Once the email is send there is no “Undo” button to rectify the errors. Here is a cheasheet which can be refereed to avoid email marketing mistakes:
1. Not Using Email Service Provider
A dedicated ESP ( email service provider) will ensure email deliverability in an organised fashion. Cc or Bcc the entire email list in one email and hitting the send button is a violation of Can Spam Act. Not only this but your internet service provide might also block you.
2. Not Segmenting the List
Breaking customers data base into multiple targeted groups is important to ensure good open and click rates. Marketing to non segmented groups is ineffective and outdated. Example – Mailing offers like “40% OFF on Women Tank Tops for Next 2 Days Only “, to a MALE customer. This is an example of bad email targeting and segmentation.
3 . Images Disabled
Most of the recipient have the images disabled either by the service provider or they prefer not to download the images. Do check the email campaign in the image-disability mode.
Example: cleartrip.com
Image Source: Digifire Internal Research
4. Email Landing In Junk/Spam Folder
Receiving an email newsletter without permission is the invasion of privacy. These emails land up in junk or spam folder , make sure to take the recipient permission for the same.
Example: ted.com
5. No Link to Unsubscribe
Embed the link to unsubscribe form the mailing list in the email template so you don’t need to be cautions every time you send an email. The link should be easy to navigate so the customer unsubscribe whenever he wants.
6. Irrelevant Content
If the content is non-engaging the recipient will quickly click away. Email news-letter or marketing campaign should interest the user and should not be self promotional. Use smart email marketing automation tools to identify the right recipient for your content.
7. No Personalized Welcome Message
A personalized welcome makes will make the customer feel special and happy Example: ” Hi, My name is Srikumar and I am the CEO of the company, welcome to our family. ” etc. A special offer or discount coupon can be added for first time buyers. Here is a perfect example from ebay.com
Example: ebay.com
8. Very Frequent Emails
How often to email newsletters and campaign to the customers should be decided on the basis of each customer history. Cap the email frequency to match the consumer preference.
9. Not Having Responsive Email
These days mostly emailed are checked on smartphone, make sure your have a responsive email design.
10. In-consistence Email Sending
With irregular email blast the company will never be able to maintain the momentum. The goal should be to remain at forefront of the recipient minds without irritating him.
11. Not Celebrating your Achievement
Never miss the opportunity of sharing email worthy announcements like if the business has received any reward or some special recognition. This will help your subscribers to have more faith in your product or service.
12. No Track Of CTR & Open Rates
Tracking the attrition, bounce, click through and open rates will help in analyzing the email marketing effort. Analyst uses this data to predict the email reaction as it the most reliable source of information.
13. No Customized Subject Line
Tailor made subject for a particular segment will result in better open rate. Example : ” 20% OFF on MAC Kajal ” for the female segment. ” EMI on Iphone 5S” for gadgets freaks etc.
14. Avoid Marketing Jargon
Do not use words like ” Hot”, “Ultimate” , “Best” etc for your product or service. Highlight your product or service benefits and do not push it for sale.
15. Drip Information Do Not Pore It
Every email serves a different purpose Example : Welcome email welcome’s the customer, promotional email updates on recent promotions etc. All the information in a single email will confuse the customer. The objective of the email should be to build anticipation, give teasers initially and then details.
16. Missing Bold Call To Action Button
CTA should be bold and decisive. Using larger text and contrasting colours will make your CTA standout resulting in higher CTR.
17. Recycling Email Campaign
Mailing the same creatives as last year is boring. Spruce the email campaigns using high resolution images, vibrant colours, relevant content and entertaining videos.
18. No Mediocre Deals
A loyal and regular customers seeks some exclusive and tailor-made deal or offers. Do not waste his time by offering him regular 5% or 10% off.
19. Over Promising Subject Lines
” Open the email for assured gift inside” , this is an annoying subject.
20. Not Measuring Email Effectiveness
Use smart email marketing automation tools to analyse email effectiveness .
21. Never Hide Your Identity
People are very reluctant to open emails from an unidentified source.
22. Including Useless Links
There should be a well crafted landing page tailored for the email campaign or newsletter.
23. Not Customizing Offers
Customers onsite behavior will help in segmenting the email list. Example : If a customer is searching or browsing gift section, it means he is looking for something special for someone special. Immediately mail him the 30% off coupon.
24. Everyone is Celebrating Same Holidays
Do not miss post holiday window on festivals like Diwali, Thanksgiving etc to email special festive offers.
25. Conversational Email Language
Conversational tone will lead to better customer engagement compared to formal emails. Write the emails as if you are you were sitting with the customer face to face.
26. Not Doing A/B Testing
Regularaly testing the email programe will keep it healthy and growing. Do perform small tests on variables like email design, call to action button, subject line, images, email timing etc and monitor conversion, click through rate, unsubscribe rate etc.
27. Overuse Of Personalization
Do not draw conclusion on the basis of un-vetted data generated , information gathered in single lead generation may not be accurate and may annoy the customer if repeated in the email.
28. Confusing Email Marketing with Transaclation Email
Transaclation email are like notification Example : Thankyou email for placing the order, Email with shipping details etc. And marketing emails are promotional emails Example : Emails with offers, coupon code and special deals.
29. Mutilated Email Design
Email should be designed using vibrant images, limited text conveying your brand story. A well balanced email design should consistent with the online store content.
30. Not Testing on All Browsers
Make sure the email campaign is free of HTML errors and test the same on all browers Chrome, Safari, FireFox, Opera etc. Make sure the email does not look bad on either of them.
31. Using Capital Letters
If the subject line has one capital letter like “HURRY” , “SALE” etc then it is likely the recipient will the mail thinking of it as a spam. capital letters not only annoy but are offensive to most readers.
32. Using Exclamation Marks & Dollar Signs
Overly excited tone is an indication of spam like FREE!!!. Also use of dollar sign in the subject line
33. Not Testing Email on All Clients
An email campaign should be tested on all clients Gmai, Yahoo, Hotmail, Aol etc to make sure all links are functional and images are viewable.
34. Purchased Email Contacts
Sending email to customers with who you have not any contact with , is illegal.
35. Unrelated Subject Line
The subject line is the summary of the mail and used as a bait to coax the recipient to open the email. Unrelated subject lines with the email content will not only disappoint the reader but will confuse him at the same time.
36. Incorrect Spelling & Grammar
Do test the email content for spelling and grammatical mistakes. Many online editors and some browsers do offer free spelling check.
37. Broken & Wrong Links
Do check every link and sub-link for proper functionally by clicking on them. The best way to do is have someone else do it for you.
38. Avoid Long Page Loading
Images and info-graphics inserted in the email should not be more than 100Kb. Several hundred kb of media will take long loading time and the recipient may close the email.
39. Do Not Use No-Reply Email Address
Sometimes the recipient would like to have additional information regarding the news or offered emailed. He should have an option to reply to the same email.
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This entry was posted in E-mail Marketing on May 16, 2014 by admin.
