Common Mistakes

Mistakes to Avoid in Email Marketing

 

Going along with the last post, here are some more ways to have an effective email marketing campaign and avoid situations. As I stated many times already, email marketing can be very effective for promoting your business.

 

It is a tricky area though and it is easy to make common email marketing mistakes if you don’t know the right methods to use. This can be frustrating for you as it will cost you money and not generate any additional sells. Here are some common email marketing mistakes and pitfalls you need to be aware of. Some of these I have made myself, so if you are already doing email campaigns and find that you have done some of these, don’t beat yourself up; just change your approach and it will make your marketing strategies more effective.

 

Consumers just want to feel like they are a person to your business, not just a statistic or a dollar sign. Take the time to address each email personally. It may seem more expensive or time consuming, but it is more effective. You will get a much better response than something addressed to ‘Dear Valued Customer.’

 

• Don’t use dollar signs in your email marketing campaign. It is turn off to consumers who view it as you only want their money.
• Don’t use email marketing during the holidays.

 

Customers are flooded with them and yours won’t stand out. Instead, what I like to do around the holidays is send out holiday e-cards; No sales, no hype, just sincere holiday greetings. People are too busy and stressed to relax and read email that is not personal or important at this time of year.

 

• Your email message needs to jump out at them the moment they open it. Put the most enticing information first with the other details further down.

 

They are more likely to read the entire email message if you get their attention from the start. As each consumer is different, so is their computer set up and the type of program they use.

 

• Don’t assume the email will open up the same in every type of email service. You will need to test it out for each popular email service.

 

• Always give the consumer the option of opening the email in either html or plain text.

 

• Confidentiality is very important to consumers. Make sure your email sign up clearly states that you will not sell their information and that it will be kept confidential and secure.

 

You will be surprised how many people won’t sign up for your email promotions if you don’t offer this bit of information.

 

• There are rules and regulations out there regarding what you can and can’t do when it comes to email marketing. Make sure you are familiar with those laws.

 

They vary by country so if you do global marketing make sure you check the regulations for each area you will be sending them to. Failure to do so can lead to huge fines or worse for your business as discussed in the last post.

 

• Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know what your consumers want.

 

If you really want to know what they are after then take the time to ask. Be open to their comments, questions, suggestions, and concerns. Letting them know you are available for such customer service is a great way to earn their loyalty. It is easy to sell something to a consumer but much harder to please them so they will come back again and again.

 

• If you are new to email marketing and don’t feel quite comfortable with the direction that your campaign is going, consult a professional; we are all over the place and love helping each other out.

 

This will make the entire process flow easier for you as well as yield better results. Take the time to research the consultant before using them. Ask for references and talk about what your goals are. If the consultant is not willing to make your goals a priority then don’t work with them.

 

• Are you afraid to spend a large amount of your revenue on marketing? Consider working with a broker consultant.

 

This means you only pay them for the actual positive results the marketing brings you.

 

They will be paid based on the traffic they generate for your site or the amount of new sales resulting from the email marketing.

 

• Just make sure whatever method you choose is clear to both parties and in writing.

 

• Make sure the time frame that they will receive benefits is clear as well, before they get started.

 

• You don’t want unhappy subscribers to your email marketing campaigns. The laws require you to offer a link where customers can unsubscribe.

 

 

While you want to do all you can to keep them reading your emails, it is important to respect their wishes and remove them from the mailing list immediately. They will become very frustrated if they continue to receive them once they have asked to be removed.

 

SPAM is just as bad as a computer virus to most people and it can cost you their future business. Email marketing can be effective for your business if you keep these common mistakes from becoming part of your marketing plan.

 

What to Know

Email Marketing Laws (Important)

 

Ok, I try not to make my posts too dry, but when it comes to the legal bits, it is difficult, so please note that this is information that you do need to know if you are going to engage in email marketing.

 

Email marketing is a very effective way or reaching your target market. It is less expensive than other types of marketing while allowing you to reach large volumes of consumers.

 

Are you aware of the various email-marketing laws that are in effect throughout the United States and other countries?

 

It is important that you take the time to educate yourself on this topic before you create your first email marketing campaign. 36 of the 50 states have privacy laws in place regarding email-marketing tactics. There are also laws in Europe, Australia, and Asia. It is a good idea to have an attorney who specializes in these laws to assist you with your email marketing campaigns if you plan on this being a major part of your marketing. If you are a small business planning to go about it on your own, it is very important that you are aware of how these laws affect you.

 

The CAN-SPAM Act was implemented in the United States to protect the privacy of consumers on January 1st of 2004. CAN-SPAM is short for Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (nice that marketing was plugged in there with porn huh?). The act prevents the use of misleading to and from headers in the email.

 

• Marketers are required to include their physical address in the email.
• There must be an opt-out link in every email that gives the consumer the ability to reach the marketer and tell them they no longer want to receive information from them.
• The sender of the email must work to remove this email address from their database within 10 business days.
• Any email that contains sexual content must be clearly labeled and identified before the recipient opens it.
• Marketers have to get permission from the consumer in order to sell their email address.

 

Regulators of the internet are getting harder on marketers who violate these laws. They are imposing huge fines. In some cases the sender of these marketing emails can be sentenced to jail for a maximum of five years.

 

The harsher regulations are to protect the users of the internet and email services who felt their privacy was being violated as their email continued to be bogged down with hundreds of solicitation emails that were randomly sent without any target market in mind. As the use of email marketing continues to grow, expect the regulations to be further enforced.

 

In addition, the consumer may sue businesses that continue to send such materials to them after they have requested to be removed from the database mailing list.

 

As a business owner, this can be scary. The law protects you as well though. You will not be liable if a spammer has used your business as a cover for their endeavors. You are also not liable if a virus is found in your email marketing campaign as long as you did not place it there or know it was in place prior to sending out the emails.

 

The Coalition Against Unsolicited Emails is a non-profit advocate organization to help consumers know their rights, to stop unfair email marketing practices, and to provide businesses with answers to their questions before they engage in such activities. They also work closely with members of Congress to get laws passed that will be in the best interest of both consumers and businesses. Their website is a great place to get information.

 

I hope that none of this scares you off from doing email marketing. Email marketing is a great opportunity to keep your business in the mind of consumers as well as it encourages them to make new purchases.

 

It is important that you follow the laws and regulations that have been put in place to protect consumers from unfair email marketing practices.

 

While most businesses do all they can to follow these law, too many others don’t. Others simply aren’t educated in these laws so they break them without intending to or realizing they have.

 

The internet is a great place to get additional information of fair email marketing practices as well as the laws for each country. Keep a good eye out for any changes in these laws. There are not any pending issues in the legislation at this time.