I was speaking with a client a couple days ago and the topic of emailing was discussed. We聽talked about the Open Rates and Click Rates among other things. Email marketing is seen as one of the most effective forms of marketing a small business can participate in, but are you making any one of these critical mistakes?
#1 Boring Subject Lines
The subject line is what’s going to convince the majority of your subscribers to either open your email or ignore it all together, so there’s no wonder that you need to write an interesting one. However, many businesses fail to craft appealing subject lines–much less test them!
The subject line is like a Headline and the sole purpose of your subject line is to get people to open the email! It should be compelling and stand out! Think of all the email you get – which ones do you open?
#2 Not Split Testing
Split testing is an important tool for figuring out what parts of an email campaign can be improved. When used correctly, you can learn important stats for future campaigns to continuously improve your open rates and engagement. For instance, figuring out which subject line gets the most opens (with name vs. without name, etc.) can do wonders for your results.
While most services have this feature these days, many people still don’t use it, and that’s a big mistake. I think the reason for this is because it takes time and effort.
#3 Plain Text Emails
If you aren’t including graphics in your emails, you are practically asking for people to click back to their inbox the second they open it. People need big bold headings, clear and concise text, and images that help give context to your message. People are busy and they won’t waste time with an email that doesn’t instantly grab their attention.
Speaking of which, you only have about 8 seconds to do so once they open your email, so be sure the first few lines really pique their interest. The whole thing should be able to be digested in 30 to 60 seconds or less, with links to more information should they desire it.
#4 Not Using Video
I am going to start off by admitting that I fall short on this! I do not do video enough (some may argue that I don’t do video at all!).聽 Video is the most highly converting form of content on the internet, and with most inboxes being video ready, you’re making a mistake if you aren’t including it in your email campaigns. When a video can not be embedded directly into an email, use a gif from the video and link directly to the video to get people to watch it.
Using video is a fantastic way to turn readers into buyers, so use it every chance you can to share more information about your products or services than anyone would ever dare read. By doing so, you can increase engagement and improve your conversion rates.
For more information on email marketing, check out the post written by the folks over at Email Verify wrote on email deliverability. They have written an extensive guide titled, The Ultimate Guide to Email Deliverability.
What are your tips for email marketing? Leave a comment below!
I don’t know about these, guru. Maybe because our business is a little more technical, a little more aimed at the C-level… we don’t use video. And, to be truthful, we rarely use graphics. Sure, we may enbolden a few words or italicize a sentence…
If we were a B2C, we’d reconsider. But, it may explain our 20% return on B2SB (small biz entity)- or it may just be that they fear our cost structure (wrong!)
I think you use a lot of graphics – typically charts, graphs, and supporting material… OK – so as I type that, I guess you don’t use images/photos that *I* typically use. I concur!
oh Paul, I don’t do video either and I don’t want to….that would be yet another learning curve. While I have a twitter account since 2010, I have never used it….again, another thing to master. It is exhausting at some point.
Like your post!
Jessica – no need to master everything else at once… take your time and do one at a time.
Maybe video will make the list at some point (and maybe not!)
I have never considered adding videos to my email marketing campaigns until now – that’s a fantastic idea! Thank you so much!
Make sure you put the image of the video in the email with a link to that video – you will most likely get better conversion rates!
Ah – video… I work with an entrepreneur who has had amazing results using personalized videos in his emails to prospective clients.
Wistia (a hosting platform) has an option called “Soap Box” and he uses it to accompany an estimate. It allows him to present each line item in the estimate without trying to meet with the client (because they’re usually higher level c-suite people who don’t have a lot of time), and he’s found the rate of closing so much higher than just an email with a traditional estimate sheet.
Video works. Short videos work best. If a picture is worth a thousand words… 馃槈
Great idea with using a video to explain a proposal! Love it! Thanks, Lori!
Thanks for sharing these crucial insights on email marketing mistakes to avoid! Segmentation, testing, mobile optimization, and branding consistency are indeed the pillars of successful email campaigns. Your succinct breakdown serves as a valuable reminder for marketers striving to maximize their email marketing efforts. Great work!