10 Ways to Lose Your eMail Subscribers

Even with the explosion of social media marketing, email marketing is still a very powerful and effective method of growing your business.

Even with the explosion of social media marketing, email marketing is still a very powerful and effective method of growing your business.  

A study done by ExactTarget shows that 77% of consumers prefer to receive permission-based communication and sales messages by email.  And according to Experian, for every dollar spent on email marketing there is an average return of $44.25.

Building a responsive mailing list can do wonders for your business but there are some misconceptions about email marketing that could cause you to lose your subscribers.

1.  Not Being Consistent – eMail marketing should be regular and consistent.  Don’t send a message “every now and then” and expect to get a response.  You need to send regular updates and information to your readers to show you are reliable.  There are different opinions on how often you should send your emails but consistency is the key.  If you send your messages once a month then be sure to send one every month.  I have unsubscribed to several email lists because the newsletters and/or updates were sent out so inconsistently.  This shows me that the business owner is not committed to his business and therefore would not be committed to his customers.

2. Trying to Sell with Every eMail – Do not insult your readers by trying to sell them something with every message or newsletter you send.  Show your readers that you really want to provide them with helpful information and resources.  Your number one priority should be to build a relationship with your readers and with that, the sales will follow.

3. Not Encouraging Interaction – Building a relationship with your readers involves interaction.  Encourage them to participate by having contests, polls, Q&A, etc.  By engaging and interacting with your subscribers, you will form a bond with them that will do more for your business than the email itself. 

4. Not Sending Mobile-Friendly Messages – More and more people are going mobile these days and you must adapt your marketing to do the same.  According to TopRankBlog, 64% of consumers read their emails on their mobile device.  You need to accommodate your mobile subscribers as well as the standard computer readers.

5. Not Checking Your Message – You need to test your message or newsletter to be sure it is formatted correctly and is readable.  Don’t assume it will look good once sent because it is looking good while creating it.  Send it to yourself and a few others to see what it will actually look like for your readers.  Although your readers will overlook some things, you do not want to send error filled or badly formatted emails.

6. No Contact Info – Building a relationship with your readers is a must but not having your contact info in plain sight is a good way to sabotage your efforts.  Always put your name, business name and info in all your messages.  Let people know who you are.  If you are unwilling to provide your information for your subscribers, it is certainly questionable and could be a death sentence for you and your business.

7. Not Researching and Writing an Effective Subject Line – Don’t use “spammy” words and “hypy” phrases in your subject line.  Keep your subject lines short and to the point.  Words like cash, buy, cheap, free and many others are known spam triggers.  Use words that will get you a higher open rate and fewer unsubscribes as opposed to triggering the spam filters.  For example:  instead of cheap use inexpensive.

8. No Personality – Don’t support the misconception that your newsletters or email messages have to be all business and no play.  Add a little fun, humor and personality.  I have been holding a trivia challenge in my weekly emails for many years and it is one of my readers’ favorite elements of my messages.  It is also a fun and interesting way for me to interact with my subscribers.  NOTE: Be sure none of the humor or fun is offensive or inappropriate. 

9. Not Proofreading Your Messages or Newsletters – Always proofread your work and, if possible, have another person proofread it as well.  It is too easy to miss mistakes reading your own writing.  We all make mistakes as we go through our personal and professional lives but making too many can cause damage.

10. Never Deliver – If you say you are going to offer this or provide that then make sure you do it.  Once you start with false promises and offers, your subscribers will be quick to leave and with good reason.  You certainly cannot expect your readers to stick with you if they cannot rely on you.  Be there for them and make yourself available to answer questions and always deliver!

Some people have said that email marketing is dead but read the statistics and you will see it is alive and kicking.  Start your email marketing now and be sure to follow the guidelines above to connect with and build a responsive email list.