Marketers love using email because of its potential to deliver a consistent ROI. However, many email marketing campaigns fail simply because they take the wrong approach. To improve your chance of success, learn about the following common email marketing and how to avoid them.
1. Failing to Manage Lists
Some email marketing tools charge by the number of addresses that your lists contain. Also, you can get into trouble by sending your newsletter to people who have already opted out. Problems such as these happen when you fail to validate, update and backup your list.
With the passing of time, companies can either close or move, employees change jobs, and consumers change their behavior. On an ongoing basis, update your list as your contacts change. Also, remember to create new backups to avoid headaches when something goes wrong.
2. Sending Mass Email Blasts
Your mailing list contains different types of people who have different needs and preferences. For this reason, they usually respond to different types of messaging. Mass emails ignore those distinctions and produce disappointing results because they only appeal to a portion of your list.
Use your email list management tools to segment your list into groups of people who have similar situations and characteristics. This practice gives you a chance to create personalized experiences that resonate and, therefore, inspire a higher level of engagement.
3. Forgetting to Set Preview Text
Many email clients display a snippet of text after the subject header of a message. This helps users decide whether an email is important. If you forget to define what preview text you want your readers to see, their client will probably display an opening snippet from your message.
For your preview text, use a teaser message that elaborates on your subject that also includes strong action words. Also, keep this part of your email concise because some clients may display only 40 characters or fewer.
4. Not Making Full Use of Available Features
Unfortunately, in the rush to send out messages, some marketers overlook tools that can help them do a better job. Before getting started, learn what features and capabilities your email provider offers so you can take advantage of them as you work.
For example, if you use Outlook and understand how to use its message-real feature, you will know how to react if you send a message that contains errors. If you also use Microsoft Publisher, you can directly access your contact list to create personalized content.
5. Lacking Purpose
With email marketing, you might find yourself sending out emails just to meet a schedule or quota. Avoid making that mistake. Before you hit the “Send” button, make sure your message has a clear purpose.
Before starting work on an email message or campaign, write down what you hope to achieve. Make your goal specific, realistic and measurable. As you create your content, stay focused on your goal to make your message clear and effective.
6. Ignoring Mobile
If you do most of your work on a desktop or laptop computer, you can easily forget that most of your audience will view your work on a mobile device. So, even if you preview your message on your computer, it may not display properly on a smartphone.
Always use a responsive template for your marketing emails, and send a test email before you send it to your list. When you view your message on a small screen and correct any formatting errors before releasing it, you avoid embarrassment and your recipients can enjoy a perfect experience.
7. Being Inconsistent
If you maintain consistency in your email campaigns, your recipients will begin to anticipate and recognize your message. Consequently, you can build a loyal following that will deliver steady long-term results.
On the other hand, if you make the mistake of being inconsistent, your recipients can easily forget about you and your brand. You also give your competitors a chance to grow their businesses at your expense. So, you should create a schedule so you and your audience always know what to expect.
8. Resisting Unsubscribers
You can make a mistake by trying to grow your list by making unsubscribing from it difficult, if not impossible. When this happens, your recipients can develop ill feelings for your brand and report you for violating anti-spam laws.
When people change their mind about receiving messages from you, make it easy for them to opt out. By giving unsubscribers a pleasant experience, you create positive sentiment for your brand. Also, by you free your time to engage recipients who actually want to hear from you.
In summary, email marketing gives you a fantastic opportunity to nurture leads, stay connected with customers, and promote sales. You now know that success in this arena is neither automatic nor guaranteed. By learning about and avoiding the above common mistakes, you can lay a solid foundation for your next email campaign.
