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Much of
the discussion when it comes to email marketing is what to do to
make your email communication the most effective it can be. But a lot can be
learned from considering what not do with your email
marketing. Everything from missteps that lead to spam to content mistakes, to
customer journey errors, should be looked at before creating future email
marketing campaigns.
“Spammy”
Mistakes
1. Buying
Lists
To have
email permission, by law, your recipient must have agreed to receive your
messages or offers. That means when you buy a list of emails from a
third-party, you’re not granted this permission.
The likelihood of your email being marked
as spam rises tenfold when you send communication to purchased
lists. Internet Service Providers (ISP) – as well as users – can detect when an
email is being sent without permission. In to the spam folder it goes, along
with your relevant information.
2. No
Contact or Unsubscribe Info
Not only
is not including unsubscribe or contact information in your email considered
“spammy,” it’s illegal. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 imposes
specific legal requirements on commercial emails, and this is one of them.
3.
Unauthenticated Sender ID
When
crafting your “From” field names, use clear, straightforward names and
addresses. These can be easily created, and authenticated, in email platforms
such as HubSpot. HubSpot will automatically
authenticate your sender identity when you create a new “From” field name.
You’ll likely only have issues if you try to manually set these up without the
help of an email service.
Content
Mistakes
4. No
Pre-Text
The
preheader of your email – or pretext – is the display text next to or around
your subject line. It is a critical component of a good email, as it can give
some quick insight into what your email is about. The pretext of your email
gives you, on average, 50-100 characters to use in conjunction with your
subject line, further engaging your readers to open your email.
If you’re
unsure of what to add in your pre-text, you could elaborate on your subject
line, as mentioned above. You could also tease an incentive, personalize your
email, or write something funny that relates to the body of your email.
Whatever you choose, try and make the copy concise and exciting.
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5. Too
Lengthy
Long,
wordy emails are not effective. Consider
this: you could pack it with paragraphs detailing amazing benefits, but if it
becomes too overwhelming to read, your users will likely pass. That means your
most important information could potentially get lost in the fold. And why is
this? According to the Washington Post, the average American worker spends 4.1
hours reading work email. Another long, drawn-out email is not
what they want.
So, while
email is a valid form of communication, it can be draining for workers. That’s
why you should strive to make your emails short and succinct.
6. Poor
Subject Lines
Are your
subject lines a second thought to you? Because they shouldn’t be. According to
research done by Blue Corona, 47% of email recipients decide
whether or not to open an email based on the subject line alone.
You could spend hours
crafting the perfect body of your email – all for not, if you don’t put needed
attention in your subject line as well.
So, what
does that mean? Your subject lines must stand out, and capture your readers’
attention. To do this, try and use active, intriguing language that reflects
the content of the email. Another tip is to make sure the subject line isn’t
too long; otherwise, it may get cut off in your readers’ inboxes. According
to HubSpot, most email
providers don’t show your full subject line once you pass 25 characters. If you
need help determining how to write a subject line for your audiences, try A/B
testing two to see which performs better, then following the winning format for
future sends.
Customer
Journey Mistakes
7. Emails
That Move People Down The Funnel Too Quickly
It’s a
often-discussed ideal that email is an effective part of your
marketing strategy. That is when it reflects the right stage of your
customer’s buyer journey.
You could
write a compelling email, equipped with the right subject line and design, but
have it fall flat if it doesn’t resonate with where your buyer is at in their
journey. If they just signed up for your newsletter and you send them
decision-related content such as demo guides, then they likely won’t respond
accordingly. You’ve wasted your time, as well as your prospective clients’.
8. Not
Segmenting Your Audiences
Another
unfortunate error that can derail an otherwise great email is sending it to the
wrong target audience. This error happens when you don’t correctly segment your
audiences into different email lists and instead send your emails to everyone
who’s signed up for your email correspondence. When you don’t segment, the
incorrect buyer persona could receive an email that doesn’t pertain to any of
their pain points, leaving them confused and unmotivated to engage with any
future emails.
Final
Thoughts
Thinking
about mistakes is not something marketers want to do repeatedly – but when you
take specific email errors in consideration beforehand, you’re more likely not
to make them. You can gain knowledge and begin putting better habits into
motion.
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