Carried out properly, e-mail marketing will increase your ROI when compared with any other direct marketing method. However some businesses mishandle their email marketing campaign, which results in them losing subscribers and can result in lower than expected conversion rates. It is nearly always caused by one of the following seven deadly mistakes.
1. Purchasing an e-mail list: It can be tempting to purchase a mailing list containing thousands of names but there are a few drawbacks in doing this. If you do not have permission from the people on the list, you will be labelled a spammer and therefore the majority of people on the list will act accordingly. Your well worded e-mail will instantly be sent to the trash bin and your e-mail address will probably be labeled as spam. You will not get the response rate you expect because your list is not hand-built and highly targeted. Quality of subscribers is much more important than quantity.
2. E-mailing too frequently: A recent online survey regarding e-mail found that most people identify spam as “e-mail from a company I have done business with but that comes too frequently.” Consequently, even if you are not technically spamming your subscribers, by e-mailing them too frequently you will create the perception that you are. It is recommended by many experts that you contact your subscribers no more than once every 4 days.
3. Not offering quality, useful content: If all you do is send one advert after another then it is certain you will lose subscribers. Of course you wish to market your products and services, but you also have to give your readers some quality content they can benefit from. It should be like a magazine they have adverts but also have content for their readers and have a proper balance between the two to achieve maximum results.
4. Include in your e-mail a link to your website at the appropriate page: One of the main reasons for a poorly performing e-mail marketing campaign is the lack of linking the e-mail back to a targeted landing pages. If the e-mail asks the reading to take action (e.g. save 50% on raincoats today only) with a link to the home page then that is a mistake as it should take you straight to the page of raincoats only. Your readers don’t want to dig around your website looking for the offer.
5. Avoid the use of spammy subject lines: Avoid overuse of spammy words and phrases in your subject lines. Common examples include: Make $20,000 today, Change your life forever, Buy now, etc.
6. Ignoring timing: Correct timing is essential. You want to ensure that you send your e-mail at a time when your target audience is available to take action. Divide your list according to geographic location, and determine what time of day your customers are likely to buy what you sell.
7. Not proofreading your messages: Ensure that you proofread your messages before you send them out to avoid typos and poorly-worded sentences thus keeping a professional image of your company.