Email marketing has proven to be an effective advertising strategy throughout the years. However, a tool is only as effective as the person who wields it.
Even if there are studies from experts that prove email to be a powerful sales and marketing strategy, its effectiveness is still dependent on the manner by which it is used.
Email marketing has worked for a lot of companies. But it has also been proven a drawback for others.
What made this advertising scheme work for others and fail for the rest? One way to find out is by knowing what practices to avoid in email marketing.
Here are the most common email marketing mistakes and how to avoid them:
1. Sending Emails from donotreply Domains:
Have you ever wanted to reply to an email, only to realize that the message you received came from a donotreply@domain.com?
This is probably one of the most annoying things you can get as a consumer. This type of emails conveys an impersonal approach from a company. It is as if the establishment does not want to hear out the consumers.
Don’t be surprised if you get a low open and response rate if the emails you send are coming from a donotreply domain.
Chances are, the recipients found the prospect of having to look for your contact information too troublesome that they just decided to ignore your message entirely.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Steer clear from using donotreply domains. Make sure that your customers or subscribers can directly and easily contact you.
If you want to build stronger connections with your clientele, you can’t afford to communicate with them from a platform as uninviting as a donotreply address.
If replying to customers in a warm, personal way takes much of your time, hire the help of a virtual assistant.
VAs will put a friendly face behind your company name by answering your customers’ unique issues in a personal but professional way.
2. Not Making Your Emails Mobile-friendly:
The majority of email users now check their Inbox through their mobile devices.
If they open your email and have to pinch, swipe, or tap on their screens just to make it fit their device, then you are already scoring low on the customer experience scale.
Some customers would not even have the time to wait for your message to load that they would just skip it over.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Make sure that your emails can seamlessly fit mobile devices of any size or operating system. Run a test by checking your emails from different types of gadgets.
You want to make sure your customers enjoy a good read. In addition, make sure that they can complete certain actions with your email.
3. Sending Out Generic Emails
Big corporations have different business needs from local, start-up establishments. A 17-year-old girl and a middle-aged man have different reading preferences.
Why then would you send the same type of emails to all your subscribers?
How to Avoid this Mistake
Know your target audience. Before you set out to decide the content of your email, ask how you can best help the recipient.
If you are after customer engagement, then it pays to invest time getting to know the interests, needs, and traits of the people you want to write to.
4. Failing to Test the Company’s Email Campaigns
Misspelled words, awkward spacing, low-standard graphics – these are just a few indicators that make an email appear shoddy.
Customers may find it hard to entrust their business into your care if you can’t show reliability and authority in your own emails.
How to Avoid this Mistake:
Test out your email campaigns before you send out a message. Be meticulous in checking the smallest of details.
Are your email signatures loading properly? Are the graphics relevant? Is the subject line clear?
These are just a few things to ask yourself when reviewing the logistics of your email campaign.
5. Not Organizing Your Email List
Receiving an email with a bunch of people in the recipient header is one of the most unbecoming email practices a company can have.
As a customer, one would feel uncomfortable and dubious about the credibility of the company.
How to Avoid this Mistake:
Segment your email list. There are different ways to do this such as organizing your list according to location, age, consumer behavior, and product interests.
You want to make sure the emails you worked hard to compose reach the right recipients.
Conclusion
Email marketing is a powerful advertising strategy, there is no doubt about that. But are you using it to make or break your business?
By keeping the tips above in mind, you can ensure that you’re using email marketing to boost your business.
About the Author
Catherine Vanvonno is the President & Executive Director of 20four7va, a global eCommerce virtual assistance service provider. She is into strategic planning, product development, brand management, and digital marketing.
http://20four7va.com/| twitter.com/20Four7VA
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Image source: Pixabay
