Email marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool but if not done properly it can actually negatively impact a business. It is important to create an execution plan when creating and implementing an email campaign. Below are some common mistakes to avoid when creating your email marketing plan.
Skipping proper email campaign planning and preparation
Proper planning and preparation for what awaits you and your future email audience is the first essential step that you have to take. First off, ask yourself some questions before moving on.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself:
- Can you really benefit from email marketing?
- How will you engage your email list?
- What type of content should you be sharing?
- How often should you send these emails out without annoying your recipients?
Making a plan and deciding on the details of your email marketing strategy will help you clear up your vision, create relevant content, and ultimately help you reach your campaign goals.
Working with outdated mailing lists
Your email bounce rate and spam score are aspects that you need to be aware of. An email bounce simply means that your email isn’t going through to someone. Bounces happen for various reasons ranging from typos within an email address all the way to a recipient with a full inbox.
Email service providers pay close attention to your bounces and having a high bounce rate reflects poorly on your business. It is good practice to go through your email recipient list on a regular basis and remove any of these email addresses that are not going to the recipient.
Annoying your recipients with too many emails
Even through email marketing is a powerful tool, you do not want to send out so many email blasts that you are annoying your recipients. Be thoughtful in what you are sending out and make sure the email content is relevant to the recipient. This will help to lessen the chances of your recipients hitting the unsubscribe button.
Writing poor subject lines
The subject line within your email is a major factor when it comes to generating high open rates. Depending on how you’ve written the subject line, it will either catch the viewers attention or be completely ignored. There are several ways you can go about coming up with an impactful subject line, but ultimately you will need to see what works best for your email recipients. The best advice we can offer is to try new things, measure your open rate success and do more of what works.
Sending out a non-responsive email design
Today most internet users are using mobile devices when on the web, so it is incredibly important to make sure your email is setup for responsive design. If the recipient opens up an email on their phone that is only designed for a computer or tablet, the chances of this recipient opening another email from you will be drastically lower than if the email appears the best way possible on whatever device they are using.
Having an unclear call-to-action
Making sure you have a clear call to action is incredibly important when creating an email campaign. If there is no call to action, then what really is the point to send out the email? I am not only talking about the text included on buttons but also the text right before that, as well. A call-to-action button is effective only if it’s consistent with the text within the email.
Conclusion
Although email marketing can be a very effective tool, it needs to be executed properly. By avoiding these common mistakes listed above it will help you to fine tune your email campaigns and lead to a more successful marketing strategy.
If you would like some help with your email marketing, give Northeast Kingdom a call today at 802-473-1887 and we can help you to create a thoughtful and effective email campaign and strategy!
