In spite of the rapid growth of social media consumption in today’s online community, e-mail marketing remains to be an essential part of any digital marketing campaign.
People who go to your website or any of your social media pages will enter their personal information (including their e-mail address) if they see something of value or interest to them. While they may not be ready to purchase your product on their first visit, they might just need some more information or time before making the buying decision. By putting in place an effective e-mail marketing campaign (also referred to as “follow up” marketing), you are enabling your brand to communicate to potential customers to either get them to come back to your site for more information or openly give them a compelling reason to buy your product (ex. Announcement of a promotion.)
Follow ups from previous interaction with customers and potential customers is mainly the reason why e-mail marketing is still considered as an important component of a digital marketing strategy. However, sending e-mails to your target market does not just mean typing your message or attaching the image file of your current promo and blasting it to them. In order for e-mail marketing to be effective, it has to be strategic enough to maximize the allotted space in your customer’s inbox and to actually get the customer to open the email.
Here are 6 common e-mail marketing mistakes to avoid:
1) Suspicious E-mail Header
This is a serious issue, especially when your e-mail goes straight to the consumer’s Spam or Junk folder.
Generally, e-mail clients already have their own criteria for automatic filtering of incoming e-mails. One of the things they initially look out for is the e-mail heading. E-mail clients will most likely send your e-mail to the Spam forlder if If they see:
- a very long “reply-to” address such as <[email protected]>,
- a suspicious “from” email such as <[email protected]>,
- or a spammy subject such as “Win Php100,000,000.00 now!”
Therefore, if you want your e-mail to land in your customer’s INBOX, avoid all instances of looking like a spam email, and make sure to make your subject look professional, friendly, and concise. It’s also best to send out a test email to several test email accounts using the same server and information that you’ll be using for your email blast. If most of the emails you sent out end up in your test email account’s Spam forlder, chances of that email landing on your customer’s Spam folder are high. Experiment with different subject lines and content and see which combination will get you to land in the Inbox.
2) Image-heavy E-mail
Most e-mail settings of your consumers are automatically set to block images. As a result, your customers will see a white box with “X” mark on its upper right portion, instead of the actual message. In this case, you did not relay any message at all.
To avoid this e-mail marketing pitfall, add a brief text content to the e-mail, plus a link to your site or the landing page of your current promotion.
3) Text-heavy E-mail
Chances of your reader going through a very long paragraph is very low. Pretty much like in offline adverts, you need to be clear and concise in your message.
You can make your format simple such as the usual “What/When/Where outline,” so your consumers will get your message right away. Keep It Short and Simple (K.I.S.S)
4) Displaced Call to Action
2 things here: E-mail space is very limited and the attention span of the reader is short; therefore you need to relay your message and communicate your call to action simply and immediately. You might lose your readers if your require him to scroll all the way down before delivering your call to action. Also, call to action must be clear. It is best located in the topmost center of the e-mail, even when previewed. When crafting your message, remember to Keep It Short and Simple (K.I.S.S)
5) Forgotten Post-Click Experience
Aside from the actual e-mail you will send, you also need to consider what will happen if your consumer actually clicks the link. You can maximize your e-mail blast by putting viral components such as social media buttons that links to popular social media like Facebook and Twitter so you can still communicate with them through those platforms.
You also need to consider their landing page once they click the link on your e-mail. Instead of the homepage, it is best that the reader be directed to a page that is directly related to your e-mail message so you can continue to keep the interest of the reader.
Tip: Make sure your links work.
6.) Disregarding Mobile E-mail Clients
Technology has made it’s way to the daily lives of consumers. Mobile email viewership has advanced greatly that it would be very unwise to ignore this trend. E-mails that would not display properly on mobile phones and tablets are messages that will not likely be read at all.
Create an e-mail that is mobile-friendly. This maybe an extra step but it is a step worth taking given the trend of mobile usage. Send out test e-mails and check if your message comes our correctly on iOS, Android, Windows and other popular operating system devices before you blast the message to your database.
Do you want to include e-mail marketing with your digital marketing strategy for your brand or business? We can help! Send us a message.
Get Hooked 360, Digital Marketing Agency Philippines, Vietnam