We all hate spam, and we are gradually unsubscribing to the daily deals we once thought would be great to subscribe. We are using email more responsibility, and we give permission to fewer people to email us. And yet, we are stil using email.

How a relatively new technology like Machine Learning can improve an old tech like email? Well, there are some trends:

  • Delivery time: for this particular user, when is it the best time to send this email?
  • Subject lines: what is the best subject I can write to give the person a strong reason to open the email?
  • Content recommendation: what content would be interesting for this person?

These are all great features to have. The problem is they don’t replace an expected and personal email, from a person we know and trust. They are a higher form of spam.

Machine learning techniques were initially used to fight spam, and they did a great job. I believe there is an untapped potential in applying machine learning to improve communication between companies and users.

If you are writing an important email about a new product, it will help to know what are the words and phrases that will engage the most to each person you are writing to.

Leo Celis