Email marketing is the OG of all marketing strategies. It has always maintained its place along with contemporary marketing channels. On average, email drives a higher ROI than any other channel - $36 for every dollar spent.
If you are not getting results as expected from your email campaigns, it might be because of certain email marketing mistakes that often get overlooked.
Mentioned below are seven email marketing mistakes to avoid.
1.Poor Subject Lines
The subject line is the first thing recipients see when they receive your email. it plays a crucial role in grabbing their attention and enticing them to open the email. A lackluster subject line fails to capture recipients' interest or convey the value proposition of your email.
Subject lines that are generic, misleading, or overly promotional may trigger spam filters, causing your emails to be flagged as spam and delivered to the junk folder.
Poor subject lines lower the chances of recipients opening the email, leading to lower open rates and reduced visibility for your content.
Mentioned below are three tips for writing a killer subject line that increases your email open rates.
- Keep your subject lines concise and to the point. Avoid ambiguity or vague language that leaves readers guessing.
- Use words and phrases that create a sense of urgency or curiosity. Incorporate action-oriented language or time-sensitive offers to encourage immediate engagement.
- Incorporate personalization, like including the recipient鈥檚 name, to make them feel familiar, valued, and understood.
2. Not Optimizing for Mobile Users
Over 61.9% of emails are opened from inboxes using mobile devices. With such a majority of email opens occurring on mobile devices, overlooking mobile optimization is a cardinal sin in email marketing.
Emails not optimized for mobile viewing appear distorted and unprofessional, deterring recipients from engaging with your content.
Avoid this email marketing mistake by ensuring that your email templates are responsive, with designs and content that adapt seamlessly across various screen sizes and devices.
3. Hidden Unsubscribe Link
You do not want people hitting that unsubscribe button and might use that old trick of hiding it or making it inconspicuous. While this might prevent some users from unsubscribing, it also comes with long-term negative results.
A hidden unsubscribe button creates a poor user experience for recipients who no longer wish to receive your emails. If they struggle to find the unsubscribe option or encounter obstacles in the process, it can lead to frustration and annoyance.
Hiding the unsubscribe button can be perceived as deceptive or manipulative by recipients. It undermines transparency and trust, potentially damaging your brand reputation and credibility.
Many countries, including the United States (under the CAN-SPAM Act) and the European Union (under the GDPR), have regulations that require marketers to provide a clear and easily accessible way for recipients to unsubscribe from email communications. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and legal consequences for your business.
4. Keeping Things Generic
One of the gravest email marketing mistakes is treating all subscribers as a homogeneous group. If you send the same email to the CEO of an MNC and the founder of a startup, chances are that one of them will find the content irrelevant.
You can avoid this type of generalization by using email segmentation. Divide your prospect list into segments based on predefined criteria. These criteria can be demographics, industry type and size, buying patterns, etc.
Tailor your email content to be relevant to each of these segments. For example, if you are selling a WiFi plan in a particular neighborhood, remote workers are more likely to subscribe to a higher speed package than the work-from-office group. Using this information, you can recommend the relevant packages in your email drip campaigns.
5. No A/B Testing
Leave no room for assumptions. A/B testing your emails will give you an idea of what works and what doesn鈥檛. Compare two versions of the email with A/B testing to determine which one performs better.
By measuring the response to each version, such as click-through rates or conversion rates, you can determine which version is more effective in achieving your objectives
Neglecting to test and optimize your email campaigns for factors such as subject lines, sender names, call-to-action buttons, and email copy can hinder your performance and limit your campaign's effectiveness.
6. Being Inconsistent
Inconsistency and spamming form two sides of the email marketing mistake coin. Achieving the right frequency of email communications is a delicate balance.
Bombarding subscribers with too many emails can lead to fatigue and increased unsubscribe rates, while infrequent communications may cause subscribers to forget about your brand altogether.
Strike a balance by establishing a consistent sending cadence that provides value without overwhelming your audience. Schedule your emails in advance to avoid being inconsistent.
7. Ignoring Automation
By not utilizing automation, you are missing out on the opportunity to
- Streamline processes
- Enhance personalization
- Maximize efficiency
The arduous process of manually sending emails and keeping track of them is not only time-consuming but has also become outdated. Repetitive tasks like sending a welcome email every time you have a new sign-up can be easily automated, thus making the workflow more efficient.
The most effective use of automation can be in drip email campaigns. You can nurture leads, re-engage dormant subscribers, and drive conversions through timely and relevant communications.
Without automation, maintaining consistent communication with subscribers becomes challenging. Automated workflows ensure that subscribers receive a consistent cadence of emails, reducing the risk of gaps or inconsistencies in messaging.
Key Takeaways
The list of 7 email marketing mistakes to avoid as mentioned above is not exhaustive. However, it is better to be on the lookout for these seven major ones.
From writing catchy and relevant subject lines to automating the email campaign, there are many areas where you might make a mistake. Keep a checklist of these seven mistakes to avoid and enjoy higher ROIs from your email marketing efforts.
