probably find this annoying and disturbing. Some just ignore or delete such emails, while others rush to unsubscribe themselves from the list.So why do businesses continue using email marketing (email campaigns)? The answer is quite simple – this marketing channel is very cheap and believe it or not – but research has shown as very effective.
When you use email marketing wisely, you build a relationship with your customers. You can and should personalize emails, sending different messages to different audiences. In addition, you can analyze the results very easily – how many customers open the emails, how many click on the links and more.
So what are the most common mistakes you should avoid when you create your next email campaign?
1. Strategy, strategy, strategy…
Many businesses send emails without giving them too much thought. They just write one copy and send it to all their customers at once.
Why is this a mistake?
Email campaigns, like all marketing strategies, should be targeted to your audience. If, for example, you operate a beauty salon, and you want to offer a 10% discount for Christmas, you must remember that your 20-year-old customers are looking for different benefits than the older ones. So your email for a 20-year-old woman could read, “Come to our salon and get a cool hairstyle for the New Year’s Eve party!” Your email for older women could read, “After cooking for so long, you deserve a gift for yourself!”
2. Talk about your customer, not about your product.
Many businesses simply talk about how great their product is.
Why is this a mistake?
Your customers don’t care if your product is the best, fastest, or sleekest. They care about themselves. In other words – you should stop talking about your product and start talking about your customers – how would they benefit from this product or service?
For example – if you are selling swimming lessons, and your audience is young families – don’t say, “We have the most professional instructors.” Instead, say, “Your kids will be safe with our professional team.”
3. Use a simple subject.
Many businesses write sophisticated subject lines.
Why is this a mistake?
The subject line is the most important aspect of an email campaign. This is the first impression you make on your customers. If they don’t find it beneficial, they won’t open it.
Think about yourself. Would you open an email that seems part of a promotion, or would you prefer opening an email that sounds more personal? What do you feel would work better?
– A free gift to our beloved customers
or
– Guess what treat we have for you today? Open the email to find out!
Although the second is intriguing, it’s too long and seems promotional. In contrast, the first subject line is short, simple and welcoming.
You should use no more than 50 tabs or 8 words.
4. Don’t forget to track, analyze and learn from the results so that you can apply them to your next email campaign.
Many businesses don’t stop for a moment to analyze the previous campaign. They just rush into the next.
Why is this a mistake?
The beauty of digital marketing is the option to measure your campaign results right away. You can see how many customers opened their emails, how many of them clicked on the links and more.
If you don’t track your campaign statistics, you may make the same mistake again!
5. Don’t forget to test how your email looks on a mobile screen.
This mistake is so common. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve made this mistake, too… However, please remember to adjust your email for mobile devices.
Why is this important?
Many of your customers read emails on their mobile devices. If your email looks bad, your customers will assume you didn’t put too much effort into the design. They will not for a moment consider opening your email again on their desktop. Therefore – you could lose customers who actually wanted to open your email.
Email campaigns is a very effective, inexpensive tool. If you follow these suggestions, your campaign will perform better than ever. Just don’t overdo it! People do not like e-mail flooding. You have to learn the right dosage depending on the nature of the product and the target audience.
If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact me
Image credit : epSos .de, Flickr