The newsletter format is not going out of fashion; it remains an effective tool for reaching audiences. What should we pay attention to if we want to maintain engagement and achieve the best possible reach?
Inboxes are becoming increasingly crowded, and service providers are placing greater emphasis on protection. Users spend less and less time deliberating: they decide more quickly what they want and what they don’t. For this reason, personalization and the management of inactivity have already been important, and they will require even more focused attention in the future. Let’s take a look at the trends expected in 2026.
Marketing and Technology Hand in Hand
A brand’s competitive advantage is often determined by whether its technical foundations are in order and how quickly it can respond to reputational damage. As a result, the relationship between marketing and IT (ESP/CRM configurations) will become even closer.
Over the past two years, major providers have clearly set the direction:
- For Gmail, SPF + DKIM + DMARC are required for bulk senders (and recommended for everyone).
- Outlook (Microsoft) announced in 2025 that for high-volume sending (over 5,000 emails per day), SPF/DKIM/DMARC compliance will become mandatory. Non-compliant emails will initially be delivered to the spam folder.
- “One-click unsubscribe” is no longer an extra feature but an expectation.
Brand Logos as Visual Reinforcement
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) appeared some time ago, but many brands have yet to implement it. This simple visual reinforcement increases trust and reduces uncertainty—something that has real value in today’s high level of digital noise.
BIMI typically requires DMARC authentication, and for some providers (especially Gmail), a certified logo (VMC, or in newer approaches, CMC) is also relevant.
AI and Process Optimization
When AI first emerged, it primarily helped with writing subject lines and CTAs. According to forecasts, however, by 2026 the focus will shift more toward process optimization rather than copywriting (content, segmentation, testing, analytics).
What does this mean in practice?
- more conscious segmentation (user behavior, product usage, channel preferences),
- predictive send times,
- automatic A/B variations.
What Will We Measure in 2026?
In newsletter analytics, open rates are becoming a less reliable metric. As a result, analytics will increasingly emphasize clicks, onsite behavior, conversions, and revenue, rather than focusing on a single indicator.
Interactivity
The integration of interactive elements into EDMs will continue to grow stronger in 2026. Quizzes, polls, gamification, and dynamic elements can make newsletters even more engaging. However, AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) support is still not available across all providers, so interactive experiences should be designed with a classic HTML fallback.
Design and UX: Mobile View, Dark Mode, and Accessibility
Dark mode and mobile optimization have already appeared in email design, but by 2026 they will be basic expectations. What is relatively new, however, is accessibility. In the EU, the European Accessibility Act applies to relevant products and services from June 28, 2025. In emails, this is mainly reflected in:
- well-structured (interpretable) HTML,
- appropriate contrast,
- alt texts,
- keyboard- and screen reader–friendly solutions,
- reasonable use of animations.