5 Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve all heard the saying ad nauseam – “The money is in the list!”

But, is it really?

The truth of the matter is that the money is in the relationship that you have with your list. There are marketers who have a responsive list of 2000 people and they generate more sales than their competitors who have lists with 30,000 and more people.

How is this even possible?

2 words – trust and loyalty

When you’re building a list, the people on your list are exactly that – people. They’re not numbers in your autoresponder. Far too many marketers focus on the size of their list instead of the quality of their list.

You want to be the type of marketer who can provide immense value to your subscribers and blend in promotional offers every now and then to get sales. Most of your subscribers will understand that you’re running a business, and if you’ve provided them enough value, they’ll trust you and buy from you.

Some of them will like you enough to buy from you just to support you. The key to reaching this level of success with email marketing is to treat people like people. In this article, we’ll look at common email marketing mistakes that so many marketers make.

If you commit these mistakes, not only will you alienate your list, but they’ll not trust you. If there’s no trust, you can forget about making sales. Everything depends on trust.

1. Misleading email subject lines

One very common mistake is to use subject lines like “Re:” or “Your account is closed” or some other ridiculous subject line that’s designed to grab attention just to make the reader open their email. This is a very poor attempt at getting people to open your emails.

If you need to resort to such measures, your email marketing skills are mediocre. Making someone think that you’re replying to their email by using the term “Re:” instantly makes them distrust you when they see that you’re just pitching them an offer.

The goal of a subject line is to perk their curiosity. Trying to mislead them or make them panic and open the email, only to discover that it’s the marketer employing a lame subterfuge is not going to bode well for the marketer in the long term.

2. Changing the ‘From’ address

Many times, marketers change their 'from' address/name because they notice that their open rates are dropping like flies. The reason this happens is that their emails are either full of hype or are one promotion after another after another.

Subscribers on a list want value. They want to learn, they want to be entertained and they want something in return. Nobody wants to be on a list just to be marketed to. If that’s all you do, and your open rates suffer, changing your name or your 'from' address is just going to add to the confusion.

How can you trust a marketer with more names and addresses than a phone book?

3. Long, boring emails

Your email should only be as long as it needs to be. The goal is to convey your point across succinctly. Avoid repetition and unnecessary hype. If your emails are long, they should be entertaining and engaging.

4. Poor formatting

Don’t make your reader struggle to read your email. Be aware that reading from a screen is more taxing on the eye than reading print on paper. Avoid using a font that is too small or cursive.

The layout should be simple and the text must be easy to read. Don’t use white text on a black background or use a busy background that makes your email look like a Mardi Gras poster. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

5. Not understanding your list

With some lists, such as those in the make money online niche, you can email your subscribers daily or even several times a day and they’ll generally be more tolerant. Try that same thing in a niche such as photography or golf, and your subscribers will be turned off by your ‘non-stop’ emails.

You must understand your list. Look at the unsubscribe rates. Do more people leave the list when you email often? Time to tone it down. Are your open rates dropping if you mail once a week only? Yes? Try emailing twice then.

There is no right or wrong answer here. You must test and see. Mistakes only occur when you assume that all lists are the same, and just hammer them with emails without a care in the world. Know your list… and you’ll be a much better email marketer.

Now that you know the 5 mistakes to avoid, steer clear of them at all costs. Always remember to find the right balance and treat your list like you would your friends and family. People are people and they deserve your respect. Treat them well and they’ll treat you well. It’s really that simple.

Want more subscribers? learn 7 ways to add more subscribers to your list this month!.