Email marketing is a super efficient tool for small businesses and comes with amazing ROI (which we all love). You can use it for nurturing “cold” customers, keeping current customers engaged, building a loyal following of people who are ready to buy, and beyond.
Avoiding these ten email marketing mistakes is an important first step to position your campaigns for success.
Top 10 Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
#1 No unsubscribe link in the footer
Giving your readers a clear, simple way to unsubscribe from your list is actually a legal requirement of the CAN-SPAM Act, so make sure your email platform includes one at the bottom of every email. Also, make sure your unsubscribe link is straightforward and visible, otherwise readers may think you’re being deceptive. We’ve seen some businesses change the font color to match the background so the link disappears—this is a big no-no.
#2 Not personalizing your emails
Neglecting to personalize your emails lessens the chances your campaign gets opened. It is one of the common ways that emails end up in spam filters. At a minimum, we suggest personalizing the “To” field to be the recipient’s first name, and making the “From” field to be a real person at your company.
[Extra Reading: Learn exactly how email personalization can improve your campaign’s performance.]#3 Plopping a big logo at the top of your email
The email address your reader sees in their inbox has already told them who it’s from—no need to waste valuable space reminding them. You could use a small logo if it fits in your template or instead, use the space for a great image (we love gifs) or jump right into content to immediately give your readers something of value.
#4 A dull subject line
A dull subject line is one of the quickest ways to get your email passed over. This is prime real estate for teasing content and enticing readers to click. We suggest following these great tips to create good email subject lines, such as asking a question, or even telling a joke.
#5 Too much text
People simply don’t have the time to read long emails. Keep communication brief and to the point. If your news requires longer text, use clear design that makes long copy easier to skim with a readable font, headings, and enough padding (white space) to give it breathing room.
#6 Not segmenting your email campaign
Segmenting your email campaign refers to subdividing your email list into distinct groups based on common characteristics, such as demographics, customer type, or geographical region. Segmentation makes it simple to craft campaigns intentionally to target smaller groups within your broad email list and make your emails feel more relevant to the recipient—creating better open rates and engagement over time.
#7 Failing to proofread your campaign
Grammatical errors, unclear copy, and typos are a quick way to lose a reader. Even if your content educates, your professional image will be tarnished. A good copy editor will be able to catch your mistakes before they turn readers away, along with helping your content shine in many other ways.
#8 Not sending a test email
Test emails allow you to see how your email stands out in an email inbox and how the email itself ultimately formats in a browser and on a mobile device (which may look a bit different than it did in your email marketing tool). We suggest quickly sending a test email to yourself and one or more test readers on your team before blasting to your entire list.
#9 No CTA
A CTA (call to action) is a clear action that you lead your readers toward and make it simple for them to take. Some popular examples are:
- Shop now
- Send us an email
- Keep reading
Not having a CTA (call to action) in your email leaves a reader wondering what the purpose of your email was, and is a big missed opportunity. We suggest having a CTA button with coloring that stands out (and plays well with your brand colors), and text that is relevant and engaging.
Here’s an example of a CTA button we use, linking directly to our scheduling app, to make it simple for readers book a consultation:
#10 Not being mobile-friendly
Studies show that around 46% of all emails are opened on mobile phones, and 75% of Gmail users access their accounts on mobile devices. So make sure your email marketing tool formats emails automatically for mobile, or design problems will prevent your readers from making sense of your message.
Onward with Confidence
Now that you know the common email marketing mistakes to avoid, are you ready to rock and roll? We hope so, and think you’ll be pretty happy with the results. So carry onward, and begin building your subscribers into engaged readers that look forward to hearing from you.
Are you short on time to make the most of your email marketing? Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation Zoom call to discuss how we can help make it happen.
Key Takeaways
- Email marketing is a super efficient tool for small businesses and comes with amazing ROI.
- Common email marketing mistakes, such as not having an unsubscribe link, not personalizing your emails, or having a dull subject line, can blunt the impact of your email marketing efforts.
- Avoiding these mistakes is a simple and worthwhile way to position your campaigns for success.
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash
