Email marketing is a powerful tool in your arsenal for growing your business. However, with most tools, you can also do some things incorrectly and end up diminishing or even negating any benefit from the weapon.
Here are 8 mistakes most marketers do when using email marketing platforms
1. Not planning out your email campaign structure
If you are going to use an auto-responder service then you want to make sure that it will meet all of your needs for creating campaigns and sending them at later dates. You should always start with a plan when using email marketing automation services, even if it is just a list of what emails need to be sent under different circumstances. For example, if someone subscribes to a mailing list they may receive a welcome message but after their initial subscription, they may not receive any more messages until they perform some action, like filling out a web form.
2. No personalization
If you are going to send out mass mailings make sure that it is personalized to your recipients as much as possible to build rapport and trust with the people who are receiving them. If your emails don’t feel personal then it can break the connection between you and the readers which will lessen their desire to continue reading future messages or take any actions that are suggested in those messages. If you are selling a product or service then this may include using the name of the person who signed up for your mailing list instead of just signing off on all emails with “Hello, my name is __________”.
3: Sending email blasts only every so often
If you are going to send out email blasts then you want to make sure that it is not a one-time thing. You may want to ease into the process by sending a message every month or two before moving on to weekly messages. For most people, this type of regularity will establish a habit and they will read your messages more regularly which means they will be more likely to purchase from you with greater regularity. Sending emails sporadically will make people forget about you over time and the lack of regular contact with your audience will result in fewer sales for your business.
4: Using generic images
In order for email marketing campaigns to be successful, it has been shown that an image in the body of the mail that pertains to the content of the message can double or even triple your response rate. Make sure that you use images that are pertinent to the subject matter in order to increase click-through rates which will help grow your mailing list and ultimately increase sales for your business.
5: Not utilizing what you’ve built
Many people start an email marketing campaign but don’t take advantage of it when they have built up a sizeable list of readers over time. It is important to have fresh content sent out on a regular basis so these readers know they can trust both you and your company. This gives them more incentive to open what you send, read through the information, and ultimately take action that will lead to more revenue for your business in one form or another.
6: Not being adaptive to your audience
Never send out the same message to every single person on your mailing list. Use data from previous campaigns and alter your approach as you see fit. If you have customers that have been customers for a long time then don’t send them emails that are targeted toward new customers or those who have never interacted with you before. If they have been a customer for a long time, this means they already know about your company and what services it offers so there is no need to rehash the basics. On the other hand, if someone has just signed up for your mailing list then send them more information on how they can benefit from doing business with your company since this will help establish trust right off the bat.
7: Not using an auto responder
Some people may sign up to be included on your mailing list but not check their email address for weeks, months, or even years after they have set it up. By including an autoresponder with your main mailing list you can make sure that these people know that someone is waiting to hear from them whenever they do decide to check things out again. Email marketing campaigns are much more effective when there is a steady stream of emails being sent out regardless of whether someone has checked their email or not. Make sure you include the ability to schedule future messages so users don’t feel overwhelmed by too many emails in one sitting.
8: Sending boring content
If you want readers to keep opening your emails then you have to make sure the content you send out is relevant to them and keeps their attention. Always test what you send out so that you don’t waste time sending things that no one will respond well to. This makes your contacts much more likely to open future messages indicating they are interested in whatever it is that you are offering them.
Conclusion:
Doing email marketing correctly can lead to an increase in your bottom line. Don’t waste all of the time and resources that you have put into building up a mailing list by sending out irrelevant or ineffective messages. Take this information into consideration when setting up your next campaign so that you will see more success over time with the results coming back to you in form of increased revenue for your business.
