Email is fast becoming the best way to reach and market to people, especially with the rise of smartphone technology. Near unlimited access to the consumer can mean higher conversions and website visits, but it also can mean email practices that can turn consumers away. In this blog, we will cover some of the email habits that can have a negative impact on your customers.
Habit 1: One Size Fits All
In the early years of email marketing, you were able to get away with creating one email for all of your subscribers. For some businesses today this is still possible, but for most companies that utilize email marketing, this method belongs in the stone age. In today’s landscape if you’re still trying to send a single message to all of your customers there’s a higher chance that you will drive them away to companies who understand and address their needs and desires.
Email marketing today is all about customization and tailoring emails so that they appeal to specific customer interests. Customers can sense when you don’t care and in turn, will delete, ignore or unsubscribe. The little touches in an email, like sending a note or special discount for a customer’s birthday can make all of the difference.
Habit 2: Generic Content
The importance of personalization in marketing is something that we’ve touched upon many times and it still can’t be stressed enough. Segmentation and personalization go hand in hand and even something as small as addressing the email to your recipient can make a huge difference. You can also personalize your emails using a humorous, localized or emotional approach mimicking an in-person interaction.
Customers respond better when emails contain information that is relevant to them. For example, the dorm-centric company Dormify tailored their email marketing campaign to fit its young adult audience by sending emails that feature popular social media apps, catchphrases or internet memes. Researching the interests of your audience members and using that information to craft your emails will help you deliver compelling emails that stand out.
Habit 3: Ignoring the Little Things
It can start innocently enough, a misplaced comma here or a typo there. But these little things can add up over time and really annoy your subscribers, enough so that they may unsubscribe or delete your emails entirely. The first place to start: your subject line. According to a study conducted by the DMA* 63% of people will delete or ignore an email after reading the subject line. Your subject line is the place to really grab the attention of your customer, so making sure it’s catchy is a must.
Other “little” areas of concern include making sure your sender address is reputable so your recipient doesn’t mark your email as spam and including a clear and visually striking CTA (call to action) button. Taking the time to go over your emails with a fine tooth comb really proves to your customers that you are willing to go the extra mile and that you value their time.
Habit 4: Improper Timing
There will never be that “perfect” time to send out your emails, a time where it will hit all of your customers at just the right time. However, there are certain key times that can increase engagement. You can create emails that automatically send when a customer’s online behavior “triggers” them, such as visiting your website, making a purchase or left something in their cart.
Our platform allows you to do all of these things and more. You can craft triggered campaigns that send targeted and personalized content at just the right time, and track their performance. To learn more about our platform and other offerings click on the banner below to schedule your free 30-minute consultation with us.
