Contrary to what you might think, email marketing isn’t dead; you can actually make clever and effective use of it in 2019 if you approach matters carefully. However, that’s quite a big ‘if’; the simplicity of sending emails could give you the misconception that email marketing does not demand an overly deft touch.
In fact, there remains plenty of room for error, so you should tread carefully to avoid these blunders.
Not being sufficiently transparent when reaching out to subscribers
With Facebook having spent much of 2018 engulfed in scandal regarding its handling of users’ data, now probably couldn’t be a better time for you to prioritise putting your own users’ privacy concerns at rest. To that end, you should let them know how their data will be used once they have joined your emailing list.
When they do subscribe, you should follow up with a welcome email indicating the nature and frequency of your marketing emails that will land in their inbox.
Sending from a ‘no-reply’ email address
This is dubious for two reasons: one, many servers will redirect the email to the intended recipient’s spam folder, where they may never even clap eyes on it.
Another potential issue is that even if the person does see it, the ‘no-reply’ address could leave the impression that you aren’t interested in them productively engaging with your company.
Errors in the subject line
The target customer will probably see the subject line before they see the email address, so it’s important that you don’t allow your spelling and grammar to slip up here.
If your email subject line does contain mistakes, the customer may unfortunately more easily remember this than a professional look throughout the rest of the email, which can negatively affect your company’s image.
Using too many different, brand-inappropriate colours
It’s not strictly a bad thing to let your artistic imagination run amok when you are decorating your emails; we could even produce a few eye-catching designs for you to share via email.
However, you should stick to the ground rules of not using more than two or three main colours in the scheme, or hues that are incompatible with your brand image.
Failing to optimise emails for mobile viewing
We’ve often emphasised the importance of priming your marketing drive for mobile; that’s why we take pride in implementing responsive designs for our clients’ websites.
You mustn’t allow such mobile-friendly diligence to escape you when it comes to crafting your emails. Otherwise, mobile users may struggle even just to find the ‘unsubscribe’ link in the emails you send them.
Sending emails at inopportune moments
When should you send your emails? You can get an idea by looking at email marketing metrics to see when the email opening rates are at their highest.
An alternative tactic could be waiting until your website’s visitor numbers peak. Your subscribers might then feel especially inclined to open emails to which your company’s name is attached.
Our Bronze, Silver and Gold web design packages each include the capacity for your company to use as many professional-looking email addresses as it needs – for marketing or any other purpose.