10 Common Email Marketing Mistakes

 

Email marketing can be an effective tool in your marketing arsenal, as long as you’re making good use of it. But if you make some common email marketing mistakes, your email efforts may not be as effective as they could be. Here are 10 common email marketing mistakes that businesses make, and how to avoid them.

1. Not personalizing your emails

Don't send emails without taking the time to personalize them. Doing so will not only annoy your subscribers, but it'll also leave a lot of people uninterested and they may opt out as a result. Sending personalized emails has been shown to increase click-through rates by up to 10%. 

The most cost-effective way of doing this is by using software that incorporates user information, such as name and interests, into marketing campaigns. It's also imperative that you craft an effective subject line if you want your messages read at all. 

If your email starts with hey, thanks, or anything generic like that, then chances are slim it'll be opened. Remember: All email recipients are different! Try to tailor what you're sending out based on who you're sending it to.

The next biggest mistake people make when sending out their emails is not optimizing for mobile devices - more than half of all email recipients now use smartphones and tablets, which means that having a mobile friendly design can greatly impact how many people open your message. 

Here are some tips for crafting killer subject lines: 

1) Keep it short:

Your subject line should be concise and to the point. For example, Coupon Alert! or Win $500 are good subjects because they let readers know what they're in for right away. 

2) Be descriptive:

Make sure your headline is descriptive enough that people can easily understand what it pertains to when scrolling through their inboxes. 

3) Have some personality: 

Be creative with your headlines! Headlines like This Is So Cool! or You Can Win A Trip To Mars! work well because they show off personality while still giving readers enough information about what they're in for when opening up the email.

Check out 7 Tips to Improve Your Email Subject Lines

2. Failing to be consistent

It's easy to forget when you're in the middle of sending emails and make mistakes. You have to focus on what you're doing or your emails could go unnoticed by your recipients. 

When you don't have consistency, for example, if one week you send out a weekly update email then don't do it the next week, your audience will see this as careless and not trust that you care about them anymore. 

This can happen if you get distracted, put things off until later, or just feel burnt out and are dragging your feet. If you find yourself falling into these patterns, it's time to take a break and recharge. Set up an automated system where your newsletter is sent at set intervals so that the content is always fresh. 

Another way to stay consistent is by following up with an email from time-to-time. If people know they'll hear from you every few weeks or months, they'll be more inclined to open future messages because they know what they're getting into each time. 

And while some emails need to be ad hoc, like those related to a particular promotion or event, most communications should have a schedule associated with them. That way, there's never a lull between emails.

This doesn't mean that everything needs to come at once though. For instance, you might have a monthly newsletter followed by a quarterly newsletter for special updates or information. The key is being aware of how often you communicate with your contacts and sticking to it!

3. Being all over the place with your branding

Marketing is one of the most difficult parts of running a business. You want your customers to remember you, so how can you expect them to if your marketing looks like a scattered mess? Put your best foot forward and stick with cohesive branding by using similar logos, color schemes, fonts, or text design styles for all of your materials. This creates familiarity with customers and helps make your products feel uniform and connected.

4. Improperly timing your campaigns

Campaigns sent too early and too late can result in your email being ignored by the recipient, who might not have even opened the email when it first arrived.

If your campaign is too close to a major holiday like Christmas or New Year's, chances are that it will be considered a nuisance by many recipients. In this case, it's better if you wait a few days before sending any new campaigns and resume your normal routine as soon as possible after the event has passed. 

On the other hand, if you send out an email on December 2nd but don't start campaigning again until January 1st, then you'll be sending emails all through January with very little or no interaction between any of them. The best practice for timing your campaigns is to time them around holidays and take into account how people respond based on their geographic location. 

For example, you might want to schedule more casual social media posts during Valentine's Day than Mother's Day because people might not want to receive a gift idea from work colleagues for one but would for the other. 

It also pays to think about seasonal changes as well-if you're dealing with customers in a different part of the world where there are four seasons, you may want to consider scheduling emails at the end of each season so they get attention. However, make sure that your messages do still coincide with customer needs. 

An effective way to measure this is to ask yourself is what I'm doing right now making my customers happy? That should always be the goal!

5. Leaving out valuable content

A common mistake that email marketers make is only sending out regular emails with the standard text, a call-to-action, and unsubscribe instructions. 

As email marketing has become more difficult over the years, it's imperative that you stand out from your competition with tailored content for your subscribers. What may have worked 10 years ago may not be as effective today. You can learn more about this here .

Another very common email marketing mistake is simply neglecting your subscriber list and letting contact information fall into disarray.

At the very least, you should update their preferences periodically by sending them an opt-in or new membership form via email or in the body of a message to ask if they want to receive new offers or promotions via e-mail. 

If you haven't done so already, there are numerous ways to manage customer lists through databases like MailChimp or Constant Contact which allow you to import contacts from various sources such as social media platforms like Facebook.

These tools also allow for different types of automation such as sequential messaging so that customers don't get bombarded with repetitive emails. One final suggestion would be to implement an auto-responder sequence for those who sign up on your website but then never open any other messages from you. 

Not only will this ensure that these customers don't end up being inactive, but it will also give them something valuable when they first sign up so they feel welcomed and cared for right off the bat! It's important to keep in mind that these people may decide not to sign up at all because they know how often you'll be sending emails if they subscribe. 

So consider implementing some type of welcome campaign before asking for anything else from them! For instance, include tips and tricks, a how-to guide or even some freebies (like a PDF version of your most popular blog post).

6. Overusing popups and overlays

Overusing popups and overlays, usually as part of a sign-up process, can become more than an annoyance- In some cases they can even deter people from opening your emails. 

If you're constantly having to overshare in order to get someone's attention on the inbox, maybe you need to rethink your strategy and look at other areas you might be able to engage with your subscriber.

Timing out of email sessions - When people are reading your emails, if they don't read them right away or take an extended break in their session before reading the next email, they may click away without knowing that it is going offline after a certain period of time. Make sure to include a notification letting people know that they need to go back and finish reading. 

Not building relationships - It seems like such a no-brainer, but many marketers forget this step all together: not building relationships with their subscribers. When we talk about relationships, we mean exchanging personalized messages with your subscribers throughout the year and not just sending them one email blast for Black Friday sales. Think about what content will make them want to come back for more. And when in doubt...just send more holiday cards! 

Not using images - While a text-only email does help save bandwidth costs, including an image in every email goes much further than saving money. The average person receives 110 emails per day and research shows that those who receive marketing emails with images open the message 65% more often. Images also create more emotional responses, which means higher conversions rates and stronger customer engagement overall. 

Sending too many promotional emails - We've said it before, but we'll say it again: the purpose of your email list is to have quality conversations with those on it--not bombard them continuously with promos so you can shove a sale down their throats once a month or quarter.

7. Sending spammy emails

-Don't send the same email over and over again. Only send your email to those who have signed up, if it is something that they are interested in. It can be seen as annoying if you send the same message to someone that has received it before.

-Ask for feedback. This allows you more insight into how your customers feel about what you are sending them and gives you an opportunity to adapt accordingly with relevant information that may be of interest.

-Keep spamming at bay by implementing a double opt-in policy so only those who sign up receive emails from you in the first place.

-Send content other than just your business offers through emails, such as articles or blogs that are relevant to your industry and make good use of space in your messages. No one wants to read your company's announcements all the time. People will unsubscribe quickly if all they're getting is a bunch of sales pitches every day.

-Personalize each email according to who will be reading it. Make sure the person feels like he/she is receiving a personal message, not just another mass marketing email that gets sent out without any thought put into it.

-Avoid spammy words like Buy or Free. Stick with friendly language like Shop now or Limited time offer. Even simple words like Call can get misconstrued as spam because people automatically associate this word with telemarketers and their never ending attempts at selling you stuff.

8. The importance of subject lines

People receive a huge number of emails in their inboxes everyday. To make yours stand out, it needs a subject line that captures the reader's attention. 

A good email subject line grabs the reader and gets them to open the email because they want to know more. It's your first opportunity in an email to compel the person reading it to read on, so it pays off big time when you get it right! 

The most important element of a good subject-line is knowing your audience and speaking directly with them. For example, if you were sending an email about changes in office hours, then Helpful Updates Regarding Office Hours would be a good subject-line for that content.

When you're unsure what will work best for your readers, send out two different versions of the same email: one version with a specific subject line and one version without one. 

You'll quickly find which is working best for your readers by monitoring which one has higher engagement rates or click-through rates. 

Make sure your message isn't spammy: Nobody likes spam - whether it's junk mail, telemarketing calls, or any kind of unsolicited commercial communication. If people feel like they've been spammed then they won't bother opening future messages from you. 

In fact, some people have even unsubscribed from mailing lists due to too many spammy messages in their inboxes - meaning any future messages from those companies end up in their trash bin before being opened and read!

9. Adding too many links/too much text in your emails.

A common mistake people make is to add too many links or a large amount of text into their email. Yes, it's important for recipients to be able to find the information they need quickly and easily, but including it all in one email will only leave them with a clunky inbox and thousands of unread emails. 

Instead, include a quick link that opens up the whole email in their web browser so they can read it when they're ready. You could also ask your customer if you could send them the full email at another time so they can skim through it more easily. 

The next time you are about to send an email, think about whether this would be an appropriate situation to do either of these things before deciding on sending it as-is. 

It's easy to lose track of what you have sent in the past, but there are plenty of tools out there like 'Send Once' which will remind you not to send an email again unless requested by the recipient. 

In addition, even though we all know how important email marketing is, try not to spend hours glued to your computer writing emails. Make sure you take breaks and stay active with other tasks throughout the day. It'll help you keep a fresh perspective on your content. 

Not segmenting different types of customers.: Another common mistake made is segmenting customers based on their interests rather than using those segments to personalize content. If somebody subscribes to fishing magazines, don't talk about fashion trends! 

That person wants fishing tips and gear reviews; talking about runway shows just doesn't make sense. Segmentation should always be used to customize your content for each group of people who subscribe, rather than having generic messages for everyone who signs up for your list.

10. Targeting the wrong leads.

Mistakes that people make in email marketing happen for a variety of reasons. However, many are related to a lack of understanding and research. The most common error is targeting the wrong leads. 

If you don't know who your customer is and where they hang out, then how can you know what message resonates with them? Spend time getting to know their needs before you start pushing messages at them.

The second most common mistake is assuming that one size fits all: You need an individualized approach when it comes to digital marketing. Take some time to find out more about your leads before sending them anything. 

What do they care about? What have they done on your site recently? A little bit of research goes a long way! The third most common mistake is not taking into account the recipient's interests or expectations: Who doesn't like a good surprise? It feels great to be pleasantly surprised every now and again. 

However, nobody likes opening up an email only to see something completely unexpected that has nothing to do with their interests or expectations. Make sure your emails match up with what recipients expect from you or you risk turning them off from future communications altogether.

The fourth most common mistake is relying solely on content without considering design: Emails should not just be filled with text - this will bore readers very quickly. 

Adding images, buttons, and other design elements will help keep emails interesting so recipients are able to read through them quickly while still retaining key information along the way.

Bonus mistakes email marketers often make:

1) Sending too many emails at once

If you have an important announcement to share, do not just send out a generic email blast. Take the time to craft an individual message tailored to each recipient's needs and wants.

2) Poor copywriting skills

Do not cut corners on writing your emails. They need strong copywriting that grabs attention from the get go and leaves readers wanting more from you.

3) Unengaging visuals

There are plenty of great stock photos available for use in blog posts and newsletters without having to resort to looking on social media or other sources for images. Use these instead to ensure professionalism. 

4) Overloading with links

Keep your message succinct and leave links for further reading off of the main page. It should be clear what the reader needs to do next and they should not be forced into clicking off your site before they are ready. 

5) Generic subject lines

Write subject lines that grab their attention right away and communicate why they should read this email over any others in their inboxes right now.

6) Missing calls to action

At some point during the course of their reading, be sure to give them a prompt as to what you would like them to do next, whether it is making a purchase or providing feedback on something that you shared with them. 

7) Bad timing

If someone is busy or has unsubscribed from your emails, then it is probably not the best time to try and reach out again. Instead, schedule messages when they are likely to have more free time to devote to reading them. 

8) Using all caps

Shortening words or sentences in order to fit everything into one line might seem clever at first glance but can cause problems down the line when things get lost due to truncating the content. 

9) Lack of personalization

Personalizing messages goes beyond adding someone's name into a template before sending it off; personalization includes taking note of details like where someone lives and any customer preferences that might exist such as animal type preferences.

Conclusion

All of these tips should help you avoid some common pitfalls in email marketing. The most important thing is that you keep learning and evolving your skill set, because there's always new stuff coming up that may trip you up if you're not prepared for it. I hope this post has been helpful for those of you who have been considering getting into email marketing. If you have any questions or would like more information about anything mentioned here, please don't hesitate to contact me!