Email marketing is the number one most effective marketing strategy, but you can still get it wrong.
If no one is reading your emails then you’ve already lost. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses go into email marketing unprepared and they end up missing out on the power of email as a result.
Knowing the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them is a smart place to start.
1. Poor Subject Lines
The purpose of a subject line is to grab your reader’s attention right from their inbox.
Dull subject line? That email won’t even be opened.
There are two HUGE mistakes you can make with a subject line; either not putting enough thought into it which disengages readers from the get-go OR giving everything away meaning readers don’t even bother with the content.
You also need to be aware that if your subject line makes no sense, is spammy or boring then your reader’s email filters will kick in and your email is likely going straight to their spam folder.
And lastly, an obvious subject line doesn’t encourage anyone to keep reading. Don’t give away the punchline of your email in your subject line – keep in the mystery and intrigue to give them a reason to open your email in the first place.
2. Leaving Your List To Go Cold
Want to know the most common mistake you can make in email marketing?
Letting your email list go cold.
Just imagine, you’ve spent all these hours working hard to create an email list of warm – or even hot – leads who might want what you’re offering. You created lead magnets, enticed them with special offers, and crafted the perfect message to get them to sign up to your emails.
And then after all that, you get preoccupied with some other aspect of your business and forget or neglect your email list.
If you promised them a regular, valuable email and then don’t deliver on that promise, you could lose that list forever.
So, what’s the easiest solution if you’re likely to leave your email list to go stale? Get some help with your email marketing, then you can be sure your email leads are being managed consistently, even if you have other things you need to focus on.
3. Boring Or Pointless Content
If you’re not interested in what you’re writing in your emails, your potential clients won’t be either.
The biggest turnoff for a reader is to get an email that doesn’t get to the point, doesn’t offer anything but sales talk or is irrelevant to their interests.
Don’t get hung up on getting information across or highlighting every feature of your business. Get to the point, write clearly and make sure you have a reason for emailing.
The bottom line – concentrate on providing high-value content.
Write emails that your leads will save to read again later or forward to friends! If they’re not waiting for your email every week, then you should be writing more engaging emails.
4. Impersonal Content
Do you trust companies or do you trust the real people behind them?
It’s hard to feel trust for a logo or a ‘Regards’ email signature.
Too many businesses think it’s enough to send off a detail-oriented, robotic email once a month. If you want to create a personal, vibrant and branded email, make sure you include these elements:
- Write from the individual perspective rather than as a company so it feels like they’re talking to a real person
- Use the word ‘you’ instead of using general terms like ‘a person’ or ‘some people’ to make your reader feel seen and included
- Add in some personality with humour, asides or additional thoughts in brackets
- Empathise with how your potential clients will feel about what you’re discussing
Throw all of that together and you’re on the way to an engaging, personal email that converts!
5. Inconsistent Timing
Don’t succumb to inconsistency. Not only will it hurt your open rates, your click rates and impressions, it’ll also affect how your email list views you.
If you tell them you’ll send a weekly email giving them valuable industry insights, that’s what you need to deliver. Inconsistency can come in a lot of forms too.
You could be inconsistent in your content style – flitting between super long, detailed opinion emails and short updates.
You may be inconsistent with your email timing, sending at 3 am one month and sending at 12 pm the next.
The fix for this is fairly easy. Make sure your email list knows when to expect your emails and exactly what to expect from you.
Don’t Make These Mistakes
These 5 common email marketing mistakes we’ve covered are easy to make, but they’re equally simple to avoid.
Every email counts, so the stronger your subject lines, the more valuable your content and the more consistent your timing, the better.
Take advantage of your hardwon email list, and use email marketing to its full potential.
If you want more info on creating subject lines that sell, check out the free 20 Best Subject Lines eBook.
Ready to take action and use email marketing for your business? Book a call with me today to get more out of your emails.
