Email marketing continues to be one of the most popular tools when it comes to increasing profits. The evidence lies in its average expected ROI, around $42 for every $1 marketers spend on email marketing. Businesses can use well-structured email campaigns to gain fresh leads and cultivate relationships with their existing customers.
However, just because you’re doing an email sales campaign doesn’t mean that everything will click into place, and you’ll suddenly rake in profits. Because, just like in any other campaign, email marketing has to be done right. As with everything worth doing, there are plenty of ways for it to go wrong.
Are you committing email marketing faux pas without you knowing it? Find out here on the list we have brainstormed just for you:
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Using Email Addresses Where Readers Can’t Reply
Receiving emails from a sender named DoNotReply@ does not feel welcoming because it feels automated rather than human. And it also gives the reader the impression that your company is only interested in sending marketing emails but not answering questions that they may have.
It’s advisable to send emails from an address that your present customers and target audience can reply to. However, if receiving replies becomes a staggering task, you can always direct your readers to a link to a contact form, which leads them to an efficient landing page.
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Not Mobile-Friendly
Almost 60% of email opens are from mobile devices. That’s why if your emails aren’t optimized for mobile users, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of the market. Making a mobile-friendly email format is quick. Just make sure that it’s simple and free from clutter. If you’re using images, make sure that they’re easily viewable on a small screen.
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Poorly Written Subject Lines
Since email marketing is popular with many marketers, you have to remember that your target audience may receive tons of emails from marketers just like you. And sometimes, all it takes is one look at your email’s subject line before the readers decide if they’ll open it, delete it, or flag it as spam.
One way to stand out from the competition is to make your subject line sound professional and personalized. It’s better not to oversell or over sensationalize (especially in all caps), lest you want the effort you put into your email to go to waste because the reader didn’t even bother reading it.
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Sending Emails That Aren’t Personalized
Readers are more inclined to open an email if they see that it’s tailored just for them. For example, emails with personalized subject lines have 50% higher open rates. Personalization can give your emails a boost because you sound like someone they know and not a marketer.
Personalization is one of the best ways to engage your target audience. Apart from using the customer’s name on the subject line or the salutation, you can also use email list segmentation. Email segmentation is grouping contact lists into categories according to their shared characteristics. It’s one way marketers can better target their audience using the information they know about them.
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Forgetting to Include Calls to Action
Even if you produce the highest quality content for your emails, if you don’t tell your target audience what you want them to do in the end, then nothing will happen. Remember to include a call to action in your email that will lead to the outcome that you want.
Also, ensure that your call to action is clear, precise, and straightforward. Don’t overdo it by confusing your target audience with ten steps that you want them to do. Instead, ask them to do just one action, which will guide them into one marketing funnel.
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Going Crazy With Heavy Graphic Designs and Images
Graphics and stock photos are great for adding visual interest to your emails. You can also use them to break down complex ideas and make them more engaging to the reader. That being said, it’s never a good idea to design your email campaign around graphics and photos alone. Mix it up a bit so there is a smooth transition between images and texts.
Another issue is the potential impact on the loading speed. The average computer today is capable of loading image-heavy content quickly. However, not many mobile devices have that level of computing power. The graphics may end up not loading properly or not at all, which leaves a disjointed user experience.
Final Thoughts
An email sales campaign can bring in plenty of revenue for a business. However, ensuring that it’s done correctly is what makes it a success. Maneuvering your way around common email marketing errors is one skill that will come in handy when you’re in the marketing industry.
Do you need help with your email marketing campaign? Tulumi can help you with that. We’re one of the leading digital marketing agencies in Orlando with plenty of experience working with small businesses. Call us now at (800) 481-1720, so we can get started.
