Are You Still Making These 10 Common Email Marketing Mistakes?

Email is still one of the most effective marketing channels, but with so much competition how do you ensure your business stands out? First, it’s important to avoid the most common email marketing mistakes; they will only damage your credibility and fail to inspire customer confidence.

In this post, you’ll discover 10 of the most common errors made by businesses that use email marketing, and learn how your business can maximize email conversions.

Not Sending a Compelling Welcome Email 

The first email you send to subscribers is often your most read email, so it’s crucial to get it right. As soon as someone subscribes to your email list, you need to do three things: acknowledge their interest, explain who you are, and describe what they can expect from you. A simple “thank you” and a welcome message that includes this information is a great starting point to build upon.

Writing Poor Subject Lines 

People won’t even read your email content if they don’t find the email subject line engaging. According to one study, 47 percent of email recipients decide whether to read an email based on the subject line alone (1). So how do you create compelling subject lines that improve open rates?

• Use keywords that are important to your target customer. 
• Use conversational language. 
• Highlight the benefits of further reading. 
• Create curiosity. 

Also, get to the point; people are more likely to open emails with short subject lines.

Ignoring Mobile Users 

An increasing number of consumers check their emails on mobile devices. In fact, around 62 percent of email opens are done on mobile devices, as opposed to 10 percent on desktop (2). Make sure you use responsive email designs, and test your emails on a smartphone to ensure they look right.

Not Segmenting Your Email List 

As your email list grows, it’s a good idea to segment it based on demographics, purchase patterns, location, and other factors. You can then deliver more targeted, personalized emails that are more likely to get opened. For example, someone who has recently made a purchase needs different content than another person who has only signed up for blog updates.

Delivering Messages Too Frequently 

Make sure every email has some value. If you have nothing useful to say, why say it at all? According to a survey of more than 500 digital marketers, 67 percent of businesses send marketing emails at least weekly (3). However, your chosen frequency depends on your audience and marketing goals. Think about what your audience wants and needs.

Having No Clear Goals 

Having a specific goal for every email leads to more focused, engaging content. Obviously, your ultimate goal is to generate leads and drive conversions, but not every email should be promotional.

For example, educational emails will help to build your reputation. In this case, your goal might be to encourage people to share your content. Other emails will be sales-driven. Here, your goal might be to send people to a conversion-focused product page.

Not Including a Clear Call-to-Action 

This ties in to the previous point. By ensuring every email has a specific goal, you can introduce a clear call to action that ties in with this goal. You can then measure the performance of every email.

Without a clear call to action, many readers will simply read your email and do nothing else. Do you want people to download a free guide or visit a sales page? Whatever you want, make it clear and specific. Use large call-to-action buttons with action-oriented phrases like “Download Now,” “Learn More,” or “Get Your 25% Discount Now.”

Failing To Analyze Results and Make Improvements 

If you don’t track how your emails are performing, you’ll never know what’s working and what isn’t. Most email marketing platforms offer campaign reports that allow users to see performance metrics such as clicks, open rates, social activity, and more. There are also useful A/B split testing options, so you can compare various email elements. By finding out which emails perform best, you can tailor future emails to maximize performance.

Not Encouraging Website Signups 

Increasing the number of email subscribers is crucial to the overall success of your email marketing campaigns. You may have great email content, but your efforts will be wasted if you only have 20 people to send it to.

This is why it’s important to make your email signup forms highly visible and accessible. Include eye-catching signup forms at the top of every website page to boost your subscription numbers.

Not Displaying a Clear Unsubscribe Link 

Making it hard for people to opt out and stop receiving your emails will only frustrate users and can seriously weaken your reputation. What’s more, if you hide your unsubscribe link you could get reported for spam.

Get Better Results from Email Marketing 

When it comes to email marketing, most business will make mistakes from time to time. However, by avoiding the most common mistakes outlined in this article, you can protect your reputation and improve long-term results.

Email marketing is here to stay, so now is as good a time as any to review the effectiveness of your current email tactics. Throw out the strategies that fall flat and focus on what works for your unique business. You’ll gain the competitive edge and reap the rewards of email marketing for years to come.