Emails are extremely important in the marketing strategy. Everyone can agree on that. They generate a huge proportion of leads, with the potential to generate unparalleled ROI. You can communicate with a wide audience, at a highly targeted level. But getting it wrong can dismiss a wave of potential customers before they’ve even considered what you’ve got to say. If you’re guilty of any of the following 12 email mistakes, then rescue your impending email campaign immediately!
1 A hidden call to action (or none at all)
Picture this. Your lead has received your email, they’ve read through it in its entirety, but what next? There’s no link, no obvious action, not so much as a ‘read this’. Where is your lead to go except onto the next email in the inbox? Yep, your email has been discarded and disregarded. From what could have been a super-hot lead.
If you think your email doesn’t need a Call to Action (CTA), then you’re missing the point in creating the campaign in the first place. Every email should have an end goal, be it driving people to your website, or advertising your latest event, each should have a purpose. The role of the CTA is to make it really easy for your reader to know exactly where to go next. Make it obvious so you can guide your lead easily onto the next step in the ladder. One step closer to making a sale.
2 Mobile UN-friendly email.
Nowadays over 59% of users read their emails on their mobile, and 21% on a tablet device. So, if your email will only render correctly on a desktop, then you’ve already got off on the wrong foot for 80% of your audience. A poorly laid out email can cause a reader to shoot straight onto the next email in the list, or worse delete it and never open an email from you again. The good news? GatorCreator will automatically adjust your design for varying screen sizes. Meaning you can be sure that your initial impression isn’t affected.
3 Typos and grammatical issues
Typos are one of those things that can distract from the actual message of the email. Because, if you’re anything like me, a single typo, and the email may as well not have been sent. No matter who you are writing for, remove all those pesky typos and grammar mistakes. It’s a simple means of checking your work over. If you’re concerned run it through a grammar checker. Word will do it for you, or online tools such as Grammarly. Getting a second pair of eyes to your email is always another great way to catch the typos which slip through the net.
4 Text, text and more text
An email isn’t trying to tell your reader everything they need to know. You’re trying to lead them somewhere. Somewhere where they can find out these hidden secrets for themselves. So there’s no need for a huge paragraph of text. Keep it short, keep it snappy, and keep your audience interested. Include enough text to intrigue your audience into clicking further.
5 Colour, everywhere!
Colour can do enormous things for your email. It can make your call to actions stand out, your company name and logo instantly recognisable, and your important information obvious. But overload it, and your email becomes an unbearable sight. Select colours which complement your brand image and logo. And use them to highlight just the really important information such as a CTA.
6 An unrelated & boring subject line
Your subject line is the appetiser of your email. It needs to unify the entire experience. If you lure your leads in with the promise of great things and don’t deliver, it makes your brand look untrustworthy. Similarly, if your subject line is boring, no-one will bother opening your email anyway. Engaging emails are what you need to aim for, but they need to be directly relevant, and if possible, an extension of, your email.
7 Missing pre-header text
Similarly, to the subject line, your pre-header text gives you an extra 50 characters to help entice your audience. As well as informing them of what to expect from your email. You can add humour, context, personality, you name it. It will help your email stand out in an ever-crowded inbox.
Typically, the pre-header is the first line of text found in your email, or you can add some handy code to define your pre-header without it appearing in your email! GatorCreator now just gives you a text box to complete, and it does the rest for you.
8 Images galore
Yes, images can speak a thousand words, we all know the saying. But having 15 in your email is way too many. You weren’t planning on having 15,000 words after all. Use images sparingly, and then you can really do them justice. Overcrowding your email with too much going on will make it difficult for the reader to know where to focus. Avoid using images for the sake of it. Consider the impact your image has, and how it enhances your email.
9 Images alt text
Uncooperative inboxes have a tendency to remove images from your emails by default. Leaving behind a little red cross, and a short snippet of text. This text is called the Images Alt text, and it can be defined. Ensure you add alt text to every image. Then, even if your image doesn’t display, your reader will know what is meant to be there. Add this to your to-do-list for every email campaign.
10 Not including a plain text email
Again, this is to get around those inbox issues that we just can’t avoid. Some inboxes won’t accept your beautifully designed HTML email. Add a plain text version, so that even without all the imagery and design, the message is still clear and forefront.
11 Not writing for your readers (or segmenting your lists)
You’re sending your emails to people, and you want those people to read them. Make it all about them. How will your lead benefit from this new product? Why should your customer attend your next event? Focus on what your audience wants, and give them that.
Another huge problem we see, is people sending the same email out to absolutely everyone! One email goes to a marketing executive, as well as an operations director. Realistically, they aren’t interested in the same things. This is where list segmentation comes in. Break up your contact list into related disciplines and customise your emails so they are suited for each new audience. This will allow you to connect with your readers at a more personal, more targeted and therefore deeper level.
12 Not automating any emails
If you’ve got a marketing automation suite available, you should be using it. And if you don’t, you should really consider getting one. Automating your email sends can help you send relevant content to leads and customers, as they are ready to receive it. You can send the right content, to the right people, at the right time. Capturing the moment when each contact will be most receptive to your messages. Add in Email series and workflows to your strategies, to lead your leads on a journey to nurture them from a lowly lead to a converting customer.
As an imperative part of any marketing strategy, email should be reviewed and improved regularly. By knocking on the head these 12 mistakes, you can make sure that your emails have the best chance of converting a lead. By opening up the channel for a conversation, your Sales team can benefit from more quality leads.
