5 Email Marketing Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make

Where can?t you hide a mistake? Most people would say emails and haircuts! Since this is not a hairstylist blog, we are not going to comment on ?The Beibs? do, but instead focus on emails. No matter who you are, you?ve messed up an email. You can admit it. Because, what seemed so perfect in a draft?can turn ?oh so wrong? once it gets sent out.

So, don?t bury your head in the sand, learn from your mistakes! I once heard that mistakes are proof that we are trying, which couldn?t be more true. Take the next five minutes and learn what mistakes you might be making with your email marketing:

Poor Subject Line:? A poorly written subject line can kill an entire email campaign.? It?s like a guy showing up at your door for a blind date rocking a mullet.? You probably think the entire night has been ruined and he hasn?t even said anything, yet.? He might be just what you need, but you?ve already closed the door in his face.? The same goes for an email and subject line:? it must be attractive and provide value to the person receiving it, or they won?t even open it.? In fact, it could irritate them enough to unsubscribe.

Although email marketing can be highly effective, a subject line such as ?Going on Now? or ?Click to Open!? doesn?t tell the recipient anything about the great email you have put together for them.? Creating a great subject line may sound simple and common-sense, but it is actually harder than it sounds.? Marketers often sit in front of an amazing email they created, staring at a blank subject line.? It should be informative, valuable, yet brief, while still incorporating a sense of urgency.? Put some thought and time into creating a subject line, and figuring out why you are sending the email in the first place.? Knowing the point and having a purpose can help develop the perfect first impression.

Not Optimized for Mobile: ?Seriously? This email won?t open on my iPhone! What is this? The stone age!? Marketers know, it?s hard enough to get someone to open your email, much less actually read it. Don?t do yourself a disfavor by not optimizing your email for mobile.

Lucky for you most email systems, including HubSpot, take care of this for you. But if you are using a proprietary system?or still using an outdated one?you could be up a creek without a paddle. The thing is, more and more people are using their smart phone as their primary device for email. My advice, if your email system is not taking care of this for you already, it?s time to upgrade.

No List Segmentation/No Context:? You have 20,000 addresses on your email list?? Woohoo!? That?s a great achievement.? It?s a great compliment to your business too, because these contacts have given you permission to stay in contact with them.? But, they expect to receive relevant content from you.

For example, sending an email for ?Ladies Night? to the entire email list, probably including a lot of men.? Will the men on your list care about ?Ladies Night??? Probably not.? And now you have annoyed them more than you can imagine.? Take the time and care to personalize your emails.? This is your chance to develop a relationship and create a personality for your business.? Don?t you want to stand out and be unique?? Sending the same email to everyone on your list is as overdone as the ?Friends Cut.?

No Call To Action/Bad Call To Action: So you?ve spent all this time crafting a perfect email to target and entice your contact. But what action are you enticing them to take? If you don?t know, they certainly have no idea. That?s why there is nothing more crippling to an email than the lack of, or an irrelevant, CTA.

Without a relevant CTA, the recipients you are aiming to nurture have nowhere to go. It is a path without end, a trip with no destination. Without a relevant CTA, how do your readers know the outcome you desire for them?

Bottom line is, you must not only serve up CTA?s in your emails, you must serve CTA?s that are relevant to the email copy you have dished alongside it. This way, recipients know exactly the opportunity they have a chance to take advantage of.

Not Testing/Proofreading: Come on now! Your fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Sharee, would be very disappointed in you. How many times did she tell you to proofread your work?

So? DO IT! You?re trying to increase conversions, not be the guy who sends out an email just to hurt their reputation with a grammar mistake. Think about it, if your customers can?t trust you to write an email that is mistake free, what can they trust you with?

Don?t do the disservice to your bottom line. Before you send out an email, send it around the office for as many extra eyes as you can recruit. Sometimes it?s better to resist the urge to send an email today, so that it can be properly reviews?sorry again Mrs. Sharee.

There you have it! The 5 email marketing mistakes you don?t want to make. If you have a feeling that you are making any mistakes in other areas of your digital marketing, it may be time to address those too. Take our FREE Inbound Marketing Assessment telling you where you are succeeding and where you could improve to attract more leads and convert those leads to lifetime customers with your Inbound Marketing Strategies.