Email marketing remains relevant. People from all walks of life have email for one reason or another, and more often than not, they access their email through their mobile device. That means that your marketing campaign, if sent through email, can reach them wherever they are. However, email marketing campaigns take more than just sending a few choice messages on occasion. Here are 9 common mistakes you must avoid if you want the endeavor to succeed:
1. Preventing Recipients from Replying
Emails are not inherently a discussion, but that does not mean you should close the door on that form of communication. Don’t prevent recipients from replying to your messages. Let them ask questions through replies. That also means sending your email marketing correspondence from the email of someone with a name, rather than a department, to make the recipient feel like they are talking to a person.
2. Using Clickbait Language
Exciting your audience is important. Without excitement, you will likely be unable to elicit a response or action from your mailing list. Many companies make the mistake of going too far and using clickbait strategies to get a response. Unfortunately, the common response to clickbait is to block the sender and/or leave the mailing list. Save the hyperbole for jokes. Stick to the facts and find a different way to incite passion and interest.
3. Weak Subjects
People receive a large amount of email every day, for one reason or another. For your messages to get contacts’ attention, your subject lines need to be striking and relevant. Take the time to ensure your subject lines are relevant to your audience, punchy, and promise value, and you will get more out of your campaign.
4. Not Using Previews
Sometimes a strong subject line isn’t enough to provoke readers into clicking your mail. Sometimes, you need to utilize message previews. Make the preview a strong one by writing a strong first sentence. Your message will be judged by that first sentence, so make that count.
5. Not Tracking Campaign Progress
Like any other marketing campaign, optimizing the effort comes down to tracking the campaign’s performance. Knowing which messages or subject lines get the most clicks or interaction from your audience can tell you which strategies work, and which ones need tweaking. Fortunately, there are many tools available that will help you keep track of all the relevant information. All you need to do is look for the data.
6. Using Too Many Images
Most people have access to the Internet and can load videos on demand, but that does not mean you should dump a ton of images into your emails. Connections can be unstable, and data is not always affordable. Worse, your emails may look suspicious due to the number of images you crammed into them. If an image does not help emphasize your point, it does not belong in your email.
7. Not Staying in Touch
When you make contact, make sure to stay in contact. While you should not constantly bombard your audience with emails, you should also not let too much time lapse between messages. Stay in touch, and do not let your market’s attention wander. If you are not sure how often you should be sending messages, let the customer decide on the frequency of emails when they sign up.
8. Chopping Out Emails That Never Click
Some emails or customers will never click on your messages, and that is OK. That is how campaigns work. What is important is you clean out those inactive or unresponsive emails. Each one represents loss that will never pay off for your campaign. You are looking to maximize returns on your marketing campaigns, not roll the dice that maybe one of your messages will finally reach a single customer.
9. Not Adding a Call to Action
Every email marketing campaign has a goal to achieve. Often, that goal is to have the reader perform a specific act, whether it is to buy a product or to sign up for a service. You need to make sure the reader knows what you want them to do, and the best way to inform them is to have a call-to-action. That call-to-action should be wholly focused on the reader, not what you are selling, and should be focused on their needs. That way, it is compelling and effective.
Email can make reaching customers easy and affordable, but it has to be done correctly. Avoiding those critical mistakes is only the beginning. For your campaigns to work, you must do the research and put in the time and effort. Do so, and you will find the endeavor rewarding.