Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing channels out there.
But, like with any good thing, there is a right and wrong way to go about it.
If you want to learn what makes a strong email campaign, check out our blog post about the proven email marketing strategies that can help your business increase its revenue.
These are strategies and tactics based on the 5T’s of email marketing.
What are the 5T’s of email marketing?
These are:
- Target
- Tease
- Teach
- Test
- Track
Knowing these 5 T’s can mean the difference between having an effective email marketing campaign and not.
Now that you know how to create an effective email marketing strategy, it’s time to learn about the common email marketing mistakes that can hurt your business.
Mistake #1: Not Asking for Permission
What do some email marketers do poorly? It’s not asking for permissions before adding someone to their list.
This is a sure-fire way to get your emails marked as spam.
When you add someone to your list without their permission, they have no idea who you are or what you will send them.
The Fix: The best way to do this is by having a double opt-in process, where people confirm their subscription after providing their email address.
This may take a little extra effort, but it’s worth ensuring that you’re only emailing people who want to hear from you.
Mistake # 2 Not Personalising Your Emails
Another mistake we see businesses make is not personalising their emails enough.
You see, your subscribers are more likely to engage with an email that feels like it’s been written specifically for them.
The Fix: Include the subscriber’s name in the subject line, opening sentence, or in the body of the email.
You can also reference their purchase history or past interactions with your brand.
Mistake #3: Not Having A Clear Goal
Every email you send should have a purpose.
Whether it’s to promote a new product, drive traffic to your website, or simply stay in touch with your subscribers, every email should have a specific goal.
If you don’t have a clear goal for your email campaigns, it will be tough to measure their success.
The Fix: Define what you want to achieve with each email campaign and make sure all of your content is aligned with that goal.
Mistake #4: Sending Too Many Emails
Bombarding the subscriber’s inbox with too many emails is one of the most common email marketing automation mistakes that can quickly lead to unsubscribed.
See, it’s essential to strike a balance with your email frequency.
If you send too many emails, your subscribers will become annoyed and start unsubscribing.
On the other hand, if you’re not sending enough emails, your subscribers will forget about you.
The Fix: Find a happy medium by sending emails regularly (weekly or bi-weekly is usually a good cadence) without bombarding your subscribers’ inboxes.
And make sure each email contains valuable content your subscribers will want to read.
Mistake #5: Not Segmenting Your List
One size does not fit all when it comes to email marketing.
See, there are different types of people on your list with different needs, interests, and levels of engagement.
If you treat them all the same, you will alienate some – if not most – of your subscribers.
In addition, if you’re not segmenting your email list, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to improve your open and click-through rates.
The Fix: Start segmenting your email list by common characteristics like demographics, interests, pain points, and more.
Then, create content specifically tailored to each segment.
Doing so will not only improve your open and click-through rates but also help you build better relationships with your subscribers.
Mistake #6 Not Optimising Your Emails for Different Devices
As more people read their emails on mobile devices, it’s critical that your emails are optimised for various screen sizes, as well.
If your emails are not optimised for mobile, they will likely be deleted without being read.
The Fix: To avoid this, test how your email looks on different devices before you send it out.
You can also use responsive email designs to ensure your emails are rendered correctly on different devices.
Mistake #7: Not Testing Your Emails
Before you send out your email, it’s important to test it to make sure it looks the way you want it to and that all the links work.
The last thing you want is for your email to go out with a typo or broken link.
This also includes testing the subject line, the email content, and the call-to-action (CTA).
If you don’t test your emails, you could miss out on many engagements and conversions.
The Fix: Test your email by sending it to yourself first and clicking on all the links to make sure they work. You can also use an online tool to test how your email will look on different devices.
Mistake #8: Not Measuring Your Results
The last mistake we will discuss is not measuring your results.
This is likely one of the most common small business email marketing mistakes.
You can’t improve your email marketing if you don’t measure your results.
This includes things like opens, clicks, unsubscribed, and even complaints.
In addition, you can see what’s working and what’s not by monitoring your email analytics.
The Fix: Use an email marketing service that provides detailed analytics to see how your emails are performing. You can also A/B test different elements of your emails to see what works best.
To Wrap It Up:
Email marketing is a powerful tool, but it’s not without its challenges.
By knowing these email marketing mistakes to avoid, you can set yourself up for success.
And if you need help getting started, you can always ask the help of email marketing experts, who can help you get the most out of your campaigns.
Have you made any of these mistakes in your campaigns? Let us know in the comments below!
And if you found this post helpful, be sure to share it with your friends!
