Email is one of the most effective and widely used business marketing channels on earth. It is an inexpensive way to remain digitally in-touch while ensuring customers remain well informed. When email marketing is used properly, it is one of the most effective ways to get the word out. Email campaign marketing should be a long-term commitment, and every decision made should be based on what is best for your business and recipients alike. Today, many marketers manage successful Email campaigns, but there are ways to avoid mistakes that are still common.
1: No permission? BIG problem!
Before incorporating an Email Marketing campaign into your digital strategy, familiarize yourself with CAN-SPAM and CASL laws. In order to send ANY email campaigns, you must have permission first. Customer consent needs to be obtained before the first email is received. Email opt-ins can be placed on landing pages and forms and will ensure that the permission is received correctly. Unsolicited emails are not only a way to ruin your reputation, they are illegal. The best way to prevent future problems is to always make sure that there is no confusion in what the user will be signing up for.
2: Avoid using purchased email lists
One of the most important factors of email marketing is your contact list(s). It is vital that these lists remain current and accurate. All recipients should have opted in by subscribing, so that they agree in advance to receive communications from your business. It is recommended to always avoid purchased lists. People do not appreciate unsolicited emails, and complaints from these recipients will impact delivery to everyone. A good reputation starts with a great email list.
3: Reduce your odds of being sent to the spam folder
After all of your efforts, the last thing you want is for your email to be misidentified as spam. In order to do your best preventing this, there are precautions that need to be taken. Ensure subject lines are relevant and don’t “sound” like spam. Words such as OPEN NOW and FREE FREE FREE will only hurt your chances of making it to the inbox. It is also best to include links in your emails, instead of large attachments and/or videos directly in emails. If an email provider feels you are sending spam, your sender reputation score will suffer and your company may be blacklisted.
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4: Know your subscribers
Personalization is key to having your email stand out in the ever-growing inbox. Background research on customers not only helps increase open rates, but it makes it easier to segment emails to the correct lists as well. You wouldn’t talk to a college student about a nursing home, so why would you email them about it? Repetitive emails that seem to know nothing about their recipients will only end up in the trash. It is important to understand that a customer’s past behavior and purchase history are useful tools in determining their interests for future promotions. If subscribers feel your campaigns are relevant, they are less like to unsubscribe and more likely to make a purchase from your business.
5: Have a consistent deployment schedule
One of the most important factors in building a relationship is commitment, and the same goes for email marketing. Consistent and regular emails will ensure subscribers know how often to expect your communications, preventing them from being surprised or overwhelmed. As with most aspects of Email Marketing, there is no set perfect amount of emails to send. Testing is often used to determine how frequently an email should be sent. The last thing you want to do is over send and cause people to get annoyed and unsubscribe. And we’ve all done that!
6: Make it mobile
With a higher percentage of consumers opening emails on their mobile devices than ever before, it is crucial that blasts and newsletters are optimized to do so. If an email cannot be opened on a phone, it is unlikely that your recipient will remember to open it on a computer later on. To prevent this avoidable mistake from happening, ensure the email program you’re using optimizes your email templates to work clearly on all devices.
7: Testing, testing, and more testing
You wouldn’t invest a large amount of money on something that doesn’t work correctly. It’s the same way for email marketing. Multivariate (or A/B) testing is EXTREMELY important and can help determine what works best. Testing quick-fix changes like calls to action and promotional percentages can make a world of a difference by increasing click-through and transaction rates. But even before campaigns are sent to a distribution list, test internally by sending to yourself and/or co-workers to ensure the formatting works across all devices, and issues can be addressed before deployment.
