There are common email marketing mistakes that, by themselves, seldom blow up an entire marketing campaign. When handled efficiently, email marketing is both productive and cost-effective. Yet, it is also easy to make a mistake that derails an otherwise effective campaign. Should multiple errors attack an email campaign, these mistakes can be disastrous.
The biggest mistake is the one that can undo and/or negate the good features of your campaign.
Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
- You neglect to create a ‘permission based mailing list.’The only way to move your emails out of the ‘spam’ category, which can bring you serious legal problems, into the desired copy your readers want, is to have your visitors ask for your email newsletters.
- You include poorly written content. Even if you don’t market to college English professors, your readers will react badly to poorly focused or written content.
- Your emails include misspelled words, grotesque grammar errors, and broken links. It always amazes that effective email marketing strategies are destroyed because companies allow copy to be sent containing these mistakes. Proofread everything before hitting the send button.
- Your subscription process is confusing and complicated. Make it easy on your readers to subscribe to your newsletters and product updates. Keep online forms brief, quick to complete and simple.
- You neglect to test market your strategy. You may think you have the perfect email marketing campaign, but take the time to test your strategy on small groups. The important component is that your readers respond to your email content or special offers. If they do not, make the changes that motivate readers to respond.
- You fail to include a motivating call to action. This error is much more common than it should be. Unbelievable? Yes. Common? Yes. Silly? Yes. Damaging? Yes. Light a fire to motivate readers to take action.
- You don’t include effective landing pages. Be sure to link only key pages when readers click through your emails. Do not take them directly to your shopping cart page. They won’t like it. The only things that might happen: You damage your brand integrity and annoy your readers.
- Your graphics are poor or ‘over the top.’ The only thing typically worse than poor graphics are overly complex images. You risk agonizingly slow downloads that overwhelm your marketing message, turning off potential customers.
- Your email material doesn’t give your readers what they are looking for. Understand your audience and what they want. Always answer the key reader question: “What’s in it for ME?” Give them what they want and they will buy.
These email marketing mistakes can become the destroyer of exciting marketing strategies. Avoiding all of these mistakes is not ‘brain surgery’ or ‘rocket science.’ It only requires your diligence, attention to detail and giving your customers and readers what they want.
Email marketing campaigns that avoid these errors will be more successful and cost effective. Targeting your audience, telling them how they’ll benefit from using your products and delivering useful, engaging information will make an email marketing strategy turn into new, increased revenue.
