Some people claim that email marketing is dead. However, this is far from the truth. If a company is unsuccessful with their email campaigns then it is probably because they are making some big mistakes in their marketing strategy. The key to crafting a compelling email that directly connects with a company’s target audience is not a secret. There are many resources and methods readily available that can immediately improve a company’s tactics.However, many businesses make the same mistakes repetitively. Whether this is a result of ignorance or laziness is debatable, but it is clear that some ‘tricks of the trade’ should be avoided if a company really wants to make an impact on its customer base.
Only Send Emails with Reason
Some marketers will send out numerous emails on a daily or weekly basis just for the sake of upholding a schedule that has been set. However, this is often an overestimation of what is actually needed to connect with a customer. If an email does not provide any informative value to an audience, it will likely be ignored.“Emails that lack practical, useful information come across as boring and spammy and lead people to unsubscribe,” says Tony Delmercado, Entrepreneur contributor. “Every message should grab attention and call readers to action. Customers appreciate it when every piece of your campaign is meaningful, and they’ll show their gratitude by purchasing.”
Don’t Write like a Salesperson
More often than not, email campaigns are packed with language that clearly comes off as a blatant sales tactic. Headlines that are loaded with promises of great deals are simply not as effective on a target audience anymore and contribute to the failure of an email campaign.“People have gotten wise to email marketing gimmicks, and they know click bait when they see it,” writes Delmercado. “If your own subject line makes you think, “Someone just wants my money,” it’s time to get more creative.”Delmercado urges people to ‘think like a customer.’ If a company really wants to connect with a customer and inspire active purchases it is necessary to give them something that is valuable in return.
Sometimes Less is More
Most people receive multiple emails a day. These people have become experts at scanning emails for the valuable information and moving on quickly. Any marketing email that is not short and sweet will create a weak impression at best and it will be quickly relegated to the trash bin.“If you have a lot of information to send out, break it down into component parts to send individually in a “drip campaign,”” recommends Delmercado. “If that’s not possible, embed links to allow readers to click-through to the information at their own pace.”
Don’t Expect Bland Images to Make an Impact
Images are very effective marketing tools. They can summarize huge amounts of information at just a quick glance. However, many marketers will still rely on the first image that they pull to insert into their messages.“Images must complement your copy to avoid sending mixed messages. Too many or too few also hurt,” comments Delmercado. “Worse, images that don’t load smoothly make your company look amateurish and unprepared to do business.”These common mistakes are essential a how-not-to guide. If a marketer rights with reason and backs it up with great copy and a compelling call to action then they will have a much higher success rate for connecting with a target audience through email campaigns.
