This in turn, creates the proof and sense of satisfaction supporters often need to feel like their money is making a difference. 
• Partner with suitable influencers. Another way you can grow on social media is to tap into existing audiences by working with social-media influencers that your audience already know and trust. Partnering with influencers can be a mutually beneficial move that doesn’t come at a cost. 

4. Adapt to reflect the mood and economy 

As much as finances aren’t the only reason for a decline in donations, it is certainly a big part of the picture. By pivoting to reflect the current economy, you can show your audience that you understand them and appreciate any way they can help, from volunteering to smaller donations. 

By finding and outlining alternative routes for support that aren’t financial, you can keep the supporter engaged and motivated. Throughout different periods of life, people will find themselves time-rich and asset-poor, or vice-versa, so a strategy that covers all angles will drive long-term loyalty and support. 

Ways to reflect different financial situations: 

• Highlight the impact of even seemingly small donations. Run a campaign that shows the value of different amounts and makes the impact tangible, such as $5 will provide nappies for a baby in need. 
• Create personalized messaging. Of course, not everyone’s financial situation is the same. Use segmentation to tailor your messages to suit all of your supporters. If you do run a campaign about small donation amounts, you’d naturally want to filter out your regular, high donors and instead serve them messaging that reflects their donation level.
• Offer alternative ways to support. As well as promoting smaller donation amounts, be sure to offer clear routes to support that don’t cost a cent. Share options that vary in commitment and effort, for example sharing a social post or signing an online petition takes a lot less effort than running a marathon to get sponsorship donations. 

Final thoughts

Ultimately, everyone is different and there are lots of reasons why someone donates regularly or doesn’t. Millennials are the biggest generation in the United States, with Gen Z close behind in second place. It’s crucial that marketers adopt these strategies to engage this audience and build loyalty among the younger generations for long-term support that is robust in the face of economic shifts.  

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a global brand, this guide breaks down each option’s features, benefits, and limitations to help you pick the perfect fit for your customer mobile messaging strategy. Let’s dive in.

What is WhatsApp Messenger?

WhatsApp Messenger is the original application that started it all. Launched in 2009, it was created with a single purpose: to provide simple, reliable, and free communication between individuals worldwide, using only an internet connection. It quickly became the preferred app for connecting with friends and family and chatting in small groups.

Some key features of WhatsApp Messenger are: 

One-on-one and group chats

This feature allows you to engage in text conversations. You can create groups for family discussions, event planning with friends, or managing interactions within small communities.

Voice and video calls

Make free, high-quality calls over the internet, saving you from hefty phone bills when connecting globally.

Media sharing 

Share photos, videos, documents, voice notes, or contacts to make conversations vibrant. For example, you can send a quick video of your vacation to your group chat.

Status updates 

You can share temporary updates—such as text, photos, videos, or GIFs—that disappear after 24 hours (similar to Instagram Stories). This feature provides a simple way to share moments from your day with selected contacts, similar to the stories feature on early social media platforms.

End-to-end encryption for privacy

With default end-to-end encryption, your messages and calls are secured so only you and your recipient can access them, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind.

Can you use WhatsApp Messenger for business?

It’s not recommended to use WhatsApp Messenger as a business tool. While some micro-businesses or freelancers use WhatsApp Messenger to chat with clients, it’s not designed for professional use. Here’s why:

• No business tools: Lacks profiles, product catalogs, or automation to showcase your brand professionally
• Privacy risks: Mixing personal and business contacts can lead to accidental data sharing or privacy breaches
• Unprofessional image: Customers expect a professional and distinct communication channel from businesses, not a personal chat experience
• No analytics: You can’t track message delivery, read receipts, or engagement, leaving you in the dark about customer interactions

How to get started with WhatsApp Messenger

Getting started with WhatsApp Messenger is a breeze:

1. Download the app: Available for free on iOS, Android, or desktop via the App Store, Google Play, or WhatsApp’s website.
2. Set up your profile: Verify your phone number and add a name and photo.
3. Start chatting: Connect with contacts who have WhatsApp installed or invite others to join.

What is the WhatsApp Business App?

Running a small business and looking for a free, easy way to manage customer conversations? The WhatsApp Business App is specifically designed for you. Aimed at small businesses, startups, and solo entrepreneurs, this free app helps you connect one-on-one with customers, build trust, and improve interactions throughout their journey. It’s a step up from the personal Messenger app, offering dedicated business tools.

Some key features of the WhatsApp Business App are: 

Business profile

You can create a virtual storefront with helpful information for your customers like your logo, business description, email address, website, and location.

Catalog

Showcase your products and services directly within the app. You can create a mobile storefront with product images, descriptions, and prices, allowing customers to browse and inquire about items easily.

Quick replies

This feature allows you to create shortcuts to save and reuse messages you frequently send, saving time on repetitive inquiries.

Automated messages

You can set up welcome messages for first-time contacts or away messages when you’re unable to respond.

Manage customer relationships

Easily interact with customers while saving time and energy, using tools to automate, sort and quickly respond to messages.

Labels for organization

You have the option to organize chats and filter information with labels. This allows you to quickly find and respond to messages and manage conversations.

Broadcast lists

Send announcements or promotions to multiple customers at once (up to 256 contacts per list). Note: Recipients must have your number saved to receive broadcasts.

Basic analytics

Gain simple insights into your messaging, such as how many messages were sent, delivered, and read.

How businesses use the WhatsApp Business App

From local cafes to online sole traders, the WhatsApp Business App enables more personalized customer interactions:

• Processing orders: Accept orders, confirm bookings, and send updates directly via chat. A local bakery, for instance, can share its menu (via the Catalog) and confirm custom cake orders.
• Providing customer support: Answer product queries, provide details, and resolve issues quickly and directly.
• Sharing updates: Announce new arrivals, promotions, or events using broadcast lists (within the contact limit).
• Gathering feedback: Easily request reviews or testimonials in ongoing chat threads.

Limitations of the WhatsApp Business App

Single device

The app is fundamentally tied to one phone number and designed for use by a single individual. While you can link a few companion devices via WhatsApp web and desktop, it’s not built for multiple team members to collaboratively manage conversations under the same number. 

Limited automation

The automation features are limited to simple welcome and away messages. It does not support more advanced workflows, chatbots, or integration with external systems for triggered messaging.

Not suitable for high volume 

The manual management of conversations, combined with the lack of advanced automation, makes the app less suitable for businesses experiencing a high volume of customer interactions.

Limited broadcast capabilities 

Broadcast lists are capped at 256 contacts, which makes it challenging to send marketing or informational messages to larger customer segments.

How to get started with the WhatsApp Business App

To get started with the WhatsApp Business App, follow these steps:

1. Download the app:  It’s free on iOS or Android from the App Store or Google Play. Make sure you download the business version.
2. Set up your Business Profile: Add your business name, logo, contact details, and a compelling description to create a professional online presence.
3. Explore features: Populate your Catalog, set up Quick Replies, and activate welcome/away messages.
4. Engage customers: Let your customers know you’re on WhatsApp Business and start messaging contacts who have saved your number.

What is the WhatsApp Business Platform?

The WhatsApp Business Platform (formerly WhatsApp API) is the go-to solution for medium to large businesses needing robust, scalable communication tools. Unlike the Business App, it’s not a standalone app but an API that integrates with your existing systems—like CRMs, customer support platforms, or WhatsApp marketing software. This makes it ideal for automating high-volume messaging and delivering personalized customer experiences.

Key benefits and capabilities of the WhatsApp Business Platform include:

Scalability

Handle thousands of messages daily and support multiple team members at the same time, ideal for large customer bases.

Rich message formats

Go beyond text with rich media like images, videos, PDFs, and crucially, interactive message types with call-to-action or quick-reply buttons (e.g., “Track Your Order,” “View Details,” “Yes/No”). 

Integration capabilities

Seamlessly connect WhatsApp with your existing CRM, helpdesk software, e-commerce platforms, and marketing automation tools.

Customizable automation

Build sophisticated chatbots to handle FAQs, qualify leads, or process simple transactions. Trigger automated messages based on customer actions or data in your CRM (e.g., abandoned cart reminders, shipping notifications, appointment confirmations). Integrate with WhatsApp marketing software for campaigns.

How to get started with the WhatsApp Business Platform

Setting up the WhatsApp Business Platform can be complicated and often needs some technical know-how. Most businesses collaborate with an official WhatsApp business solution provider (BSP), like Dotdigital, to help them through the process. Here are the main steps involved:

• Verify your business with Facebook (Meta)
• Create a WhatsApp Business Account
• Connect the API using the BSP’s platform or your own system
• Get message templates approved by WhatsApp

Costs vary based on factors like how many messages you send, the type of messages (whether they are started by users or by your business) and your location. 

While there is some upfront investment needed, the advantages in terms of better efficiency, happier customers, and new ways to communicate can be significant, especially for businesses that deal with many messages or have complex needs. 

The setup time can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on how prepared you are and how you plan to integrate it.

Which solution is right for you?

Choosing the right WhatsApp solution depends on your business size, messaging needs, and technical resources. Here’s a quick checklist to guide your decision:

WhatsApp Messenger:

• Ideal for personal communication with friends and family
• Not recommended for business due to privacy risks, lack of tools, and unprofessional appearance

Best for: To plan a family event, not to manage customer orders.

WhatsApp Business App:

• Perfect for small businesses or solo operators with moderate messaging needs
• Offers professional tools like Catalogs and Quick Replies but limited to one device and basic automation

Best for: A local bakery uses it to share menus and confirm orders.

WhatsApp Business Platform: 

• Best for medium to large businesses with high-volume messaging and complex workflows.
• Supports multiple agents, advanced automation, and integrations, but requires technical setup and investment.

Best for: An ecommerce brand using it for automated order updates and customer support.

Decision checklist

• Do you need a free solution? Choose the Business App or Messenger (personal use only)
• Do you handle high message volumes? Opt for the Business Platform
• Need integrations with CRM or support tools? The Platform is your best bet
• Are you a small team with limited tech resources? Start with the Business App

Ready to connect with customers effectively on WhatsApp?

Choosing the right WhatsApp solution is really important for improving how you communicate with your customers. 

If you’re a small business, the free WhatsApp Business App is perfect for having direct conversations. However, if you want to grow, automate your messages, and connect WhatsApp with other tools, you’ll need the WhatsApp Business Platform.

This is where Dotdigital comes in. We’re experts at helping businesses like yours get the most from WhatsApp. We provide the tools and guidance for a smooth setup. We make sure your team can easily handle many messages and build smart automation that keeps customers happy and engaged.

Don’t miss the chance to connect with customers on one of the world’s top messaging platforms.

Marketers are increasingly exploring WhatsApp for marketing, and for good reason. I’m Przemek Szustak, Product Manager at Dotdigital, and I’m here to share my insights on why you should integrate WhatsApp messaging into your marketing strategy.

Why WhatsApp is a game-changer for mobile messaging

You don’t need to go to conferences to learn about how WhatsApp is used, you need to speak to the people around you. You probably know that most people use it to talk to family and friends, and it’s been that way since the channel was invented.

In more recent times, businesses have started using the channel too – changing the way consumers interact with brands. Initially, it was used to provide fast and personal customer support. This quickly caught the attention of marketers, and interest in the channel is rising quickly, and for good reason too.

Part of our daily lives

People are already using the app regularly – 33 minutes a day on average, in fact. It’s quite likely your WhatsApp message will sit at the top of someone’s empty inbox rather than being swallowed up. It’s a great way to stand out.

Global reach

WhatsApp is truly global app. End users of WhatsApp can communicate with people all over the world for free. That’s probably why it continues to gain popularity. Marketers who adopted WhatsApp early did so because they wanted new ways to communicate with international audiences. That’s why we see marketers in industries like travel, finance, and insurance using the channel most because they need to send messages to their audience wherever they are.

Strong engagement rates

When you receive a WhatsApp message, you likely check it promptly, right? The same applies to your audience. Since WhatsApp is commonly used for personal conversations with friends and family, it naturally captures attention.

The great thing about sending messages on WhatsApp is that they are much more likely to be seen. We’re talking about significantly higher open rates compared to your average email.

But it doesn’t stop there—people are also more likely to engage with the message, whether it’s clicking a link or replying. It feels more like a one-on-one conversation, which naturally leads to higher engagement.

WhatsApp x Dotdigital

WhatsApp is the fastest growing messaging app worldwide. It’s in our DNA to empower marketers to use channels that help them speak to their audience exactly where they’re at. If so many of us are using WhatsApp, we want our customers to get their messages seen there. Simple. And whilst there are plenty of channels out there for marketers to experiment with, WhatsApp has a degree of maturity that others don’t have just yet.

Why marketers should use WhatsApp for growth

Well, besides its global scalability and familiarity, early adopters of WhatsApp with Dotdigital have seen campaign performance dramatically improve. There’s a much higher chance of getting your message seen in a customer’s app compared to an email, and that’s reflected in its incredible open rates (over 90%). Also, the UI of WhatsApp messages just looks great. Swap hyperlinks for call-to-action buttons, and add visual media to bring your brand to life.

But most of all, the entry barrier to adopting WhatsApp in your cross-channel strategy is really, really low. It’s easy to get set up with Meta, and we’ve made it easy in Dotdigital, too. In fact, it’s just as easy to send a WhatsApp as it is to send an email.

How marketing teams can fit WhatsApp into their cross-channel strategy

Email is still king, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. However, your marketing strategy will be supplemented by adding in a channel like WhatsApp. It brings a wealth of different strengths to the table, like its personal feeling and how easy it is to inspire action. 

Since it’s not yet widely adopted by marketers, becoming an early adopter of WhatsApp gives you the opportunity to stand out from the competition. When you have a truly diverse channel strategy, you can be confident you’re meeting your audience exactly where they want to be met. 

If you’re looking for step-by-step advice on adding WhatsApp to your marketing strategy, be sure to read our WhatsApp Playbook. 

Who thrives with WhatsApp marketing

Of course, I’ve already mentioned how international businesses benefit from WhatsApp since it’s such a widely used channel globally. It’s also great if you have a really strong visual brand that resonates, or you want to showcase your new products in a place where your customers are engaged.

WhatsApp supports rich media formats, including images, videos, and GIFs, allowing businesses to create engaging and visually appealing content. This is perfect for showcasing products, sharing promotional content, or telling a visual story.

The channel benefits many industries. A great example of this is non-profits using visual media to bring their causes to life. Similarly, travel companies use showreels of their top beach holidays to excite holidaymakers about summer getaways.

Above all, it’s for marketers who want to build real connections with their audience, no matter the industry. We’re making it more accessible for our customers to connect with their audience on a more 1:1 basis. Conversations are what it is all about.

How Dotdigital customers are using WhatsApp for marketing

One of our early adopters has seen an impressive 46X ROI in their very first campaign with WhatsApp, which speaks volumes about how effective the channel can be. Our preview showed universally high deliverability and open rates for all customers. This shows the new benefits of this channel and its potential to benefit marketers across all industries.

The future of WhatsApp

I’ve been championing WhatsApp for quite some time now, but the statistics are promising. WhatsApp is forecasted to grow exponentially as a marketing channel. We may even see WhatsApp overtake traditional communication channels one day, making now the ideal time for early adopters to embrace this powerful platform. With WhatsApp’s potential, you can position your business as innovative and forward-thinking in the marketing landscape.

What’s more, Meta is constantly investing in WhatsApp, and it’s constantly evolving. If you think back to when you first downloaded the app, compared to now, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s changed a lot. 

Meta has also made it cheaper to send WhatsApp messages. In the last year alone, the cost of messages in the UK has halved. As Meta continues to make WhatsApp the next big thing for marketers, we can expect great functionality and competitive pricing.

Final thoughts

WhatsApp offers brands a unique opportunity to connect with customers in a space they already trust and use daily. Integrating WhatsApp into your marketing mix is not just about keeping up with trends—it’s about meeting your audience where they are and building genuine, one-to-one connections. With Dotdigital making it easier than ever to get started, now is the perfect time to experiment, innovate, and set your brand apart before the competition catches up.

1. Personalized experiences

Today’s audience expects a personalized experience, and brands that fail to deliver will be left behind. This isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a fundamental expectation driving purchasing decisions. The projected impact is significant: personalized content is forecast to boost ecommerce sales by a staggering 40% by 2028. This underscores the crucial role of personalization in driving revenue growth.

Personalization at scale means using data, machine learning, and sophisticated targeting to create content that resonates with each individual on a personal level. It’s about understanding your audience’s needs, preferences, and behaviors, and then tailoring your content to meet those specific demands. This goes beyond simply inserting a name into an email; it’s about creating dynamic, interactive experiences that feel custom-made.

Here’s how personalization is improving customer experiences: 

Product recommendations

Imagine product suggestions so relevant they feel like they were hand-picked just for you. AI-powered systems analyze a wealth of data, including browsing history, purchase patterns, real-time interactions, and even contextual information like current trends, weather in the customer’s location, and social media activity, to provide incredibly precise product recommendations.

For instance, a clothing retailer might recommend items not only based on your previous purchases but also by considering current fashion trends, the weather in your area, and even products you’ve shown interest in on social media.

Dynamic content experiences

Websites and apps are becoming increasingly adaptive, responding in real-time to each visitor’s unique profile. The content, layout, and even calls to action change dynamically based on user demographics, previous interactions, and the current context. A returning customer might see personalized promotions and product suggestions, while a first-time visitor is presented with content aimed at educating them and establishing trust.

Personalized email marketing

Email campaigns have evolved beyond simple segmentation. Dotdigital’s Winston AI can analyze large amounts of data to create highly personalized email content, including subject lines, body text, and special offers. This approach maximizes open rates and click-through rates. Imagine receiving an email triggered by a specific action you took on a website, offering a discount on a product you were considering.

Interactive content

Interactive tools like quizzes, polls, and assessments gather valuable insights into user preferences, enabling the creation of even more personalized experiences. A financial services company, for example, could offer a personalized retirement planning tool that takes into account a user’s age, income, risk tolerance, and financial goals.

Chatbots and AI assistants

These tools provide personalized customer support and guidance, answering questions and offering tailored recommendations based on individual needs. Imagine a chatbot on a travel website helping you plan a trip, offering personalized recommendations for flights, hotels, and activities based on your budget and interests.

The key to a successful personalization strategy is the responsible use of data. Our recent Hitting the Mark report found that only 40% of brands have a preference center, which represents a significant missed opportunity. 

A strong personalization strategy relies heavily on a well-designed preference center. Preference centers help users specify their preferences across various areas, including their favorite communication channel, desired messaging frequency, and specific interests.

2. The rise in employee-generated content (EGC)

Let’s be honest, we all know user-generated content (UGC) is a big deal. People trust authenticity, and a huge 79% of us say that UGC sways our buying decisions. Customers want to see real experiences from real people, not just polished ads.

But this year, we’re taking things a step further with employee-generated content (EGC). Think about it: instead of just your customers sharing their experiences, you can use your own team as storytellers and content creators. That’s a powerful way to connect with your audience on a whole new level.

And guess what? The stats back it up. A massive 93% of marketers believe UGC (including EGC) is more trustworthy than anything a brand creates itself. In a world that’s hungry for authenticity, EGC makes your brand feel human, relatable, and real.

Take a look at brands like Refy, Sheerluxe, and Mejuri. The brands are nailing EGC by using platforms like TikTok to showcase a more spontaneous and authentic side. From office outfit checks to “get to know the team” videos, the brands are offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the people who make the magic happen. Often, the content has nothing to do with the actual product, and that’s the point. It’s about building genuine connections and showing the human side of the brand.

Now, if you’re in the B2B space, LinkedIn is the place for EGC to shine. It’s not just about posting job openings or sharing company news anymore. With over 800 million users (and growing), LinkedIn offers a massive audience of professionals hungry for authentic insights. Think about it: your employees are experts in their fields.

Encourage them to share their perspectives on industry trends, discuss challenges and solutions, or even offer quick tips and tricks related to your product or service. For example, a sales team member could share a short video on how they use your software to solve a common client problem. This type of authentic, helpful content builds credibility, strengthens your brand’s reputation, and positions your employees as thought leaders.

Bottom line? EGC isn’t just a trend; it’s a must-have. People want to hear from the people behind the brand. And who better to share those authentic stories than your own team? By giving your employees a platform to share their unique perspectives and experiences, you’re tapping into a goldmine of engaging, trustworthy content that truly resonates.

3. Combining human and AI-generated content

Let’s face it: content creation can be challenging. However, what if you could boost your content production by combining the best of both worlds? This is becoming a reality with the rise of AI-powered content creation. AI tools can produce content up to ten times faster than humans, helping you save valuable time. 42% of businesses are already using AI to cut costs. Imagine what you could achieve with that extra time and budget.

An impressive 69% of marketers are already using AI to help them create content, and an even more impressive 72% report seeing better results. This isn’t just about saving time; it’s about creating higher-performing content that resonates with your audience.

By using AI, you can focus on crafting high-quality content that provides value to customers while also meeting Google’s E-E-A-T quality rating criteria. This helps improve search rankings and increases the chances of appearing in essential AI-generated summaries.

The future of content creation isn’t about choosing between humans or AI; it’s about using the capabilities of both. AI can take care of the heavy lifting by providing a foundation of high-quality, on-brand content at scale. 

Then, you can add a creative touch: emotion, insight, and the unique perspectives that only humans can provide. This collaboration results in captivating content that leaves a lasting impression on your audience. It’s not a competition between humans and AI; it’s a partnership that creates content greater than the sum of its parts.

4. The importance of video content

An impressive 92% of internet users watch videos online every week. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a transformation in how we consume content. People are no longer just scrolling; they are actively watching, engaging, and connecting through video on a massive scale.

What’s even more striking is that 84% of marketers believe video content is essential to their marketing strategies. Why is that? Because video has a unique ability to tell stories, evoke emotions, and forge genuine connections with audiences in ways that text and images cannot.

The financial benefits are significant as well. Brands incorporating video content experience almost 50% more growth. It’s evident that video content not only enhances engagement, but also significantly improves conversion rates.

But it’s not just about the numbers. Video is the key to cutting through the noise and building deep connections with your audience. Whether through short-form social media videos, immersive virtual experiences, or captivating long-form storytelling, video presents limitless opportunities for creativity and engagement.

Consider platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. These are not merely social media channels; they are storytelling platforms where brands can showcase authenticity, creativity, and truly connect with their audience. A 30-second video can achieve what a thousand-word blog post cannot: it can create an immediate, emotional connection.

Looking to the future, 44% of marketers are incorporating AI into their content production. This powerful combination promises to revolutionize content creation by increasing both efficiency and creative potential, paving the way for personalized and highly engaging video experiences.

Video content embodies authenticity, creativity, and human connection. It’s less about hard-selling and more about crafting resonant, inspiring stories that captivate and genuinely engage your audience.

5. Sustainable and ethical content

Today’s shoppers are not just buying products; they’re investing in values. As environmental and social consciousness grows, your content must reflect a genuine commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. 

It’s no longer enough to simply say you care; you must demonstrate it through your actions and your content. Whether it’s showcasing your brand’s eco-friendly initiatives, amplifying the stories of your diverse team, or advocating for important social causes, your content must authentically reflect a dedication to making a positive impact.

Customers are increasingly demanding transparency and ethical behavior from the brands they support. 66% of shoppers are now looking for eco-friendly brands. This powerful trend is driving brands to create content that goes beyond mere marketing and truly highlights their sustainability efforts and ethical practices. It’s about building trust and demonstrating accountability.

Here’s how to effectively integrate sustainability and ethical considerations into your content strategy:

Show, don’t just tell

Instead of simply stating your commitment to sustainability, showcase concrete examples of your initiatives. Share stories about your eco-friendly manufacturing processes, highlight your use of recycled materials, or detail your efforts to reduce your carbon footprint. Visual content, like videos and infographics, can be particularly impactful in showing your commitment.

Amplify diverse voices

Highlight the stories of your diverse team members. Share their perspectives, experiences, and contributions to your company. This not only demonstrates your commitment to diversity and inclusion but also humanizes your brand and makes it more relatable.

Support relevant causes

Advocate for causes that align with your brand values and resonate with your target audience. Partner with non-profit organizations, participate in community initiatives, and create content that raises awareness about important social and environmental issues. However, ensure that your support is genuine and not just a marketing ploy. Consumers can easily spot “greenwashing” or performative activism.

Be transparent and authentic

Transparency is key to building trust. Be open and honest about your sustainability challenges and the steps you’re taking to address them. Admit when you’re not perfect and be transparent about your supply chain and manufacturing processes. Authenticity is paramount.

Engage in meaningful conversations

Don’t just broadcast your message; engage in conversations with your audience. Ask for feedback, answer questions, and address concerns about your sustainability and ethical practices. This two-way communication builds stronger relationships with your audience.

Refine your content strategy for a successful 2025

As we look to the rest of 2025, it’s clear that the content marketing landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, becoming more dynamic and sophisticated. The five trends we’ve discussed highlight a significant shift in how brands create and distribute content. By keeping up with these trends and adapting your strategies, you can stay ahead of the curve, connect more deeply with your audience, and drive meaningful engagement.