9 Common Email Marketing Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Written by: Lauren Wise, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

Email marketing is an important part of any business' marketing strategy. It's a great way to stay in touch with your customers and show them that you care about their needs and wants. However, there are many ways for email campaigns to go wrong. This article will discuss 9 common mistakes made by businesses when doing email marketing and how they can be fixed!

Not Segmenting your Email List

If you aren't segmenting your list, you're missing out on a lot of opportunities. Segmentation means dividing the people on your email list into different categories based on their actions. For example, this could mean those who have bought a certain product from you and those who haven't. This will help you send more focused emails to specific groups of people. And the more that your audience feels like you're speaking into their souls, the more they are interested in hearing what you have to say.

Not Sending a Welcome Email to New Subscribers

One of the most important email marketing mistakes is not sending a welcome message when somebody subscribes. Your welcome email is the one chance you have to get started on the right foot. It is also your one chance for your open rates and click-through rates to sky-rocket. Without one, you're missing out on one more opportunity to make them feel like they just walked into a tribe of amazing people who all want the same thing.

Not Sending Emails with a CTA

With email marketing, you have the opportunity to 5X your revenue. Emails are designed to be an enticing call to action, convincing the reader that they should take immediate advantage of the opportunity. But... they can't take action if there's no call to action! Make sure there's a link in your email to a sales page or checkout. You can even put it in there up to three times if your email's a little longer.

Not Using Text-Based Emails

Designing your emails actually flags that it is a marketing email to both your customers and Google alike. Ending up in the promo tab reduces your open rates by over half! If your emails look like they're coming from a friend instead, there's a better chance they'll end up in the primary tab, where they'll be read instead of the promo tab.

Not Analyzing Campaign Performance

Analyzing campaign performance is important for any marketing strategy, but it's especially important in email campaigns. Find out what worked and didn't work so you can improve your emailing efforts the next time around.

Not Using Scarcity

People love feeling like they're getting a good deal because they are! By including "limited edition" or "only a few left!" in your subject line, you'll entice people to open and read the email.

Not Selling with Stories

Education is valuable, but storytelling becomes even more important if you're looking to hook your audience for life. So instead of telling your readers about the benefits of a product or service in one email, tell them what life was like before they had that problem solved. Using testimonials and even using client situations for FAQs help your message stand out. But also, don't be afraid to throw in your own personal stories! Your audience wants to know more about you and your brand.

Not Explaining What to Expect

In your welcome email, it's a great time to set expectations with your new prospect. Let them know about all of the great content you will be sending them and what it will do for them. But also, if they aren't in your target audience, don't keep them on your list. Give them a clear-out to unsubscribe if they aren't in alignment with your target audience. Also, if you're frequently emailing, make sure to tell them. Some people are okay with that if they feel like it will be valuable. For those who aren't, they can leave. No harm, no foul.

Including Too Much Content

The problem here isn't that you want to include a lot of content. The problem is that it's not relevant. Consider what your prospect wants and needs when they read an email from you. Be intentional about only sending them things that are valuable for their life or business right now. If it isn't, don't send it until soon after something changes in their life or business.

Conclusion

Email marketing is a powerful way to reach your customers, but it’s not as simple as just sending an email. If you have the right strategy before starting any campaigns, you can avoid these 9 common mistakes that most marketers make. It's important to know how people think and react when they see emails from brands because they're more likely to buy if their needs are met with what's being offered by the brand. If you want help putting together a custom email marketing game plan for your business, let's connect at neurdymarketing.com.

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Read more from Lauren!

Lauren Wise, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Lauren Wise is the Founder and CEO of Neurdy Marketing, an email strategy and copywriting agency dedicated to amplifying the authentic voices of coaches, consultants, and holistic, heart-centered service providers — all while working smarter instead of harder. After struggling with work-life balance and health herself, Lauren decided that there had to be a better way. Ever since she has had a passion for creating systems and automation for her clients that exude their personal touch while maximizing their revenue and results from email. For more information, visit www.neurdymarketing.com or email Lauren at lauren@neurdymarketing.com.