Common Email Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
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Drive results and build a strong foundation for your emails through avoiding the common email marketing mistakes outlined in this new post by Campaigner.
It’s no secret that email is one of the best platforms for high ROI for marketers. But because it’s so well-known and such a popular channel, it can make it challenging to stand out in the inbox.
To help you drive better results, we’ve put together a list of common mistakes marketers make and some tips on what to do instead:
OVER-SENDING
Less is more in the world of email marketing. It can be tempting to want to send as often as you can, especially as an important sales season approach. But this is a mistake. According to this statistic, 26% of respondents unsubscribed because of too many emails. What’s more, your subscribers might even report you as spam if you send too many emails.
What you can do: In the welcome email when they first subscribe, ask them about their communication preferences, and make it easy for them to adjust these at any time. When they have more control, they’ll stay more engaged with your brand.
CROWDED EMAILS
In the process of making your emails look beautiful, it’s easy to get carried away. When you make the design too complicated or over clutter, the messaging can get lost. If you declutter your email, keep it simple and to the point, it will help your subscribers understand it, so they’re able to take the next step.
What you should do: Keep your design and message clear. Focus on one purpose for the email and make sure that the design and messaging support that. You can also use data from previous campaigns to understand what’s worked for you in the past.
LACK OF LIST SEGMENTATION
Email list segmentation is important for several reasons, yet it is often overlooked. But segmentation is a key player in building campaigns that are relevant to subscribers. And thus, more effective.
What you should do: Use your data to create segments. Map out different your different types of customers and create segments that they would fit into so you can create more personalised content.
NO WELCOME EMAIL
Everyone loves a good welcome email. Did you know that 76% of people expect to get a welcome email after they subscribe to a list? They just signed up for your email list, and they are expecting to hear from you. If you don’t send something now, they might forget about you before they hear from you.
What you should do: You must send welcome emails soon after there is a new sign-up. Automation can be your friend, especially since new techniques help you personalize automated emails too. Keep it short, and sweet. You should set expectations in the email, tell them a bit about yourself, or give them a discount.
NOT HAVING A CTA OR HAVING MULTIPLE
You’ve got your subscriber’s attention, what do you want them to do with it? A CTA is a must in any email, it’s how you convert your subscribers. Whether you want them to download a content offer, buy something, or just visit your website, there needs to be a purpose to your email. But there also can’t be too many, as that can confuse the subscriber.
What you should do: Your email needs to have one clear and crisp message that would finally lead to one CTA. The message will prepare the subscriber for the next step, and the CTA should be the means to drive that goal home.
DISREGARD FOR MOBILE OPTIMIZATION
Email is becoming opened more and more on different types of devices, but marketers often overlook that. When they do, the subscriber experience can be a negative one if they are opening on mobile.
What you should do: If you’re using Campaigner, your email will be optimized for mobile automatically. But you should still check when you’re testing on different devices to make sure.
NOT LETTING YOUR USERS REPLY
It can be frustrating for subscribers if they need to reach you and are finding it difficult. Receiving emails from a [email protected] instead of a real person can make your brand seem less approachable and less human.
What you should do: Always use an email address that can be replied to and that includes the business name. Ensure that your message has all the important links, email addresses or phone numbers that can be reached in case the subscriber needs it.
NOT HAVING OR HIDING THE UNSUBSCRIBE LINK
Privacy laws make it mandatory for all businesses to have an unsubscribe link. However, marketers can often make the mistake of hiding the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email or keeping it so small that it almost misses the eye. When subscribers can’t easily see the unsubscribe button, they are more likely to mark the whole email as spam.
What you should do: Place the unsubscribe link at the end of the email but make it clearly visible to all, and make the process simple for them.
Email marketing is thriving and is one of the best ways to get high returns on your marketing efforts. But to make it an effective strategy, you need to ensure that your plan follows good email marketing practices. By avoiding these common email marketing mistakes, you’ll help drive results and build a strong foundation for your emails.
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