The 5 Worst Mistakes Businesses Make with Email Marketing and Newsletters

Whether in the business world or trying to promote an event, email marketing is one of the strongest tools available. This is evidenced by the fact that every dollar spent on email marketing shows an average return of $44.25. Unfortunately, not all marketers are getting these results, largely due to these email marketing mistakes.

Not Testing Emails

The best way to cause a potential client to close an email without giving it any thought is to have formatting or graphical errors in the message. It looks unprofessional; a small mistake can cause huge issues in an email.

This is why it’s smart to test a message on major email providers before sending it out on a mass scale. By simply forwarding the email to test accounts from Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail and other providers, a marketer can ensure the message will be visually well-received.

Inconsistency

Being inconsistent simply isn’t an option with email marketing. It’s important to show potential customers that there’s always something going on. Of course, the law of diminishing returns applies. Those who send daily emails are likely to simply annoy people. Sending out an email once a week, or at a minimum once a month, is the best way to go about it.

Ignoring Email Statistics

Advertisers often know that analytics are available when marketing through Facebook and phone systems, but few realize that email marketing can provide statistics. SendPress, for instance, gives detailed reports that showcase open rates, unsubscribe rates and number of clicks. Having these analytics at hand can help marketers decide if they’re on the right path.

Making Unsubscribes Difficult

Hell hath no fury like a potential client scorned. Happy clients may sometimes be vocal about their satisfaction; upset clients nearly always voice their unhappiness. Each email should have an Unsubscribe link available, and the process of unsubscribing should never take more than two clicks.

If people have to click on a confirmation notice, remember a password they created months ago or even enter their email address to unsubscribe, they can quickly become annoyed. On top of potentially angering a client, this person may mark these emails as spam.

Subject Line Mistakes

When sending out a newsletter, it’s important to remember that the subject line may be the only thing a person sees. They then have the option to click it or delete it. Writing a boring or nondescript subject line is a surefire way to get a message send straight to the Trash folder.

Take time to come up with a catchy subject line, but never make these intros misleading or deceptive. Once again, this can anger a potential customer.

Sending Unsolicited Emails

Not only is sending unsolicited newsletters illegal, it can also result in loyal customers not receiving these messages. Once a certain number of people mark a message as spam, email providers treat it as such.

Having people write down their email while at a trade show simply isn’t enough; a confirmation email should always be sent. Only after they click to confirm the subscription should they be added to the list.

Contrary to popular belief, email marketing is far from a useless endeavor. When done correctly, it can bring in new clients and keep others loyal. WordPress email marketing tools like SendPress can ensure a campaign is undertaken in a proper way, turning it into a very successful enterprise.